PLAYER PROFILE

HORSE HAGGERTY

STATISTICS & HISTORY

George “Horse” Haggerty was a high school star in Springfield, Massachusetts. Andy Sears, one of pro basketball biggest stars at the time, who lived in nearby Chicopee Falls, recruited the youthful Haggerty to join the Reading Bears of the Eastern Basketball League. Tutored by Sears and teammates  Charley O’Donnell and George Morris, the 6″4″, 225 pound  youngster quickly developed into into a solid  pro player. In his first season, the  Bears won the Eastern Basketball League championship and defeated the Troy Trojans, the New York State Champions, for the World Professional Basketball Championship.  In 1920,  Haggerty  joined the New York Original Celtics, a barnstorming team that would soon become one of the most famous in basketball history.  Light on his feet and very athletic for his size, Haggerty was a superb rebounder and defender. He was never the Celtics’ best player, but was the team’s most popular player.  Haggerty played hard, but he had fun in the process.  Arthur Daley, the famed New York Times columnist, called him the most colorful player in basketball history. Haggerty’s encounters with opposing players , referees and pranks involving his teammates were legendary.  Haggerty remained one of basketball’s biggest attractions for nearly a decade. He was famed for his ability to hold a basketball with one hand,  an unheard of accomplishment in the days when the the ball was much bigger. In 1923, Haggerty signed to be the player-coach of the the Fort Wayne Knights of Columbus, one of the most powerful pro teams in the Midwest. Early in the season, he tore a tendon in his ankle, an injury that would nag him for the rest of his career. Another severe ankle injury ended Haggerty’s career in 1929.  He settled in Reading were he worked as a brick layer and later a business agent for the bricklayers’ union. In 1959, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Original Celtics.

 

HORSE HAGGERTY Height: 6:04 Weight: 225 College: None
George Francis Haggerty Born: Jul 4, 1891 Died: Jun 8, 1961 Hometown: Springfield, Ma.
Brother of Flo Haggerty REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year Team League     GA  FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS AVG
1912-13 Springfield Indep
1913-14 Springfield Indep
1913-14 Reading EBL 39 43 0 32 86 2.2
1914-15 Reading EBL 40 58 0 21 116 2.9
1915-16 Reading EBL 35 36 0 19 72 2.1
1915-16 Danbury Woosters AC Indep
1916-17 Reading EBL 40 29 0 32 58 1.5
1917-18 Reading EBL 2 1 0 3 2 1.0
1917-18 Nanticoke PSL 36 24 16 64 1.8
1918-19 Philadelphia Midvale ABL 7 15 7 37 5.3
1918-19 Philadelphia Rookwoods Indep
1918-19 Harrisburg Independents Indep
1919-20 Reading EBL 38 39 19 61 .311 15 97 2.6
1919-20 PlymouthPittston PSL 25 21 20 118 .169 4 62 2.5
1919-20 Scranton Indep
1919-20 Newark Turners Indep
1920-21 Reading EBL 35 35 18 57 .316 24 88 2.5
1920-21 Nanticoke PSL 21 11 12 19 34 1.6
1920-21 Springfield IL 2 0 1 1 0.5
1920-21 Original Celtics Indep
1921-22 Original Celtics Indep
1921-22 ReadingNew York EBL 21 8 8 27 .296 6 24 1.1
1921-22 Brooklyn Visitation MBL 4 3 3 9 2.3
1921-22 Springfield IL 2 2 3 7 3.5
1921-22 Troy NYSL 1 0 1 1 1.0
1922-23 Atlantic City EBL 7 2 5 15 .333 5 9 1.3
1922-23 New York Celtics MBL 12 6 9 21 1.8
1922-23 New York Celtics Indep
1923-24 Paterson MBL 3 1 1 3 1.0
1923-24 Fort Wayne KofC Indep
1923-34 New YorkCeltics Indep
1924-25 Philadelphia St.HenryShanahan PBL 6 3 7 15 .467 8 13 2.2
1924-25 Washington Palace-Five Indep
1924-25 Original Celtics Indep
1924-25 Fort Wayne KofC Indep
1924-25 Tremont Indep 1 0 0 0 0.0
1925-26 WashingtonBrooklyn ABL 13 9 4 22 1.7
1926-27 Canton CBL 5 2 2 6 1.2
1927-28 Voluntarily Retired
1928-29 Hazelton/Wilkes Barre PSL 16 7 12 26 1.6
1928-29 Pattison EBL 3 1 0 2 0.7
Major League Totals 387 333 129 795 2.1
PLAYOFF RECORD
Year Team League     GA  FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS AVG
1920-21 Reading EBL 2 0 0 0 0.0
1921-22 New York  EBL 3 1 0 2 0.7
Major League Totals 5 1 0 2 0.4

 

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