Edward Joseph Konetchy (September 3, 1885 – May 27, 1947), nicknamed "Big Ed" and "The Candy Kid", was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball for a number of teams, primarily in the National League, from to . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1907–1913), Pittsburgh Pirates (1914), Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League (1915), Boston Braves (1916–1918), Brooklyn Robins (1919–1921), and Philadelphia Phillies (1921). He batted and threw right-handed. Baseball career Ed Konetchy was born on September 3, 1885 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the son of immigrant Bohemian (Czech) parents. In his youth, he would play ball in the sandlots of La Crosse. For at least some time he attended Lincoln Middle School, and worked in a candy factory where he joined the factory's baseball team. At 19 he joined the La Crosse Blackhawks of the Class-D Wisconsin State League, playing with the team at a park in what is now the 23rd and 24th Street Historic Neighborhood, at the current site of Heeter's Car Care. While he was considered an above-average hitter (he batted over .300 four times) he was more known around the league for his supreme consistency, his never-faltering speed, and his high degree of defensive skill at first base. Konetchy made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1907, and went on to acquire 25 stolen bases in , hit .302 in , and pick up 88 RBIs in . He also had a 20-game hitting streak in 1910. In 1911, with the Cards only three games out of first place in early July, the team was involved in a train crash on its way from Philadelphia to Boston. 47 passengers were injured, while twelve died. None of the Cardinals were seriously injured, due to a pre-trip change in the location of their car to the rear of the train. Konetchy and Cards manager Roger Bresnahan led the rescue effort, carrying many passengers to safety, some of whom may have died. Despite posting their first winning season since 1901, the Cardinals never recovered from the incident, finishing a distant fifth; but Konetchy led the NL with 38 doubles, and his own team with six home runs and 88 RBIs. He led the Cardinals in hits in 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1912. When Konetchy moved to the Pirates in 1914, he had a below-average season, followed by an above-average one in