WALPOLE ISLAND'S ED PINNANCE PLAYED MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN 1903 WITH PHILADELPHIA

I thought that I knew a lot about the select few players from my old Lambton-Kent district stomping grounds who actually made the grade in Major League Baseball. Well, as it turns out, I did not know about Ed Pinnance.

Nicknamed “Peanuts,” the Walpole Island product was one of the first four Indigenous athletes to play professional baseball in Majors (MLB). Pinnance played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1903 season. In his first appearance, the right handed pitcher suited up for the Athletics against the Washington Senators.

Ed "Peanuts" Pinnance

At the time, he was only 22-years-old. He played seven innings for the Philadelphia Athletics, striking out two batters, and finishing with a 2.57 ERA. He earned a save in his lone decision, and allowed only five hits in the seven innings he pitched.

Prior to his stint in the Major Leagues, Pinnance survived Shingwauk Indian Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Following this, he went to the Michigan Agricultural College, which later became Michigan State University, playing for the MAC baseball team.

Pinnance played his first professional baseball games for the Lawyers in Mount Clements, Michigan. He later played for Nashua and New Lebanon in the New England League. It was while he was playing in New Lebanon that he received the call to play for the Philadelphia Athletics, who are now the modern day Oakland A’s.

Later in his career, he played professional for Portland in the Pacific Coast League, Amsterdam and Troy in the New York State League, Bay City in the Southern Michigan League and Davenport in the III League.

After his baseball career, Pinnance returned home to live and farm on Walpole and Squirrel Island reserves in the mouth of the St. Clair River on Lake St. Clair. He passed away in 1944.

Only three other Indigenous athletes had competed in Major League Baseball, including Louis Sockalexis (1897), Bill Phyle (1898), and Chief Bender (1903), up to Pinnance's brief appearance with the Athletics. In all, only 47 full blood Indians have played in the major leagues since 1897, including the great all-American athlete Jim Thorpe who is a legend unto himself.

Growing up, my favorite Indigenous player in MLB was Allie “Superchief” Reynolds who pitched for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees from 1942-1954.