99. 19th Century Shortstops
Before I moved on to the shortstops, I made a couple of more changes to the method. One is, I’m going to start "counting" the 19th century points in the totals. The 19th century is kind of a mess; there will be 6 major league teams one year and then five years later there will be 30. Teams fold in mid-season, and there are players who play all over the field so that a guy may play 80 games at shortstop and pitch 25 games on the mound—all of them complete games, so it will be 225 innings or something—so he may have may have 75% of his games at shortstop but 80% of his value as a pitcher. It’s just a mess, structurally, so that including 19th century rankings with 20th century rankings is kind of like mixing sewage water with your drinking water.
But the alternative approach—ignoring 19th century players, or putting 19th century players in a separate compartment, has issues, too, since many players played both in the 19th and the 20th centuries. I found that I started mixing 19th century information in with 20th sort of despite myself, and so I finally decided to abandon the separation entirely, except that I’m not going to go year-by-year through the 19th century. Also, in order to make this work, I had to make some other compromises and special rules, but I’m not going to get into it because nobody cares.
The other change, relevant a little later, is that I began discounting the scores of the Federal League players in 1914-1915, for obvious reasons. I didn’t think they would pop up near the top of the lists, but they do, so. . .pretty obviously needed to be done.
Although most of the leading shortstops of the 19th century were still active in 1900, Pebbly Jack Glasscock was the best shortstop purely of the 19th century.
|
Rank
|
First
|
Last
|
From
|
To
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
YOPDI
|
|
1
|
Jack
|
Glasscock
|
1879
|
1895
|
6
|
2
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
93
|
|
2
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1891
|
1911
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
52
|
|
3
|
Hughie
|
Jennings
|
1891
|
1918
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
50
|
|
4
|
Sam
|
Wise
|
1881
|
1893
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
48
|
|
5
|
Herman
|
Long
|
1889
|
1904
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
44
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
George
|
Wright
|
1876
|
1882
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
37
|
|
7
|
Frank
|
Fennelly
|
1884
|
1890
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
29
|
|
8
|
Monte
|
Ward
|
1878
|
1894
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
28
|
|
9
|
George
|
Davis
|
1890
|
1909
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
21
|
|
10
|
Ed
|
McKean
|
1887
|
1899
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
0
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
Ross
|
Barnes
|
1876
|
1881
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
20
|
|
12
|
John
|
Peters
|
1876
|
1884
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
19
|
|
13
|
Arthur
|
Irwin
|
1880
|
1894
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
18
|
|
14
|
Sadie
|
Houck
|
1879
|
1887
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
16
|
|
15
|
Bill
|
Gleason
|
1882
|
1889
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
14
|
The four Hall of Fame shortstops of the 19th century all had something to sell other than what is reflected in this chart. Hughie Jennings was a famous manager as well as a dominant shortstop in the 1890s. George Wright was a great player before the National League became the National League in 1876. Monte Ward was a great pitcher as well as a shortstop; he was also a manager, second baseman, third baseman, outfielder, owner, and working baseball executive at various times. George Davis has dominant years at other positions, not counted in this chart, and had outstanding seasons post-1900.
I once had an exchange-of-letters conversation (or debate, or argument) with the late Robert Creamer about Pebbly Jack Glasscock, the greatest shortstop of 1880s. This was before e-mail. Bob had written an article for Sports Illustrated naming the greatest shortstops of all time, and had included Glasscock on the list. I wasn’t persuaded at the time, and we exchanged a couple of letters about it. I wish he was still around so I could tell him he was probably right. I believe Glasscock was called "Pebbly Jack" because he had the habit, between pitches, of picking up pebbles around his area at shortstop and tossing them off the field.
