Nathaniel Frederick Pfeffer (March 17, 1860 – April 10, 1932), nicknamed "Dandelion" and "Fritz", was an American baseball player. He was a second baseman in Major League Baseball between 1882 and 1897. His final game took place on June 14, 1897. During his career he played for the Troy Trojans (1882), Chicago White Stockings (1883–1889), Chicago Pirates (1890), Chicago Colts (1891, 1896–1897), Louisville Colonels (1892–1895) and New York Giants (1896). Pfeffer was one of the last barehanded fielders in baseball, and he was the first player to foil a double steal by cutting off a catcher's throw to second base and returning it to home plate. Known as an organizer among players, Pfeffer was active in establishing the Players' League in 1890 and was involved in an attempt to reestablish the American Association in 1894. He was a manager at the collegiate and minor-league levels, and after his baseball career he ran a successful Chicago bar until Prohibition. Early life Pfeffer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and little is known about his family. However, his parents likely came to the U.S. from Germany, as Pfeffer spoke German fluently into adulthood. He began a three-year stint with a semipro baseball team in Louisville in 1879. In 1881, Pfeffer asserted himself as a staunch opponent to racial integration in baseball, walking off the field with teammate John Reccius when an opposing team tried to play black catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker. Early career Pfeffer debuted in the major leagues with the Troy Trojans on May 1, 1882. Pfeffer was teammates with four future members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, but the Trojans finished in seventh place and the team was dissolved that December. After a successful trial during an exhibition series, Pfeffer was signed by the Chicago White Stockings, and he became a fan favorite among the city's German population; they dubbed him "Unser Fritz" ("Our Fritz"). For the next seven seasons, Pfeffer was a member of Chicago's "stonewall infield". He became known as a strong defensive player who could make difficult throws from his back or his knees. Pfeffer was one of the last players who refused to wear a baseball glove. When the opposition attempted a stolen base, he was the first major-league infielder to cut off throws from the catcher and return the ball to home plate to avoid the double steal. Pfeffer was often among the league leaders