Michael J. Egan

Born about 1877; active 1896 to 1906

Roles

Champion: amateur champion handball player of America, Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (8 January 1897) Source: The Sun (New York), 9 January 1897, p. 4
Player, Jersey City Handball Club Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3

Competition results

1897 A.A.U. national amateur handball championship (singles), (division not recorded): champion

Dated facts

by 20 October 1896 (dated from the issue it appeared in): John Egan of the Jersey City Handball Club challenges James Dunne Jr. on behalf of his brother Mike Egan for the amateur championship of America
John Egan is Mike Egan's brother
Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 20 October 1896, p. 3
7 January 1897 to 8 January 1897: First A.A.U. national amateur handball championship, Jersey City; Michael J. Egan wins Sources disagree
Newspaper reports of the first A.A.U. championship give either 7 January 1897 (the preliminary round) or 7 and 8 January (preliminary round and final).
first A.A.U. championship / first amateur championship held in America
Date: sources disagree. The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred.
- 7 January 1897 to 8 January 1897 preferred, source rank 2: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3
- 7 January 1897 also given, source rank 2: Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 8 January 1897, p. 9
Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3
14 April 1898 to 29 April 1898 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Second annual A.A.U. handball championship, Jersey City and Brooklyn clubs; Mike Egan retains the title after losing to Dr. Tommy Gillen in Brooklyn Sources disagree
The start of the tournament is dated from an April 14, 1898 report that play was beginning that day, while the end of the range, April 29, comes from a wire report that Egan still held the title; the exact dates of the tournament are therefore not fixed.
Egan's only defeat (Gillen, Brooklyn); still wins on games
Egan holds the title, wins by default at Casey's court on 29 April
Date: sources disagree. The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred.
- 14 April 1898 to 29 April 1898 preferred, source rank 2: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3
- 14 April 1898 also given, source rank 2: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3
Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3
9 July 1899 (dated from the issue it appeared in): James Fitzgerald of Brooklyn, backed by Alderman Dunne for $1,000, challenges Mike Egan, former three-year amateur champion turned professional
Egan was amateur champion for three consecutive years and turned professional to meet Carney
Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 10 July 1899, p. 3
25 November 1901 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Mike Egan of Jersey City challenges Jim Fitzgerald (Denver/San Francisco; 'Irish champion') for $1,000 a side; both claim the championship; no match reported by Dec 1901
Egan offered $1,000 a side; both claim the championship
Casey abandoned the title several years earlier; Egan the strongest candidate
Fitzgerald refuses to meet Egan; Egan claims the title
Source: The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 25 November 1901, p. 4
22 May 1902 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Oliver Drew (Ireland) beat Mike Egan 4 games to 3 at Jersey City, first of a planned best-of-15 series 'for the championship of the world', $250 a side
conditions: best eight in fifteen games, $250 a side, 22 and 30 May, 223 Mercer St
Drew won the series of seven games 4-3; game scores printed
Source: Waterbury Democrat (Waterbury), 8 May 1902, p. 7
12 April 1903 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Mike Egan beat Louis Keegan of Chicago 8 games to 1 (seven straight in the first half, said by the 12 Apr wire to have been played recently at Jersey City, then 1-1 at Chicago on 12 Apr), $200 a side, billed the handball championship of the United States; a San Antonio paper of 21 Mar only announced that the series would begin that night
articles: seven games in Jersey City, eight in Chicago, $200 a side
Egan won; 7 straight in Jersey City, then 1 of 2 in Chicago
Source: San Antonio Daily Light (San Antonio), 21 March 1903, p. 6
23 June 1903 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Egan beat Timothy Twohill of Kanturk 7-0 at Jersey City (23 Jun) in the first half of a best-of-15 'international' match for the world championship, $1,500; second half in Ireland 12 July; Phil Casey referee, Dr. A. M. Gillen scorer
announcement: best of 15, $1,500, half in America, half in Ireland
first half 7-0 for Egan; Casey referee; Gillen scorer
Source: The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis), 26 May 1903, p. 18
9 January 1904 to 11 January 1904 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Syndicated press notices say Mike Egan, 'the world's champion', has written / just published a handball book, called 'The Official Handball Guide'
'has written a book. The Official Handball Guide'; it explains the history and the strokes
'has just published an exhaustive and interesting treatise on this ancient game'
Source: Lewiston Evening Teller (Lewiston), 11 January 1904, p. 4
30 January 1904 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Oliver Drew and Mike Egan matched again for the world's championship, $250 a side, best of 15, seven games at Egan's court on 17 Mar and the rest at Tarrant's court on 20 Mar; later postponed to April
articles: $250 a side, best of fifteen games, first seven at Egan's court 17 Mar, remainder at Tarrant's 20 Mar
match postponed until April
Source: Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 30 January 1904, p. 9
19 March 1904 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Salt Lake Tribune (SF dispatch): Michael J. Egan, born County Galway 1878, came to America at 17, joined his brother John (owner of a Jersey City handball court), won the 1897 amateur championship of the United States
born County Galway, Ireland, 29 Sep 1878 (OCR '1S78'); came to the US at 17 and joined brother John, who owns a handball court in Jersey City
won the 1897 amateur championship of the United States among seventeen entrants; second Leroy of Montreal, third Billy Smith of Brooklyn
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City), 20 March 1904, p. 6
27 March 1904 to 3 April 1904 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Mike Egan beat James Fitzgerald at the Olympic Club, San Francisco, 6 games to 1 on 27 Mar and 2 of 3 on 3 Apr (8 of 15 needed), billed the handball championship of the world; gate nearly $800
terms: seven games on each of two Sundays; eight of fifteen games wins the title; $5 seats
first Sunday 27 Mar: Egan won six of seven games
second Sunday 3 Apr: Egan won two of three, eight of a scheduled fifteen, and the title
winner takes the entire gate, nearly $800
Source: The San Francisco Call (San Francisco), 24 March 1904, p. 10
17 March 1905 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Mike Egan, 'the world's champion', in early tuberculosis; Olympic Club directors gave him a purse; benefit handball games at the Olympic Club (Dunne Jr. and Hampton v. Fitzgerald and Cory) on 19 Mar
tuberculosis diagnosed after the 1904 San Francisco match; Olympic Club directors presented a purse
benefit games at the Olympic Club for Mike Egan, 'the world's champion', 'made ill by overindulgence in the popular game'
Source: Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 18 March 1905, p. 9
29 August 1905 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Spalding Athletic Library list: 'No. 13 - How to Play Hand Ball. By the world's champion, Michael Egan of Jersey City. This book has been rewritten and brought up to date in every particular'
ad copy: 'rewritten and brought up to date in every particular, every play is thoroughly explained by text and diagrams'
Source: The Spokane Press (Spokane), 29 August 1905, p. 2
1 June 1906 (dated from the issue it appeared in): Press notice: a 'coming match' between Brooklyn's P. J. Corby and 'Champion Mike Egan' (no report found)
announcement of a coming Corby v. Egan match
Source: The Pascoag Herald (Pascoag), 1 June 1906, p. 3

Sources

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