These are the top shortstops of the 19th century by Peak Value:
|
Rank
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
SB
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Peak
|
|
1
|
Hughie
|
Jennings
|
1896
|
0
|
121
|
70
|
.401
|
.472
|
.488
|
.960
|
35.48
|
|
2
|
George
|
Davis
|
1897
|
10
|
136
|
65
|
.353
|
.406
|
.509
|
.915
|
28.86
|
|
3
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1896
|
9
|
74
|
51
|
.352
|
.438
|
.553
|
.990
|
28.09
|
|
4
|
Herman
|
Long
|
1891
|
9
|
75
|
60
|
.282
|
.377
|
.407
|
.785
|
27.46
|
|
5
|
Jack
|
Glasscock
|
1889
|
7
|
85
|
57
|
.352
|
.390
|
.467
|
.857
|
26.09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
Monte
|
Ward
|
1890
|
4
|
60
|
63
|
.337
|
.394
|
.428
|
.822
|
24.77
|
|
7
|
Frank
|
Fennelly
|
1886
|
6
|
NA
|
32
|
.249
|
.351
|
.380
|
.732
|
24.54
|
|
8
|
Sam
|
Wise
|
1887
|
9
|
92
|
43
|
.334
|
.390
|
.522
|
.913
|
24.43
|
|
9
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1899
|
12
|
108
|
17
|
.295
|
.357
|
.454
|
.811
|
23.53
|
|
10
|
Ollie
|
Beard
|
1889
|
1
|
77
|
36
|
.285
|
.328
|
.364
|
.692
|
23.53
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
Mike
|
Moynahan
|
1883
|
1
|
NA
|
NA
|
.307
|
.356
|
.410
|
.766
|
23.05
|
|
12
|
Ed
|
McKean
|
1888
|
6
|
68
|
52
|
.299
|
.340
|
.425
|
.765
|
23.00
|
|
13
|
Ross
|
Barnes
|
1876
|
1
|
59
|
NA
|
.429
|
.462
|
.590
|
1.052
|
21.06
|
|
14
|
Jack
|
Rowe
|
1886
|
6
|
87
|
12
|
.303
|
.340
|
.425
|
.765
|
20.81
|
|
15
|
Candy
|
Nelson
|
1884
|
1
|
NA
|
NA
|
.255
|
.375
|
.310
|
.685
|
20.68
|
100. The Honus Wagner Era and a Half
Honus Wagner’s primary position is listed as Center Field in 1897, First Base in 1898, Third Base in 1899 and Right Field in 1900. This enabled Bill Dahlen to be listed as the #1 shortstop in baseball in 1900. In 1901 Wagner moved to short, sort of; he was still playing all over the field, but a few more games at short than anywhere else, so he began his long run as the greatest shortstop in baseball, if not the greatest of all time.
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1900
|
1
|
69
|
.259
|
.364
|
.344
|
.708
|
23.40
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1900
|
3
|
61
|
.319
|
.376
|
.406
|
.782
|
23.27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1901
|
6
|
126
|
.353
|
.416
|
.494
|
.910
|
37.09
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1901
|
7
|
65
|
.301
|
.356
|
.426
|
.782
|
24.52
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1901
|
2
|
91
|
.324
|
.351
|
.451
|
.802
|
24.27
|
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1901
|
4
|
82
|
.266
|
.313
|
.358
|
.671
|
22.59
|
|
Freddy
|
Parent
|
1901
|
4
|
59
|
.306
|
.367
|
.408
|
.775
|
20.85
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1902
|
3
|
91
|
.330
|
.394
|
.463
|
.857
|
38.43
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1902
|
3
|
93
|
.299
|
.386
|
.402
|
.788
|
24.60
|
|
Freddy
|
Parent
|
1902
|
3
|
62
|
.275
|
.309
|
.374
|
.683
|
24.12
|
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1902
|
2
|
74
|
.264
|
.329
|
.353
|
.682
|
23.73
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1902
|
1
|
63
|
.285
|
.350
|
.393
|
.743
|
23.34
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1903
|
5
|
101
