Ike Toy


 

ISAAC S. "IKE" TOY was born in New Jersey in April of 1871 to Joshua and Rachel Toy. The Toys were living in Stockton at the time of the 1870 Census, Stockton then comprising of present-day Merchantville, East Camden, and Cramer Hill. When the Census was taken Joshua Toy was working as a farm laborer, and there were four children, Margaret, Lemuel, Henrietta, and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Toy.

Joshua Toy brought his family to Camden during the 1870s, taking a job as a railroad flagman. The 1878 City Directory shows Joshua Toy at 527 Bridge Avenue, a street, no longer in evidence, that ran between Mickle Street and Federal Street, from South 2nd Street east to South 8th Street. By the time the 1880 Census was taken, Ike Toy's mother had passed away, and oldest sister Margaret was not living at home. Ike Toy lived with his father and older siblings Lemuel, Henrietta, and Lizzie, at 527 Bridge Avenue. Older brother Lemuel found work as a tin can maker and moved out in the early 1880s. Joshua Toy  lived at 527 Bridge Avenue as late as 1883. He last appears in City Directories in 1885, at 531 South 6th Street. By this time Lemuel Toy had been living at 314 Taylor Avenue, and Ike Toy may have gone to live with his older brother. Lemuel Toy lived at the Taylor Avenue address into the 1890s, working as a tin can maker for the Anderson Preserving Company.

Ike Toy grew up playing baseball, and was quite good at it. He was already a "well-known semi-professional base ball player" by the end of the 1889 season, and stayed in the game all through the 1890s as a player, manager, and umpire. 

Little is known at present of Ike Toy's involvement in professional baseball. It is known that he played in the Pennsylvania State League in 1892, starting the season, appearing in 16 games as a pitcher and outfielder with the Lebanon Pretzel Eaters. He started 14 games and had a record of 8-7 with a 1.17 ERA before being sent to the Allentown-Bethlehem Colts where he started 12 games, winning 8, losing 4, with a microscopic 0.67 ERA. 

Staying close to home Ike Toy played for the Camden club, a semi-pro team that more or less was in existence in one form or another from the early 1890s into the 1930s. Ike Toy appeared in games for Camden in 1893, 1894, and 1895. He appears to have played in 23 games for the Philadelphia Colts of the Pennsylvania State League in July and August of 1894, and was associated with the Salem club of the South Jersey League in 1895. Ike Toy was slated to play for Camden in 1896. News articles of the day state that he instead became the manager of the Salem team in the South Jersey League. He was also doing some umpiring by the end of the 1896 season. He also is thought to have played for the Sunbury Pirates in the Central Pennsylvania League in 1897. 

Ike Toy first appears in Camden's City Directories in the 1894-1895 edition as a wallpaper hanger living at 321 Washington Street. He was still at that address and following that trade in 1896. That year's Directory states that he worked for J. Edward Way, who had a paperhanging business operating out of his home at 449 South 3rd Street. A spring 1896 newspaper as gives an address of 313 Washington Street.

Ike Toy had become politically active in the 1890s as a member of the Third Ward Republican Club. He was elected to an officer's position with the Third Ward Marching Club of the Young Republicans in 1896. In time his poitical activity paid off. 

In 1897 Isaac Toy married Emily B. Elliott and moved to 529 South 3rd Street, by the end of 1897. Issac and Emily B. Toy briefly lived at and operated the saloon at 451 South 3rd Street in 1898 and into 1899. 

On September 25, 1899 Mayor Cooper B. Hatch appointed Ike Toy and fourteen other men, including future Chief of Police James Tatem, to the Camden Police Department. Isaac Toy's father-in-law, John W. Elliott, took over the saloon and was licensed at 451 South 3rd Street in December of 1899. He operated the bar into at least the middle of 1900.

