Major League Baseball Player. Buttermilk Tommy Dowd, who attended Brown University, Georgetown University, and the College of the Holy Cross, all between the years of 1888-1890, played ten years in the majors, but his greatest claim to fame might have been his discovery of future Hall Of Fame player Rabbit Maranville. Dowd's best days in the majors were with the St. Louis Browns, (Cardinals) whom he played for, for the better part of 6 seasons. He also Managed St. Louis for 63 games in 1896 and 29 games in 1897. He was traded on June 1st, 1897 to the Phillies for Bill Hallman, Dick Harley, and $300 cash. He was then sent back to St. Louis later that Fall in a trade that brought the Phillies Monte Cross, Klondike Douglass, and Red Donahue. St. Louis also received Jack Clements, Lave Cross, Brewery Jack Taylor, and $1000 cash in the deal. Dowd's stay in St. Louis lasted just one year as he was assigned to the Cleveland Spiders by St. Louis, who now were called the Perfectos, on March 29, 1899. The Spiders and St. Louis were both owned by the same owner, the Robison Brothers. This sort of ownership was dubbed, ‘Syndicate Baseball.' The Robison's decided to move all of the best Cleveland players to St. Louis, and in so doing, Dowd wound up playing for the worst team in major league history. The 1899 Spiders went a pitiful 20-134, finishing dead last in the National League. Dowd played 147 games in the outfield that year and batted a respectable .278. In the Spring of 1900, Dowd announced that he would take the season off in order to take an interest in a laundry business in his hometown of Holyoke. Some sought it a strange move, but with players salaries being what they were at the time, slashed to near record levels by National League owners, Dowd felt that it would behoove him to work for himself rather than accept a low bid from a major league club or a minor league deal. He would soon change his mind however as he signed on with the Chicago White Stockings of the American League (The American League was still considered a minor league in 1900) Playing with the likes of Frank Isbell, Dick Padden, Dummy Hoy, Frank Shugart and Steve Brodie. Dowd played both infield and outfield that season, finishing the year with the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted .262 overall, finishing 6th in fielding among AL outfielders with a .965 average in 68 games. 1901 would prove to be his ‘Swan Song' in the majors, as he signed on with the Boston Pilgrims. In 138 games he batted .268, making his final big league appearance on September 28th. His baseball career did not end however, as he would make stops in many minor league venues over the next few years, so many so that he probably could have used a good map and compass to help him navigate his way around. Before his traveling odyssey began though, he attempted to buy the New London Club of the Connecticut State league, but after that failed, he bought the Amsterdam-Johnstown-Gloversville club of the New York State League. Baltimore, Holyoke, Atlantic City, Nashua, New Orleans, Des Moines, Altoona, Hartford, Dowd made stops in all these town, and inquired into buying and managing numerous other minor league clubs as well. He even found time to scout for the Red Sox and coach the Williams College Baseball team. Ever the entrepreneur, he even opened a Cigar business in Holyoke. In 1919 he went to Europe as a Secretary for the Knights of Columbus, helping to develop the 4th Division League. Dowd was single and living in Holyoke, MA when his body was found floating in a part of the Connecticut River on Sunday, July 2nd, 1933. The Coroner ruled out foul play and declared that Dowd died as a result of accidental drowning.