|
.355
|
.414
|
.518
|
.931
|
40.36
|
|
Freddy
|
Parent
|
1903
|
4
|
80
|
.304
|
.326
|
.441
|
.767
|
26.31
|
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1903
|
1
|
64
|
.262
|
.373
|
.342
|
.715
|
23.91
|
|
Kid
|
Elberfeld
|
1903
|
0
|
64
|
.301
|
.365
|
.383
|
.747
|
23.35
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1903
|
1
|
54
|
.266
|
.309
|
.341
|
.650
|
22.75
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1904
|
4
|
75
|
.349
|
.423
|
.520
|
.944
|
44.66
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1904
|
1
|
69
|
.252
|
.311
|
.359
|
.670
|
26.07
|
|
Freddy
|
Parent
|
1904
|
6
|
77
|
.291
|
.330
|
.389
|
.719
|
24.71
|
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1904
|
2
|
80
|
.268
|
.326
|
.337
|
.662
|
24.51
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1904
|
2
|
69
|
.275
|
.330
|
.355
|
.685
|
23.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1905
|
6
|
101
|
.363
|
.427
|
.505
|
.932
|
46.34
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1905
|
1
|
55
|
.278
|
.353
|
.340
|
.693
|
26.74
|
|
Bill
|
Dahlen
|
1905
|
7
|
81
|
.242
|
.337
|
.337
|
.673
|
22.42
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1905
|
1
|
59
|
.271
|
.324
|
.349
|
.673
|
21.95
|
|
Kid
|
Elberfeld
|
1905
|
0
|
53
|
.262
|
.329
|
.318
|
.647
|
20.56
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1906
|
2
|
71
|
.339
|
.416
|
.459
|
.875
|
48.33
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1906
|
0
|
80
|
.277
|
.338
|
.355
|
.694
|
27.08
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1906
|
2
|
67
|
.258
|
.344
|
.345
|
.688
|
22.85
|
|
Terry
|
Turner
|
1906
|
2
|
62
|
.291
|
.338
|
.372
|
.709
|
22.21
|
|
Kid
|
Elberfeld
|
1906
|
2
|
31
|
.306
|
.378
|
.384
|
.763
|
19.70
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1907
|
6
|
82
|
.350
|
.408
|
.513
|
.921
|
48.55
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1907
|
0
|
70
|
.257
|
.328
|
.320
|
.647
|
21.01
|
|
George
|
Davis
|
1907
|
1
|
52
|
.238
|
.313
|
.288
|
.601
|
20.14
|
|
Kid
|
Elberfeld
|
1907
|
0
|
51
|
.271
|
.343
|
.336
|
.678
|
18.59
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1907
|
1
|
36
|
.221
|
.269
|
.271
|
.540
|
18.47
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1908
|
10
|
109
|
.354
|
.415
|
.542
|
.957
|
51.48
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1908
|
6
|
68
|
.266
|
.307
|
.392
|
.699
|
25.84
|
|
Bobby
|
Wallace
|
1908
|
1
|
60
|
.253
|
.327
|
.324
|
.652
|
20.93
|
|
Al
|
Bridwell
|
1908
|
0
|
46
|
.285
|
.364
|
.319
|
.683
|
20.03
|
|
Heinie
|
Wagner
|
1908
|
1
|
46
|
.247
|
.288
|
.293
|
.581
|
17.41
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1909
|
5
|
100
|
.339
|
.420
|
.489
|
.909
|
43.88
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1909
|
4
|
57
|
.256
|
.280
|
.372
|
.652
|
24.70
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1909
|
0
|
33
|
.273
|
.380
|
.314
|
.694
|
24.44
|
|
Al
|
Bridwell
|
1909
|
0
|
55
|
.294
|
.386
|
.338
|
.724
|
22.38
|
|
Heinie
|
Wagner
|
1909
|
1
|
49
|
.256
|
.316
|
.333
|
.649
|
19.53
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1910
|
4
|
81
|
.320
|
.390
|
.432
|
.822
|
36.02
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1910
|
3
|
69
|
