Highlighted Year: Tito Francona, 1961

Outfielder/First Baseman, Cleveland Indians

Age:  27

3^rd season with Indians

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’11” Weight: 190 

Prior to 1961:

A Pennsylvania native, Francona starred in football at New Brighton High School. He also played American Legion, as well as high school, baseball. He turned down college football scholarship offers to sign with the St. Louis Browns out of high school in 1952. Initially assigned to the York White Roses of the Class B Interstate League, the 18-year-old outfielder batted a disappointing .227 with 18 RBIs and a .341 on-base percentage. Playing for Aberdeen of the Class C Northern League in 1953, Francona played first base, and under the mentorship of manager Barney Lutz hit .325 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, 6 home runs, 79 RBIs, a .413 OBP, and a .479 slugging percentage. Following two years in the Army, the Browns were now the Baltimore Orioles and Francona reported to the club’s rookie school in 1956. Having impressed new manager Paul Richards, he received a new contract and a spot on Baltimore’s roster. He saw regular action in the outfield and at first base and batted .258 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 9 home runs, 57 RBIs, a .334 OBP, and a .373 slugging percentage. A victim of the numbers game in 1957, Francona was sent down to Vancouver of the Pacific Coast League and, after a short stay back in the minors, he returned to Baltimore and broke a bone in his left hand, costing him a month of action. Upon his return, he spent most of his time on the bench and in 97 appearances he hit .233 with 7 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a .307 OBP. Traded to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason, he contracted hepatitis while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. It was further found that he suffered from a heart problem and had to receive clearance from a cardiologist to play. Appearing in just 41 games with the White Sox, Francona was dealt to the Detroit Tigers in June. For the year he batted .254 in 86 games with 11 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs, and a .350 OBP. During spring training in 1959, he found himself on the move again, this time to the Indians where he broke out by hitting .363 with 20 home runs, 79 RBIs, a .414 OBP, and a .566 slugging percentage. He missed time late in the season due to a leg injury but finished fifth in league MVP voting, although he lacked the necessary plate appearances to qualify for the AL batting championship. Having displayed more than the expected power while splitting time between the outfield and first base, Francona had another solid season for the Indians in 1960, batting .292 with a league-leading 36 doubles to go with 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, a .372 OBP, and a .460 slugging percentage. Defensively he spent most of his time in left field after having seen much action in center field in ’59 and appeared in 13 games as a first baseman.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

LF – 138, 1B – 14, PH – 8

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 667 [14]

At Bats – 592 [11]

Runs – 87 [18, tied with Chuck Schilling & Jim Landis]

Hits – 178 [4]

Doubles – 30 [7, tied with Rocky Colavito & Danny O’Connell]

Triples – 8 [4, tied with Norm Cash & Jim Landis]

Home Runs – 16

RBI – 85 [14, tied with Jim Landis]

Bases on Balls – 56

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 52

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .301 [7]

OBP - .363 [18, tied with Bob Allison]

Slugging Pct. - .459 [20]

Total Bases – 272 [8]

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 4 [16, tied with fourteen others]

Sac Hits – 12 [4]

Sac Flies – 3 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 17, 3B – 3, HR - 6, RBI - 38, AVG - .297, OBP – .357, SLG – .424

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at KC A’s 4/23, (in 4 AB) vs. Boston 7/20

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 9

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 1 on sixteen occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at KC A’s 4/23

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 7 (.143) with 1 R, 1 RBI & 1 BB

Fielding (OF)

Chances – 298

Put Outs – 289

Assists – 5

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .987

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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The Indians went 78-83 to finish fifth in the AL, 30.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in hits (1493), doubles (257), batting (.266, tied with the Yankees), and fewest walks drawn (492). The Indians started well, moved into contention, and were in first place from June 6-16 before a seven-game losing streak dropped them out of contention. A rough second half, primarily caused by inadequate pitching, left them in fifth place and led to the dismissal of manager Jimmy Dykes.

