Robert M. Keating (September 22, 1862 – January 19, 1922), was an inventor and one-time Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.[1][2] He was best known as the inventor of the Keating bicycle.[3]

Bob Keating
Pitcher
Born: September 22, 1862
Springfield, Massachusetts
Died: January 19, 1922(1922-01-19) (aged 59)
Springfield, Massachusetts
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 27, 1887, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
August 27, 1887, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–1
Strikeouts0
Earned run average11.00
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

He appeared in one game for the Orioles on August 27, 1887—pitching a complete game, allowing 16 runs on 16 hits in the loss. An arm injury ended his career and he became an inventor, starting off by inventing various shaving devices.

1896 ad for Keating bicycles

In 1897, he started the R.M. Keating Company that manufactured bicycles, through his Keating Wheel Works subsidiary. Keating had some success for a time with his bicycle business and may even have invented the first motorcycle, though the company apparently folded before any were released.

References

edit
  1. ^ Ginsburg, Daniel. "Robert M. Keating, Inventor". Society for American Baseball Research. Baseball Research Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Keating, R. K. (2014). Wheel Man: Robert M. Keating, Pioneer of Bicycles, Motorcycles and Automobiles. McFarland. pp. 11, 25. ISBN 978-1-4766-1644-5.
  3. ^ "Robert M. Keeting Dead – The Inventor of the Wheel That Made Lots of Good Holyokers Sweat Blood". Transcript-Telegram. Holyoke, Massachusetts. January 20, 1922. Retrieved February 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
edit

  Media related to Keating Wheel Company at Wikimedia Commons