Isaac Benners was a Philadelphia born outfielder who had a great year with the Wilmington Quicksteps in 1883, when Wilmington was in the minors.  He was given a shot with Brooklyn in 1884 but it didn’t work out.  He then signed with Wilmington, who was now in the Union Association, but only had one hit in 23 plate appearances leading to this quote in the Wilmington Daily Republican:

“Big ‘Ike’ Benners, who was quite a favorite in last year’s Quickstep club, has lost his former charms and is now classed as N.G.  As a batter he is a miserable failure, while in the field he is apt to lose the game at a moment’s notice.”

“Notes,” Wilmington Daily Republican, September 4, 1884: 1.

If you can’t hit in the Union Association, you are destined to sandlot games. He played in the minors for 1885 in Portland, ME and Columbus in the Southern League before returning home to a more normal life.

Born June 7, 1856, Isaac was the oldest son of George and Sarah (Schutz) Benners. George was a blacksmith; Sarah was responsible for two sons. Isaac Benners first worked as a plumber before joining the railways for the rest of his life. He was a motorman when younger, and as an inspector for the Philadelphia Rapid Transit railway in later years.  He was briefly married to Leah Benners, but she died in 1890. In 1900 he was single and boarding with James and May Smith.  By 1910, James was gone and May and her two children were living with Benners – she was listed as his housekeeper.  Isaac and May eventually married in 1927…  Other than being a step-father to May’s children, Ike never fathered any children of his own.

Benners died April 18, 1932 of a combination of arteriosclerosis and urinary constricture and was buried in Fernwood Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Notes:

PA Death Certificate,
PA Marriage Index
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1930 US Censuses
Baseball-reference.com
Findagrave.com