Bart King
An American fast bowler who terrorized English batsmen with his devastating swing and remains the greatest cricketer the United States ever produced.
1873–1965 (age 92)·American cricketer·Birthday: October 19·The Gilded Age
Biography
Bart King emerged from Philadelphia's genteel cricket scene, a world of wealthy amateurs, but his talent was anything but polite. A middle-class man among gentlemen, he honed a bowling style that was revolutionary for its era, mastering the art of swing with a lethal late dip. On the 1903 Philadelphian tour of England, he dismantled county sides, taking wickets with a consistency that stunned the sport's birthplace. His legacy isn't just in statistics, but in the respect he commanded from global cricketing powers, proving American skill on the world stage. When Philadelphia's cricket culture faded after World War I, King's name endured as a singular, towering figure from an unlikely cricketing nation.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Bart was born in 1873, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bart Was Born
The biggest hits of 1873
Bart's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1873Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Started school
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1886Became a teenager
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1889Could drive
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1891Could vote
President: Benjamin Harrison
1894Turned 21
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Turned 30
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 40
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 50
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 60
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 70
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 80
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1965Died at 92
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
Key Achievements
- Took 415 first-class wickets at an astonishing average of 15.66, a record that stands among the best in history.
- Devastated English teams on the 1903 tour, taking 78 wickets at an average of 11.01.
- Invented and perfected the 'angler' delivery, a precursor to modern swing bowling.
- Scored a first-class century, demonstrating all-round ability rare for a bowler of his caliber.
Did You Know?
He was offered a professional contract in English county cricket but declined, remaining an amateur.
His bowling figures of 8 for 11 against a touring Irish team in 1909 are legendary.
He wrote a widely-read instructional book, 'The American Cricketer'.
A cricket writer dubbed him 'The King of Swing' long before the term was used for baseball.
“A good ball on the off stump is the one that does the most damage.”
