Although he played in a later era than the one that will be depicted in the June 23 early baseball game at the Perley School, Georgetown native Fred Tenney made some lasting contributions to the National Pastime during his 17-year Major League career, from 1894 to 1911.

Born in Georgetown in 1871, Tenney joined the Boston National League team | nicknamed the Beaneaters | right after his graduation from Brown University in 1894.

He was originally signed as a catcher, but converted to a first baseman in 1897, and it was at first base that he made his mark.

Tenney played a more athletic style than was common at the time. He didn't invent the stretch for a putout that first basemen routinely use today, but he reached for incoming balls more than others who played his position.

Tenney was also the first player to turn what is now known as a 3-6-3 double play.

With a runner on first, he would field ground balls to the right side of the infield, rather than leaving them for the second baseman. Then he would fire the ball to the shortstop covering second and dash back to first to take a return throw before the batter reached the base.

Tenney is also credited with inventing the glove that evolved into the large, clawlike first baseman's mitt of today.

Tenney spent his entire career in the National League, earning a lifetime batting average of .294, rapping out 2,231 hits and scoring 1,278 runs. His teams won two pennants, 1897 and 1898, both in the era before the American League was founded in 1901 and before the advent of the World Series in 1903.

All but three years of his career were spent in Boston. He was traded in 1908 to the New York National League team, which eventually became the Giants. He returned to Boston as player-manager for one final season in 1911 before retiring.

After his retirement he went into the insurance business. Tenney died in 1952 and is buried in Georgetown.