.288
|
.322
|
.397
|
.719
|
23.95
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1910
|
3
|
34
|
.262
|
.365
|
.323
|
.687
|
23.33
|
|
Heinie
|
Wagner
|
1910
|
1
|
52
|
.273
|
.335
|
.360
|
.696
|
21.21
|
|
Al
|
Bridwell
|
1910
|
0
|
48
|
.276
|
.374
|
.335
|
.710
|
21.06
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1911
|
9
|
89
|
.334
|
.423
|
.507
|
.930
|
32.99
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1911
|
1
|
36
|
.232
|
.349
|
.287
|
.636
|
22.72
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1911
|
4
|
69
|
.278
|
.327
|
.390
|
.717
|
21.88
|
|
Jack
|
Barry
|
1911
|
1
|
63
|
.265
|
.333
|
.344
|
.677
|
20.89
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1911
|
1
|
37
|
.319
|
.400
|
.429
|
.829
|
18.65
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1912
|
7
|
102
|
.324
|
.395
|
.496
|
.891
|
31.28
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1912
|
2
|
38
|
.231
|
.377
|
.301
|
.679
|
21.77
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1912
|
1
|
57
|
.282
|
.330
|
.372
|
.702
|
21.37
|
|
Jack
|
Barry
|
1912
|
0
|
55
|
.261
|
.335
|
.337
|
.673
|
20.61
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1912
|
0
|
75
|
.282
|
.331
|
.351
|
.681
|
20.34
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1913
|
3
|
56
|
.300
|
.349
|
.385
|
.734
|
24.49
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1913
|
4
|
71
|
.297
|
.345
|
.390
|
.735
|
23.96
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1913
|
1
|
40
|
.251
|
.344
|
.322
|
.665
|
21.46
|
|
Jack
|
Barry
|
1913
|
3
|
85
|
.275
|
.349
|
.365
|
.714
|
20.57
|
|
Joe
|
Tinker
|
1913
|
1
|
57
|
.317
|
.352
|
.445
|
.797
|
19.17
|
Not wanting to turn this into a Hall of Fame piece, but there are multiple Hall of Fame shortstops of the Honus Wagner era and a half—Joe Tinker, George Davis, Bobby Wallace. From now (1913) forward for almost 50 years there are usually two or three or more active Hall of Fame shortstops.
101. The Era of the Buts
For six years after Honus Wagner finally faded there was a series of one- and two-year leaders. In this era there were a bunch of shortstops who would have been great, but. Charlie Hollocher would have been the king of the position, but he was kind of a nut. Not to be unkind; he just couldn’t handle the pressures associated with being a major league star. Ray Chapman would have been great, but he got killed by a pitch. Buck Weaver would have been great, but he moved to third base and got kicked out of baseball. Rogers Hornsby was great, but he didn’t stay at shortstop. The best were Art Fletcher, Maranville-Maranville, Hornsby-Hornsby, and Roger Peckinpaugh.
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1914
|
2
|
79
|
.286
|
.332
|
.379
|
.711
|
23.06
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1914
|
1
|
50
|
.252
|
.317
|
.317
|
.634
|
21.51
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1914
|
4
|
78
|
.246
|
.306
|
.326
|
.632
|
21.39
|
|
George
|
Perring
|
1914
|
2
|
69
|
.278
|
.355
|
.387
|
.742
|
21.15
|
|
Jimmy
|
Esmond
|
1914
|
2
|
49
|
.295
|
.344
|
.404
|
.748
|
18.21
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1914
|
0
|
32
|
.252
|
.373
|
.295
|
.668
|
16.09
|
|
Jack
|
Barry
|
1914
|
0
|
42
|
.242
|