When the census was taken in June of 1900 Ike Toy and his wife were living at 320 Berkley Street. Next door at 322 Berkley Street was fellow police officer Albert Keaser; at 324 Berkley Street lived plumber Tenny G. Hutchison and family, their baby boy Tenny G. Jr., would later serve as a member of the Camden Fire Department. Ike and Emily Toy moved to 604 South 3rd Street after the census was taken. 

Ike Toy was became ill in 1905. He returned to work with the police department, and was on duty when the Sixth Regiment Armory was destroyed by fire on March 18, 1906 taking the lives of three Camden firefighters.

Ike Toy's health declined rapidly after this fire. Diagnosed with tuberculosis, Ike Toy passed away on Christmas Day, 1906. Prior to his death, many of his former teammates and contemporaries from the baseball world staged a number of benefit baseball games to assist him and his family. Ike Toy was buried at Harleigh Cemetery. 

Ike Toy had been a member of the Massasoit Tribe No. 121, Improved Order of Red Men; Camden Aerie No. 65, Fraternal Order of Eagles; and the Third Ward Republican Club.

Ike Toy's nephew, William Earl Toy, served as a member of the Camden Fire department for 17 years. He was killed in the line of duty on April 23, 1948.


Ike Toy's Known Minor League Record

Minors Pitching

 Glossary  · Hide Partial  · SHARE  · Embed  · CSV  · PRE  · LINK  · ?
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP
1892 -- 2 Teams 1 Lg B 16 11 .593 1.00 28 26 24 3 244.0 183 219 27 62 179 5 17
1892 -- Lebanon PASL B 8 7 .533 1.17 16 14 12 3 138.0 119 176 18 38 95 5 15
1892 -- Allentown-Bethlehem PASL B 8 4 .667 0.76 12 12 12 0 106.0 64 43 9 24 84 0 2
1 Season 16 11 .593 1.00 28 26 24 3 244.0 183 219 27 62 179 5 17

Minors Batting

 Glossary  · Hide Partial  · SHARE  · Embed  · CSV  · PRE  · LINK  · ?
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
1892 -- 2 Teams 1 Lg B 36 137 17 29 4 1 0 7 .212 .255 35
1892 -- Lebanon PASL B 24 96 14 17 3 1 0 4 .177 .229 22
1892 -- Allentown-Bethlehem PASL B 12 41 3 12 1 0 0 3 .293 .317 13
1 Season 36 137 137 17 29 4 1 0 7 .212 .212 .255 .467 35

Minors Fielding

 Glossary  · Hide Partial  · SHARE  · Embed  · CSV  · PRE  · LINK  · ?
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G CG Ch PO A E DP Fld% RF/G PO
1892 -- 2 Teams 1 Lg B P 28 0.00
1892 -- Allentown-Bethlehem PASL B P 12 0.00
1892 -- Lebanon PASL B OF 10 0.00
1892 -- Lebanon PASL B P 16 0.00
1 Season 38 0.00
P (1 season) P 28 0.00
OF (1 season) OF 10 0.00

Philadelphia Inquirer- February 8, 1890
Isaac Toy - James M. Cassady - South 5th Street - Bridge Avenue
Ephraim Hillman - Joseph Hillman - Samuel Thomas


Philadelphia Inquirer- April 19, 1891
Isaac Toy 

Philadelphia Inquirer- July 20, 1893
Ike Toy - Dan Campbell

Philadelphia Inquirer - April 17, 1894
Kid GleasonChris Von der Ahe - Billy Egan - Red Armstrong
Charlie Snyder - Joe Jones -
Ike Toy - Zeke Moore - Charley Matthews
"Ned" O'Neill - "Trickey" O'Neill

Philadelphia Inquirer - June 26, 1895

Zeke Moore - Charley Matthews - ____ Stanton
Garrett Cowls - Ike Toy - ___ Hallowell - Bill Henry
____ Loftus - ____ Humphreys - ____ Foulkrod - ____ Gray 

