With a nickname fitting of the date on which he entered the world, George “Candy” LaChance is born on Valentine’s Day in Putnam, Connecticut.

LaChance debuted with the National League’s Brooklyn Grooms in 1893 and spent six years with the team before joining the NL’s Baltimore Orioles in 1899. The former minor league catcher worked as a first baseman and outfielder.

After a season of minor league ball with the American League’s Cleveland Lake Shores, he joined the Cleveland Blues organization as the AL joined the NL in competitive play. In his lone season at the MLB level with Cleveland, he hit .303 with 75 RBI in 133 games. He was traded after the 1901 season to the Boston Americans for catcher Ossee Schrecongost, who had played in Cleveland while with the NL’s Cleveland Spiders in 1898 and 1899.

LaChance would play four seasons in Boston, victorious with the club in the first World Series played in 1903 when the Americans defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, five games to three in the best-of-nine contest.