Aftermath of 1961:

Playing exclusively at first base in 1962, Francona’s batting production dropped to .272 with 28 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs, 70 RBIs, a .327 OBP, and a .401 slugging percentage. Back in left field in 1963, his hitting dropped off further to .228 with 29 doubles, 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, a .296 OBP, and a .346 slugging percentage. Having fallen out of favor with manager Birdie Tebbetts, Francona returned to a backup role in 1964, batting .248 with 8 home runs, 24 RBIs, and a .361 OBP. In the offseason he was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals. Utilized as a utility player and pinch-hitter, he appeared in 81 games and hit .259 with 5 home runs, 19 RBIs, and a .323 OBP. He spent one more season with St. Louis in 1966 with declining production off the bench. Just prior to the 1967 season he was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies where he lasted until June when he was dispatched to the Atlanta Braves. Appearing in a total of 109 games, mostly at first base and as a pinch-hitter, he batted .239 with 6 home runs, 28 RBIs, and a .297 OBP. Still a valued backup in left field and first base in 1968, Francona hit .286 with a .376 OBP while appearing in 122 games. He was sold to the Oakland A’s during the 1969 season and traded to the Milwaukee Brewers during the 1970 campaign, after which he retired. For his major league career, Francona batted .272 with 1395 hits that included 224 doubles, 34 triples, and 125 home runs. He scored 650 runs and accumulated 656 RBIs, 46 stolen bases, a .343 OBP, and a .403 slugging percentage. With Cleveland, where he had his greatest success, he batted .284 with 832 hits, 413 runs scored, 153 doubles, 19 triples, 85 home runs, 378 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, a .353 OBP, and a .437 slugging percentage. An All-Star only once, he did not appear in the postseason. Following his baseball career, he was director of Parks and Recreation for Beaver County, Pennsylvania and he was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. He died in 2018 at age 84. His son Terry was also a major league outfielder and first baseman, primarily with the Montreal Expos, who went on to a successful major league managing career. New Brighton, Pennsylvania named its youth baseball facility in honor of Tito and Terry Francona.  

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Nap Lajoie, 1902

Second Baseman, Philadelphia Athletics/Cleveland Blues

Age:  28 (Sept. 5)

2^nd season with Athletics

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 195 

Prior to 1902:

A Rhode Island native, Napoleon Lajoie (pronounced LAJ-way) was the son of a French-Canadian immigrant (and he thus was said to prefer the French pronunciation of his name as Lah-ZHWA). Due to his father’s early death, Lajoie had to drop out of school to go to work in a textile mill in 1885. Becoming interested in baseball, by 1894 he was playing semi-pro ball in the Woonsocket area while working part-time for an auctioneer. He later became a teamster while playing baseball on the side and became known locally as “the Slugging Cabby”. In 1896 he joined the Fall River Indians of the New England League where he played center field and batted .429 with 15 home runs before his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies for $1500. Converted to first base by the Phillies he appeared in 39 games and batted .326 with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 4 home runs, 42 RBIs, 7 stolen bases, a .330 on-base percentage, and a .543 slugging percentage. In his first full major league season in 1897 Lajoie led the NL in slugging percentage (.569) and total bases (310) while hitting .361 with 197 hits, 107 runs scored, 40 doubles, 23 triples, 9 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a .392 OBP. In 1898 he was shifted to second base where the graceful fielder excelled defensively and led the league’s second sackers with 442 putouts. He also led the NL in doubles (43) and RBIs (127) while batting .324 with 197 hits, 113 runs scored, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 25 stolen bases, a .354 OBP, and a .461 slugging percentage. With a smooth swing that allowed him to hit to all fields with decent power while rarely striking out, Lajoie continued his development in 1899, although an injury limited him to 77 games in which he hit .378 with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 6 home runs, 70 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, a .419 OBP, and a .554 slugging percentage. In 1900 he was sidelined for five weeks as the result of a broken thumb suffered during a fight with teammate Elmer Flick. In 102 games he batted .337 with 33 doubles, 12 triples, 7 home runs, 92 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, a .362 OBP, and a .510 slugging percentage. Incensed upon learning that he was being paid $400 less than teammate Ed Delahanty (despite the preseason assurances by Phillies owner John Rogers that they would be paid the same), Lajoie jumped to the American League in 1901, signing with the Philadelphia Athletics. While the Phillies went to court to stop the deal, Lajoie played for the A’s in 1901 while the case made its way through the court system. He had an outstanding season as he won the batting Triple Crown by hitting .426 with 14 home runs and 125 RBIs. He also topped the new circuit in hits (232), runs scored (145), doubles (48), OBP (.463), slugging percentage (.643), and total bases (350). Prior to the 1902 season the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Lajoie could not play in the state for any other team than the Phillies. While he played in one game for the A’s at the start of the 1902 season, A’s president and manager Connie Mack arranged for his transfer to Cleveland in order to keep him in the American League, although he was forced to sit out any games played in Philadelphia.