Philadelphia Inquirer - March 13, 1896
Zeke Moore - Charley Matthews - Bob Black - Ike Toy
____ Hewitt - ____ Perkins - ____ Nield - J.M. Kelly - Federal Street 

Philadelphia Inquirer - May 24, 1896
 Ike Toy - Washington Street 

Philadelphia Inquirer - July 12, 1896
W.H. French - Isaac Toy - Fred Heindel - John Brothers
E.E. Jefferis - William H. Brown - W.G. Bethel
Samuel Bleen - Hobart South End Colored Club 

Philadelphia Inquirer- September 20, 1896

Bob Black - George Nellins
George Bergen -
Ike Toy
Morris Steelman - Charley Matthews
Zeke Moore


Philadelphia Inquirer- September 27, 1896

...continued...


...continued...

Bob Black - George Nellins - George Bergen - Ike Toy - Morris Steelman
Charley Matthews - Zeke Moore

Camden Daily Courier * September 25, 1899

Cooper B. Hatch - William Lyons - William Thompson - A. Lincoln James - Isaac Toy - James Tatem
Casper Hart - Thomas Brothers - John Anderson - George Purnell - Alfred S. Snow
David Clark -
Thomas Reed - Howard McPherson - Edward R. Thomas- John Zane - William C. Horner 

Philadelphia Inquirer
September 26, 1899

Cooper B. Hatch
William Lyons
William Thompson
A. Lincoln James
Isaac Toy
James Tatem
Casper Hart
Thomas Brothers
George Purnell
John Anderson
Alfred S. Snow - David Clark
Thomas Reed
Howard McPherson
Edward R. Thomas
John Zane
William C. Horner



Philadelphia Inquirer - May 14, 1900
Click on Images for PDF File of Complete Article

Taylor Avenue
Federal Street
South 5th Street
Arch Street
Arthur Rose
Thomas Pinkerton
William Pinkerton
William Cowgill
William Grosscup
Mrs. James Morris
M.S. Irvin
B.F. Sutton
Charles WIlliams
Samuel Davis
Joseph Swing
Samuel S. Elfreth
Dr. Henry H. Davis
Cooper Hospital
George M. Beringer
F. Walter Toms
Camden Lodge of Elks No. 293
Edward Foster
S.B. Morris
Broadway

...continued...
Mrs. Robert Wible
Isaac S. Toy
Charles Foulon
Harry A. Miller
John Foster
John W. Cheney
C.W. Nichols
F.W. Potter
North Baptist Church
Thomas M.K. Lee Post No. 5, G.A.R.
New Jersey Safe Deposit & Trust Company
Berkley Street
 

Philadelphia Inquirer - June 12, 1901

Frank Starkey - George Peterson - George Laux
Joseph Nowrey - Isaac Toy - Mary Reynolds
 Lev Stratton - Rev. G.R. Underhill
St. John's Episcopal Church 
Rev. A.G. Lawson -
North Baptist Church

Philadelphia Inquirer - November 11, 1901
Henry May Jr. - Henry May - Burns Street - John Dyer - Isaac Toy

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 7, 1902

ff


...continued...
...continued...
O. Glen Stackhouse - Hugh Boyle - George F. Kappel - Isaac Toy
Charles D. Ridgley -
Paul Woodward - Rev. C.A. Adams - George M. Beringer
Rev. John Lyell - Rev. William H. Fishburn -
Cooper School

Philadelphia Inquirer
December 20, 1902

George F,Kappel
Isaac Toy
Harry Miller
O. Glen Stackhouse
Harry Livermore
John Mares
Henry E. Nunnich
Market Street
South 3rd Street
Clinton Street
Pennsylvania Bottling & Supply Co.


Camden Daily Courier * January 26, 1903
...continued...
...continued...
 
