As manager Walter Arlington Latham (March 15, 1860 – November 29, 1952) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball.
He played from 1880 through 1909 for the Buffalo Bisons, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators, and New York Giants.
[2] At the age of fourteen, he played with a local team from Stoneham, Massachusetts, as their catcher, fielding barehanded.
Latham made his major-league debut with the Buffalo Bisons of the National League (NL) in 1880; he is considered the first man from New Hampshire to play in MLB.
Latham returned to the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns of the American Association (AA) in 1883.
This record is not recognized by Major League Baseball, as stolen bases were defined differently prior to 1898.
[4] He played for Cincinnati through 1895, and was traded to the Browns after the 1895 season with Ed McFarland, Morgan Murphy, Tom Parrott and cash for Red Ehret and Heinie Peitz.
[2][6] He made a handful of cameo appearances as a player for the New York Giants of the NL in 1909, becoming the oldest man in Major League history to steal a base, at the age of 49, a record that still stands today.
During his playing days, he would stand on the third base line and yell insults at the other team's pitcher, attempting to distract him and give the Browns an advantage.
When Giants manager John McGraw asked why, Seymour made an excuse about having the sun in his eyes.
[20] Nicknamed "The Freshest Man on Earth", Latham was a colorful player known for playing practical jokes, including on Browns owner Chris von der Ahe and manager Charles Comiskey.
[2] In one famous stunt, he lit a firecracker under third base in an effort to "wake himself up", after Comiskey had been complaining about him falling asleep on the job.