.324
|
.268
|
.592
|
15.73
|
|
Mickey
|
Doolan
|
1914
|
1
|
53
|
.245
|
.311
|
.323
|
.634
|
15.65
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1915
|
2
|
43
|
.244
|
.308
|
.324
|
.632
|
22.03
|
|
Honus
|
Wagner
|
1915
|
6
|
78
|
.274
|
.325
|
.422
|
.747
|
20.45
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1915
|
3
|
74
|
.254
|
.280
|
.326
|
.606
|
20.07
|
|
George
|
Perring
|
1915
|
7
|
67
|
.259
|
.327
|
.363
|
.690
|
19.71
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1915
|
1
|
44
|
.228
|
.364
|
.283
|
.648
|
18.49
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1915
|
7
|
30
|
.254
|
.346
|
.330
|
.676
|
18.44
|
|
Buck
|
Weaver
|
1915
|
3
|
49
|
.268
|
.316
|
.355
|
.671
|
18.07
|
|
Jimmy
|
Esmond
|
1915
|
5
|
62
|
.258
|
.329
|
.355
|
.684
|
17.25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1916
|
4
|
38
|
.235
|
.296
|
.325
|
.620
|
23.81
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1916
|
3
|
66
|
.286
|
.323
|
.382
|
.705
|
21.49
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1916
|
3
|
33
|
.212
|
.323
|
.252
|
.574
|
19.73
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1916
|
4
|
58
|
.255
|
.332
|
.346
|
.678
|
19.27
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1916
|
0
|
34
|
.225
|
.319
|
.267
|
.587
|
17.96
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Rogers
|
Hornsby
|
1917
|
8
|
66
|
.327
|
.385
|
.484
|
.868
|
31.78
|
|
Ray
|
Chapman
|
1917
|
2
|
36
|
.302
|
.370
|
.409
|
.779
|
24.25
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1917
|
3
|
43
|
.260
|
.312
|
.357
|
.668
|
21.49
|
|
Donie
|
Bush
|
1917
|
0
|
24
|
.281
|
.370
|
.322
|
.691
|
20.83
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1917
|
4
|
56
|
.260
|
.312
|
.343
|
.655
|
20.45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rogers
|
Hornsby
|
1918
|
5
|
60
|
.281
|
.349
|
.416
|
.764
|
27.64
|
|
Ray
|
Chapman
|
1918
|
1
|
32
|
.267
|
.390
|
.352
|
.742
|
23.18
|
|
Charlie
|
Hollocher
|
1918
|
2
|
38
|
.316
|
.379
|
.397
|
.775
|
21.66
|
|
Buck
|
Weaver
|
1918
|
0
|
29
|
.300
|
.323
|
.352
|
.675
|
20.40
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1918
|
0
|
43
|
.231
|
.303
|
.278
|
.581
|
19.50
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1919
|
7
|
33
|
.305
|
.390
|
.404
|
.794
|
23.19
|
|
Ray
|
Chapman
|
1919
|
3
|
53
|
.300
|
.351
|
.420
|
.772
|
21.66
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1919
|
0
|
25
|
.272
|
.333
|
.352
|
.686
|
19.57
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1919
|
5
|
43
|
.267
|
.319
|
.377
|
.696
|
18.10
|
|
Art
|
Fletcher
|
1919
|
3
|
54
|
.277
|
.300
|
.357
|
.656
|
17.78
|
102. Dave Bancroft
From 1920 to 1932 there were a series of #1 shortstops, all of whom
a) lasted three or four years on top, and
b) made it to the Hall of Fame.
Dave Bancroft was the first of those. Bancroft was a likeable guy from the Midwest, friendly with reporters and very comfortable in New York. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971, by a committee including several of his old buddies. He should not be in the Hall of Fame, but he was a good player. He was the best shortstop in baseball from 1920 to 1922, and remained on the list of the best shortstops in baseball until 1926.
