Arlie Latham Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

Arlie Latham is a pioneering 19th-century American baseball legend, celebrated for his exceptional base-stealing, colorful personality, and status as baseball’s first full-time coach.

Introduction

Arlie Latham — born Walter Arlington Latham on March 15, 1860 — remains one of early baseball’s most vivid personalities. Though records on his personal wealth are limited, some sources list his estimated net worth at around US$500,000.  Latham’s life combined athletic achievement, showmanship, and a flair for the dramatic — elements that made him a fan favorite. Details about his romantic relationships remain sparse and often anecdotal, but what emerges is a portrait of a man living passionately through sport, spectacle, and social life.

Quick Facts

The Baseball Maverick Who Redefined the Game

Growing up in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, Latham — born Walter Arlington Latham — absorbed the infectious enthusiasm for baseball that swept through post-Civil War America. His father, a Union Army bugler, returned home with stories and camaraderie, and among those soldiers were men playing ball in their spare time — a backdrop that ignited Latham’s early fascination with the sport. 

Early on, Latham traded bare-handed catching for third base, eventually earning a shot in the major leagues with the Buffalo Bisons on July 5, 1880. Although his initial performance was modest, his persistence and flair soon attracted attention. 

By 1883, Latham had earned a place with the St. Louis Browns — a team that would dominate the American Association for a stretch. He distinguished himself not through home runs, but through daring baserunning, strategic instincts, and a sense of showmanship that earned him the enduring nickname “The Freshest Man on Earth.”

Defining moments in Arlie Latham’s journey include:

• Breaking into Major League Baseball with the Buffalo Bisons and surviving early setbacks.

• Becoming a core player for the St. Louis Browns and contributing to multiple pennant victories.

• Establishing himself as one of the sport’s greatest base stealers, with a career total of at least 742 stolen bases. 

• Transitioning into a groundbreaking coaching role, widely regarded as the first full-time coach in major-league history. 

The Core Pillars of Latham’s Wealth

Despite the lack of modern-day contracts and astronomical salaries, Latham’s earnings and later ventures contributed to his modest but noteworthy estate.

The core pillars of Arlie Latham’s wealth include his long MLB career, his post-career business ventures, and his enduring legacy as one of early baseball’s most colorful stars.

Relationships & Personal Life: Behind the Showman’s Smile

Information about Latham’s personal life is relatively scarce — but what exists paints a picture of a man who, despite his high-spirited public persona, maintained personal bonds away from the spotlight.

He was married to a woman named Kate Conway, who was reportedly a pianist in a show where Latham had performed.  Their marriage appears to have lasted through much of Latham’s life, though records do not provide exhaustive detail on their family or any children. 

Key insights into Arlie Latham’s relationships and personal life:

• He married Kate Conway, a fellow performer, reflecting a connection rooted in shared social and entertainment circles.

• Latham balanced a lively social persona — jokes, pranks, and stage performances — with personal stability off the field.

• Even later in life, after his baseball fame waned, he maintained ties to the sport and to social life through his work in Manhattan and relationships with other baseball professionals.

The Life Beyond Baseball: From Diamonds to Delis

Beyond career success, Arlie Latham led a lifestyle that reflected both passion and purpose, including:

• Entrepreneurship — Opening a delicatessen on St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan, likely serving New Yorkers until late in life. 

• Continued Engagement with Baseball — Serving as press-box custodian for the New York Yankees and the New York Giants, depending on which team was home. This role reconnected him to the sport and the media world. 

• Cultural & Social Presence — Known for his humor, pranks, theatrical flair, and charm — he remained a colorful presence among baseball veterans and fans long after his playing days.

How His Net Worth is Appraised — And Why It Remains Modest

Estimates of Latham’s wealth — such as the ~US$500,000 figure from a publicly circulated source — come largely from retrospective assessments rather than documented earnings or investments.

Because official records from Latham’s era are limited and inflation dramatically changes the value of money over time, any net worth figure must be understood as a rough approximation rather than a precise measure.

Moreover, Latham’s later work — modest entrepreneurship and part-time roles in baseball media — suggests a stable but not extravagant lifestyle. His lasting value lies more in legacy, influence, and historical significance than in material accumulation.

Public Image, Legacy & Impact

Arlie Latham occupies a rare space in baseball history — part athlete, part entertainer, part pioneer. He is remembered not just for statistics, but for personality: a prankster, showman, and early baseball celebrity.

He helped to redefine baseball culture, contributing to the development of organized coaching, fan engagement, and the blend of sport and spectacle that today’s professional sports heavily rely on. As the first full-time coach in major-league history, Latham influenced how games would be managed and perceived for decades.

Even after his playing days ended, his presence in the press boxes and delicatessen corridors of New York kept him connected to generations of players, writers, and fans — a living link between the early days of baseball and its modern evolution.

Conclusion

Though long gone from the diamond, Arlie Latham’s story — of audacious base stealing, theatrical antics, and unconventional paths — remains deeply woven into the fabric of baseball history. With a recorded net worth of roughly US$500,000, a birthdate of March 15, 1860, and a birthday celebrated every March 15, Latham exemplifies how influence and legacy often outlast material measure. His blend of athletic skill, humor, and entrepreneurship earned him a place not only among baseball’s early stars but among its enduring legends — a reminder that in sport, personality can shine as brightly as performance.