Lipman Pike. Source: Detroit Jewish News.

Did you know one of baseball’s greatest legends was born and raised right here in Clinton Hill?  Lipman Pike grew up at 123 Vanderbilt Avenue, between Myrtle and Park Avenues.  At the age of 21, Lip began his professional baseball career in 1866, which lasted for 15 years.  According to most sources, he was the first professional baseball player in America – meaning he received payment to play, which at the time was technically against league rules.  His first payment was for $20, which lead him to move from his home in Brooklyn to play for the Philadelphia Athletics.

Not only was he perhaps the first professional baseball player, but he was one of the best.  Known as the “Iron Batter,” Lip led the league for a couple of seasons in home runs.  In addition to being a great hitter, he was also known for his speed.  In 1873, he challenged a racehorse to a 100-yard sprint and won!

On top of all of this tremendous skill was also the fact that Lip was Jewish.  His parents had immigrated to Brooklyn from Holland in the early 1800’s, when Brooklyn’s Jewish population was quite small.  While baseball played a large role in helping Lip assimilate into American culture, he had to face prejudices throughout his professional career.  Despite this, he maintained his position as one of the best players in the nation.

To learn more about Lipman Pike, you can visit Moment Magazine or check out the biographical children’s book Lipman Pike: America’s First Home Run King, written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by Zachary Pullen.  You cannot however visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame, because he has not yet been inducted.  Although, if you’d like to see the “Iron Batter” become a Hall of Famer, you can sign this online petition.

Lipman Pike, circa 1870.