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1920
|
0
|
36
|
.299
|
.346
|
.387
|
.732
|
24.92
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1920
|
8
|
54
|
.270
|
.356
|
.386
|
.742
|
21.41
|
|
Ray
|
Chapman
|
1920
|
3
|
49
|
.303
|
.380
|
.423
|
.803
|
18.52
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1920
|
1
|
43
|
.266
|
.305
|
.371
|
.676
|
17.43
|
|
Charlie
|
Hollocher
|
1920
|
0
|
22
|
.319
|
.406
|
.389
|
.795
|
16.85
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1921
|
6
|
67
|
.318
|
.389
|
.441
|
.830
|
27.84
|
|
Joe
|
Sewell
|
1921
|
4
|
91
|
.318
|
.412
|
.444
|
.856
|
22.47
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1921
|
1
|
70
|
.294
|
.347
|
.379
|
.727
|
20.79
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1921
|
8
|
71
|
.288
|
.380
|
.397
|
.777
|
19.84
|
|
Charlie
|
Hollocher
|
1921
|
3
|
37
|
.289
|
.342
|
.384
|
.725
|
16.18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1922
|
4
|
60
|
.321
|
.397
|
.418
|
.815
|
26.21
|
|
Joe
|
Sewell
|
1922
|
2
|
83
|
.299
|
.386
|
.385
|
.771
|
22.74
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1922
|
0
|
63
|
.295
|
.355
|
.378
|
.733
|
20.16
|
|
Charlie
|
Hollocher
|
1922
|
3
|
69
|
.340
|
.403
|
.444
|
.847
|
18.02
|
|
Chick
|
Galloway
|
1922
|
6
|
69
|
.324
|
.368
|
.433
|
.801
|
17.52
|
103. The Guy Who Never Struck Out
When Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch in August, 1920, the Cleveland Indians purchased the contract of Joe Sewell to take his place. Sewell made 15 errors in 22 games in 1920, but hit .329, and the Indians surged to the pennant. Called to the majors after September 1, Chapman would not ordinarily have been eligible to play in the World Series, but Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson waived the rule, and allowed Chapman to play for the Indians.
Sewell was a small man (5-6, 155 pounds) using a 40-ounce bat, which in modern terms is sort of like a construction beam; reportedly he used only one bat during his entire major league career. The thinking of the time wasn’t "bat speed"; it was "contact". Sewell was the greatest contact guy of all time, striking out only about once every two weeks for his entire career, and much less than that over the second half of his career. He probably wasn’t a GREAT defensive shortstop, but he was a lifetime .312 hitter with an on base percentage close to .400:
|
First
|
Last
|
YEAR
|
HR
|
RBI
|
Avg
|
OBA
|
SPct
|
OPS
|
Value
|
|
Joe
|
Sewell
|
1923
|
3
|
109
|
.353
|
.456
|
.479
|
.935
|
25.90
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1923
|
1
|
31
|
.304
|
.391
|
.399
|
.789
|
23.94
|
|
Topper
|
Rigney
|
1923
|
1
|
74
|
.315
|
.389
|
.419
|
.808
|
18.75
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1923
|
2
|
62
|
.264
|
.340
|
.320
|
.660
|
17.63
|
|
Rabbit
|
Maranville
|
1923
|
1
|
41
|
.277
|
.327
|
.346
|
.673
|
17.19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joe
|
Sewell
|
1924
|
4
|
104
|
.316
|
.388
|
.429
|
.817
|
24.05
|
|
Glenn
|
Wright
|
1924
|
7
|
111
|
.287
|
.318
|
.425
|
.744
|
19.88
|
|
Topper
|
Rigney
|
1924
|
4
|
93
|
.289
|
.410
|
.407
|
.817
|
19.36
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1924
|
2
|
21
|
.279
|
.356
|
.339
|
.694
|
19.03
|
|
Roger
|
Peckinpaugh
|
1924
|
2
|
73
|
.272
|
.360
|
.340
|
.700
|
18.64
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joe
|
Sewell
|
1925
|
1
|
98
|
.336
|
.402
|
.424
|
.827
|
24.65
|
|
Glenn
|
Wright
|
1925
|
18
|
121
|
.308
|
.341
|
.480
|
.822
|
22.34
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1925
|
2
|
49
|
.319
|
.400
|
.426
|
.826
|
21.38
|
|
Travis
|
Jackson
|
1925
|
9
|
59
|
.285
|
.327
|
.397
|
.724
|
17.46
|
|
Heinie
|
Sand
|
1925
|
3
|
55
|
.278
|
.364
|
.385
|
.749
|
16.60
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joe
|
Sewell
|
1926
|
4
|
85
|
.324
|
.399
|
.433
|
.832
|
25.75
|
|
Glenn
|
Wright
|
1926
|
8
|
77
|
.308
|
.335
|
.459
|
.794
|
22.15
|
|
Travis
|
Jackson
|
1926
|
8
|
51
|
.327
|
.362
|
.494
|
.856
|
21.08
|
|
Dave
|
Bancroft
|
1926
|
1
|
44
|
.311
|
.399
|
.3 |