Born in 1858, Reilly was the son of a Civil War gunboat captain for the Union named Frank A. Reilly. When his father was killed at the Battle of Fort Donelson in 1862, Reilly was sent by his mother to live with some of her relatives in Illinois, and he spent the next several years there.[1]
When he was about 14 years old, Reilly returned to his native Cincinnati to take a course in lithography at a design school. He apprenticed at the Strobridge Lithographing Company, and he played his first organized baseball for the company team. Reilly showed early ability as a catcher, but by 1877, having become a professional artist with Strobridge, he began playing in the infield to avoid hand injuries that might threaten his lithography career.[1][2]
Career
Reilly played one season for the Cincinnati Stars in the National League (NL) and was out of the major leagues for the following two seasons, playing for the New York Metropolitans in 1882 when it was an independent team. From 1883 to 1891, he played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings/Reds of the American Association and the NL.
He was also the first player to hit for the cycle on three occasions during his career, doing so twice in the American Association and once in the National League. He accomplished the feat twice in 1883 — the first on September 12 and the second exactly one week later on September 19, setting the major league record for the shortest time between cycles. His third cycle came on August 6, 1890.
Later life
Ren Mulford, a writer for Sporting Life, reported in 1914 that Reilly was "a rare old bachelor devoted to his art, and seldom goes to the ball yard where he once reigned a ruling favorite."[3] Reilly remained employed with Strobridge until 1932, according to at least one source.[3]
