William Thomas “Mox” McQuery

Baseball player and Kentucky police officer, played for Cincinnati Outlaw Reds (Union Association) in 1884; Detroit Wolverines (National League) in 1885; Kansas City Cowboys (National League) in 1886; Syracuse Stars (American Association) in 1890; and Washington Senators – or Statesmen -- (American Association) in 1891.

McQuery’s career batting average was .271. He is credited with 33 stolen bases. He played 417 games at first base and one game in left field. He stood 6’1” and weighed 195 pounds, a big man for the times.

McQuery was gunned down by two wanted murderers in Covington, Kentucky, on June 12, 1900. He was 38 years old.

"Big Mox was a patrol officer for the Covington Police Department. He was killed in the line of duty in 1900. He had stopped a horsedrawn streetcar on the suspension bridge, heading to Cincinnati. There were two men on this streetcar who were wanted for murdering a hobo in Ludlow, Kentucky. It was reported in the paper that Mox was greeted on the streetcar with a hail of bullets from the two men. Mox was shot in the chest. Before he died on the sidewalk, Mox fired a shot and struck one of the men in the leg. Mox died in a Cincinnati hospital a couple days later. He was the most popular policeman on the Department. There was a huge crowd at his funeral. He was killed in direct site of Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium and their new Great American Ball Park. One of the men jumped into the Ohio River and was captured by the Covington Police. The second man was killed trying to escape prison in Kentucky." - Retired Covington Police Captain Steve Wills (email sent to Baseball Almanac)

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mcquemo01

My, how we have grown

The 1876 Boston Red Caps’ roster contained 17 players. The tallest player was Foghorn Bradley, 6’. The other players ranged from 5’7” to 5’10 ½”.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1876&t=BS4

Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, major league baseball players height averaged around 5’8”.

The average height of a Union Civil War soldier was 5’8”. Average height of a World War I American soldier was 5’8”.

In 1554, the British warship Mary Rose sank off Spithead. The ship was raised in 1982. Studies of recovered remains shows average height of crew members was around 5’7”.

Archers, though, presented a different story.

“They were 6ft 2in or 6ft 3in, and strapping individuals,” Mr Owen said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9686177/Mary-Rose-scientists-identify-shipwrecks-elite-archers-by-RSI.html