CLEVELAND — The surprising emergence of Matthew Dellavedova, the Cavaliers’ unsung point guard from Maryborough, Australia, has charmed this city during the N.B.A. playoffs. As unlikely as it may seem, Cleveland has embraced an Aussie underdog athlete before — just look back 116 years to find him.
In 1899, Joe Quinn, a 34-year-old second baseman from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, was appointed the player-manager of the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. The team finished the season 20-134, the worst record in the history of the game, and it was disbanded before the following year. Quinn, who died in St.