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 87 games (Cleveland – 86 / Philadelphia – 1)

2B – 87

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 385 (PHILA – 4/ CLEV – 381)

At Bats – 352 (PHILA – 4/ CLEV – 348)

Runs – 81 [20, tied with Charlie Hemphill] (CLEV)

Hits – 133 (PHILA – 1/ CLEV – 132)

Doubles – 35 [7, tied with George Carey] (CLEV)

Triples – 5 (CLEV)

Home Runs – 7 [9] (CLEV)

RBI – 65 [15] (PHILA – 1/ CLEV – 64)

Bases on Balls – 19 (CLEV)

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 7 (CLEV)

Stolen Bases – 20 (PHILA – 1/ CLEV – 19)

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .378 [1] (PHILA - .250/ CLEV – .379)

OBP - .419 [2] (PHILA - .250/ CLEV – .421)

Slugging Pct. - .565 [2] (PHILA - .250/ CLEV – .569)

Total Bases – 199 [18, tied with George Carey] (PHILA – 1/ CLEV – 198)

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 6 [13, tied with eight others] (CLEV)

Sac Hits – 8 (CLEV)

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading batting average was +.002 ahead of runner-up Ed Delahanty

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 18, HR - 4, RBI – 32, AVG – .406, OBP - .463, SLG - .647

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Most hits, game – 4 on six occasions

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 2

Most home runs, game – 1 on seven occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. St. Louis Browns 6/24, at Bos. Americans 8/20

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

 Fielding (Combined)

Chances – 573

Put Outs – 272

Assists – 286

Errors – 15

DP – 49

Pct. – .974

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The Blues went 69-67 to finish fifth in the AL, 14 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics, while leading the league in hits (1401), batting (.289), and total bases (1884). The Blues got off to a slow start and were in the AL cellar by the end of May at 11-23. Boosted by the in-season arrivals of Lajoie and first baseman Charlie Hickman, the well-balanced club turned things around and went 58-44 the rest of the way to move up to fifth. Lajoie originally placed second in the AL batting race to Washington’s Ed Delahanty, although later research showed that Lajoie finished with a higher average of .378.

Aftermath of 1902:

