Charlie Sweeney was attempting to resurrect his career in 1886. The previous season he was 11-21 for the St. Louis Maroons and had alienated most of his teammates when after a fight with outfielder Emmett Seery during a post-season exhibition tour.
Things didn’t start much better in 1886. Sweeney was beaten up in May by five “thugs,” as he walked home from Union Grounds in St. Louis—some have speculated that Seery was behind the attack.
Charlie Sweeney
Regardless of who was responsible, the beating led to Sweeney petitioning for, and being granted, permission to carry a gun in St. Louis.
Sweeney was 5-6 with a 4.16 ERA on June 27, when, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he and catcher Tom Dolan attended the St. Louis Browns game, and took part in:
“(A) little difficulty at Sportsman’s Park…in which these two players took an active and disturbing part, for which the Maroons managers thought called for prompt and severe action.”
Tom Dolan
The details are scarce; wire reports simply referenced “ungentlemanly conduct” on the part of the Maroons players, but in any case both were released for their behavior.
Within days of being released and within weeks of being granted permission to carry a gun, it was obvious an armed Sweeney was not a good idea.
In July, The Sporting News reported on an incident following his release:
“The hands of the big clock on the wall pointed to the hour of two, and the bartender thought it was time his congregation should disperse and meander homeward.
“He locked the side door and stood near the front entrance, inviting all the boys that were there to take a walk.
“Charley Sweeney was among the number, and he rather objected to leaving the place at that early hour.
“Some of the boys took hold of him and jerked him out of the door. He had no sooner reached the sidewalk than the door was slammed upon him. Sweeney was furious.
“He drew the revolver which he has carried about him lately and made an attack on the front door.
“In a moment pistol shot seemed to be coming from every direction. The bullets, however, all came from Charley’s favorite weapon.
“The few favored ones who had been left behind on the inside were paralyzed with fear. Some of them climbed over the counter and hid under the pop bottles and kegs of beer.
“Others jumped behind posts, and held their positions with a tenacity that was simply wonderful t behold. Others made their escape, through the windows in the rear, for the doors were all locked, while a few scrambled under the table and did their best to get out of harm’s way.
“Sweeney emptied his revolver and then reloaded and emptied it again. The fourteen shots attracted the attention of the police, who soon surrounded the building and called upon Sweeney to cease firing.
“He in the coolest manner possible, put his revolver in his pocket, laughed and walked away.”
The article went on to say that once granted a gun permit from the city after the beating:
“Ever since that he has gone around carrying a small arsenal in his rear pocket, and on several occasions has seen fit to flourish his weapon and threaten to let daylight out of those who happened to be in his way.”
Sweeney’s major league ended the following season, at age 24.
In 1894, he was convicted of manslaughter after shooting a man in a bar in San Francisco.
He was dead before his 39th birthday.
Baseball History Daily 