George V. Tucker - Charles V.D. Joline - Harry Shuster - Odd Fellows - Emmanuel Baptist Church
Robert F. Miller - Albert Keaser - George V. Murry - F. Morse Archer - John Wagner - Harry Miller
Edward Hartman
- John T. Rodan - William Laws - Spencer Moore - Howard Roberts
Assemblyman John S. Roberts -
Ike Toy - Daniel Ayres - Albert S. Shaw - William D. Hart
Mrs. Abbie L. Widener -  Thomas J. Cheeseman Sr. - Charles Wagner

Philadelphia Inquirer - March 3, 1903
Joseph Nowrey - Charles Ridgely - Oscar Weaver
Isaac Toy


Bridgeton Evening News - July 30, 1905
 Ike Toy

Philadelphia Inquirer - March 19, 1906

George Shields - William Hillman - William Jobes
Josiah Sage - Seth D. Monnell - George Quinn
Martin Carrigan - J.W. Simpson - James Elberson
William Elberson - Charles Worthington
Harry Dease - Isaac Toy -
Harry A. Haines Sr.
Joseph Ernst - Joseph Daley - Samuel S. Elfreth
William SchreglerCharles H. Ellis 

West Street - Mickle Street - Beckett Street
Kaighn Avenue - Line Street - South 8th Street
Mt. Vernon Street - Clinton Street - Cedar Street
North 4th Street - Taylor AvenuePenn Street
Haddon Avenue - Bridge Avenue

Engine Company 1 -  Engine Company 2
Engine Company 4 - Chemical Engine Company

6th Regiment, New Jersey National Guard
Farmers & Merchants Market
Camden Opera House

"Joseph Gail" was actually Joseph Daley

...continued...

...continued...

...continued...

Frank G. Hitchener - William Morgenweck - Sperry & Hutchinson - Camden Bowling Alleys
M.W. Taylor Theatrical Agency - John Sherwood - Louis Certain - Richard Carpenter - Daniel Mehlin
Mrs. Ida Paul - Mrs. Farley - John Campbell - Harry Chase - John WIdden - H.W. Wilson
Gardner Corson - Mrs. Borquin - C.M. Alcott

Gardner Corson was appointed to the Fire Department in November of 1907.


Philadelphia Inquirer - October 17, 1906
Kid Gleason - Morris Steelman - Eggie Lennox - Danny Green - Wid Conroy Harry Gleason - George Clayton - Billy Fischman - Perry Verga
Isaac "Ike" Toy

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 19, 1906
Kid Gleason - Morris Steelman - Eggie Lennox - Danny Green - Wid Conroy Harry Gleason - Bob Black - Harry Davis - Perry Verga - Rube Waddell
Isaac "Ike" Toy

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 24, 1906
 Kid Gleason - Harry Gleason - Danny Green - Billy Fischman  - Eggie Lennox
Wid Conroy - Bob Black - Perry Verga -
Ike Toy

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 28, 1906
 Ike Toy - Wid Conroy - Cy Perkins - Billy Fischman - Bob Black 
Jimmy Flynn - Whitelock - Conley - Dobbins - Weinberger - Heinze
George Clayton - Howard Berry - Dick Smith - Jake Wagner
Eggie Lennox

Philadelphia Inquirer - December 28, 1906

Bridgeton Evening News - December 31, 1906
Isaac Toy - South 3rd Street - Rev. Alfonso Dare - Wiley Methodist Episcopal Church
Charles H. Ellis - Elisha A. Gravenor - Harry Mines - Albert Shaw - Robert Colkett - Albert Keaser
William Todd -
William Lyons - Alonzo Dyer - Broadway - Berkley Street - Elm Street
Improved Order of Red Men - Camden Aerie No. 65 Fraternal Order of Eagles
Third Ward Republican Club

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 4, 1907
Charles H. Ellis - Louis Hammel - Isaac Toy

RETURN TO CAMDEN'S INTERESTING PEOPLE PAGE

RETURN TO DVRBS.COM HOME PAGE