LOFTUS, Thomas E.

LOFTUS, Thomas E. (St. Louis, MO, Nov. 15,1856--Dubuque, IA, Apr. 16, 1910). Loftus came to Dubuque in 1879 as captain, manager, and second baseman of Dubuque's baseball team. With such players as Charles Albert COMISKEY and Charles Gardner RADBOURNE, Loftus' team won the championship of the Northwest League that included Rockford, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Loftus moved to St. Louis as captain in 1882, but poor health caused him to return to Dubuque, a situation that allowed Comiskey to demonstrate the abilities that made him a baseball legend. Having regained his health by 1884, Loftus returned to active play and worked with teams in Cincinnati and Cleveland. In 1894 he helped organize the Western League that eventually became the American League.

As a baseball player, Loftus was the first to promote teamwork instead of single player technique. Because he was not a hard hitter, Loftus developed techniques now recognized as fundamentals. In addition to mastering the placement of hits, Loftus was the first to develop the bunt. He also held the record for stolen bases.

On July 20-22, 1898 Dubuque had a chance to see AA baseball. Having financial trouble with his Western League team in Columbus, Ohio, Loftus arrange a three-game appearance against the St. Paul baseball team in Dubuque. Loftus was said to be willing to transfer his club to Dubuque, but the number of cash customers while good in Dubuque, it was not enough to pay the expenses of a AA team.

In 1879 during the off-season, Loftus opened a pool and billiard room on Main Street. In 1883 he was persuaded to operate the LORIMIER HOUSE buffet with William Flynn as a partner. In 1892 Loftus left the Lorimier House to work in the Julien Hotel (now the HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE). He later operated the buffet at the newly opened BANK AND INSURANCE BUILDING.

Given the opportunity to decorate the buffet as he saw appropriate, Loftus installed a marble bar, onyx columns, and expensive paintings and pictures of baseball players.

Passage of the mulct law, banning buffets in basements, forced the closing of the buffet at the Bank and Insurance Building in 1908. Loftus waited one year and then purchased the restaurant business of Walter Dick and renamed the establishment, "The Stag." This he operated until his death.

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Source:

Bohler, Peter. "Dubuque Baseball History," Telegraph Herald, Jan. 21, 1945, p. 16

"Loftus Back From East," Dubuque Daily Herald, Dec. 20, 1899, p. 3

"Loftus Not Satisfied," Dubuque Daily Herald, Jan. 17, 1900, p. 6