Nat Hicks

Born in Hempstead, New York, Hicks served briefly in the 15th New York Infantry Regiment near the end of the American Civil War. He began playing professional baseball in the National Association of Base Ball Players through 1871, most notably for the Eckford of Brooklyn. Hicks\' pivotal role in the development of the curveball is seldom mentioned. Most catchers of his era stood twenty to twenty-five feet behind the batter, which made it impossible to field a curveball. It was Hicks\' catching technique of standing directly behind the batter, that allowed Cummings to introduce his curveball. The introduction of the curveball not only caused a revolutionary change in the way catchers fielded their position, but also radically changed pitching as well.\n', '

He later moved on and spent most of his career playing in the National Association. He joined the New York Mutuals in 1872 where he…