Catching on with the cycle

Jack Meyers, left, and Jim Thorpe with the New York Giants

Jack “Chief” Meyers becomes the first catcher in major league history to hit for the cycle 112 years ago today in the New York Giants’ 9-8 loss in 10 innings to the Chicago Cubs before a Monday afternoon crowd of 12,000 at the Polo Grounds.

Meyers homers to deep left field in the second inning off Chicago starter Lew Richie before picking up a single to center off reliever Jimmy Lavender in the sixth and a two-run triple to left off Lavender in the eighth to tie the score at 7.

He completes the cycle with a two-out, RBI double to left field in the bottom of the 10th inning off Ed Reulbach that accounts for the game’s final run.

Meyers, left, pictured here with onetime Giants teammate Jim Thorpe – yes, that Jim Thorpe – plays on Harrisburg's historic City Island in 1906 en route to a nine-year career in the majors from 1909-17.

During his time in the majors, Meyers hits .291 in 992 games for the Giants, Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves. He also plays in four World Series – three with the Giants from 1911-13 and one with Brooklyn in 1916.

Thorpe follows Meyers to City Island nine years later, playing in the minors for Harrisburg in 1915 and sandwiching his stay there between his six seasons in the major leagues with the Giants, Cincinnati and the Braves. While he hits .252 in the majors, Thorpe never plays in the postseason as Meyers does with the Giants and Brooklyn.