The peace agreement between the NL and AL in the offseason ended any claim the Phillies had on Lajoie. To great popular demand the club began to be called the Naps in honor of its star player. He won the 1903 league batting title by batting .344. He also topped the league in slugging (.518). In addition, he produced 41 doubles, 11 triples, 7 home runs, 93 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and a .379 OBP. In 1904 he topped the circuit in batting (.376), OBP (.413), slugging (.546), hits (208), doubles (49), RBIs (102), and total bases (302). Lajoie, also commonly referred to as Larry, missed some games in 1904 due to being suspended after an altercation with an umpire. He would miss more games in 1905 after a spike wound in one leg led to blood poisoning from the blue dye in his sock which nearly led to amputation. His leg recovered,  and limited to 65 games, he hit .329 with a .377 OBP and .418 slugging percentage. By this point Lajoie was the player/manager of the Naps, a position that would have a negative effect on his batting production over time, although in 1906 he led the AL in hits (214) and doubles (48) while batting .355 with a .392 OBP and .465 slugging percentage. His manner of hand signaling pitches to his outfielders from behind his back was easily discernible to opponents and he lacked the ability to instruct his players in aspects of the game that came easily to him (a commonality with great players who became managers). With a talented club he was unable to win the AL pennant as manager, although Cleveland was typically competitive. In 1907 he hit .301 with a .347 OBP and .395 slugging percentage and in 1908, a season in which the Naps closely contended for the pennant, he hit only .289 with a .352 OBP and .375 slugging percentage. During the 1909 season Lajoie resigned as manager as the club dropped to sixth place. Lajoie the player hit .324 with 33 doubles, 7 triples, a home run, 47 RBIs, a .378 OBP, and a .431 slugging percentage. He returned to top batting form in 1910, a season in which he became embroiled in controversy. Battling Detroit’s Ty Cobb for the AL batting championship late in the season, and with a new Chalmers auto to be awarded to the winner, Lajoie and the Naps played a double-header against the St. Louis Browns on the season’s last day and Lajoie trailing Cobb. St. Louis manager Jack O’Connor, not wanting Cobb to win, ordered his third baseman to play deep which allowed Lajoie to beat out seven straight bunts down the third base line for hits. He also hit a triple and one more bunt was ruled a sacrifice. Despite the effort to assist Lajoie, Cobb was awarded the batting title by the closest of margins although later research showed that Cobb was erroneously credited with two additional base hits. In 1981, following the discovery of the error, Commissioner Kuhn refused to retroactively award Lajoie the 1910 AL batting title even though the adjusted figures put him in front of Cobb, .383 to .382. Chalmers chose to award cars to both players, and although Lajoie initially resisted accepting the vehicle, his wife insisted and he received the car. In 1911 a tendon injury limited Lajoie to 90 games and he hit .365 with a .420 OBP. He stayed with Cleveland through 1914 when his average dropped to .258 due to declining eyesight. Sold to the Philadelphia Athletics, he played two last seasons in 1915 and ’16 as his production continued to drop. For his major league career, Lajoie batted .338 with 3243 hits that included 657 doubles, 163 triples, and 82 home runs. He scored 1504 runs and compiled 1599 RBIs, 380 stolen bases, a .380 OBP, and a .466 slugging percentage. With Cleveland the totals were a .339 batting average with 865 runs scored, 2047 hits, 424 doubles, 78 triples, 33 home runs, 919 RBIs, 240 stolen bases, a .389 OBP, and a .452 slugging percentage. Lajoie never appeared in the postseason. He was a minor league player/manager for a time and commissioner of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League. His record as a major league manager was 377-309. Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. He died in 1959 at age 84.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Charlie Hickman, 1902

First Baseman/Outfielder, Boston Americans/Cleveland Blues

 Age:  26

1^st season in American League

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1902:

Born in Pennsylvania and raised near Morgantown, West Virgina, Hickman learned baseball from his carpenter father. Educated in nearby public schools, he went on to West Virginia University where he played baseball in addition to studying law. Originally a catcher in college, he began pitching as well. In 1896 he joined the New Castle Salamanders of the Class C Interstate League where he pitched and played in the outfield. In 1897 he was a full-time pitcher for New Castle and was signed by the NL’s Boston Beaneaters (now Atlanta Braves) in July. Little used in Boston, he played in the Eastern League and occasionally with Boston in 1898 and 1899 until his arm gave out, essentially ending his pitching career. In 1900 Hickman was purchased by the New York Giants who installed him at third base, where he proved to be a defensive liability, committing 86 errors in 120 games. His bat was productive as he hit .313 with 19 doubles, 17 triples, 9 home runs, 91 RBIs, a .359 on-base percentage, and a .482 slugging percentage. Along the way he put together a 27-game hitting streak. He was tried at multiple positions in 1901, seeing most of his action in the outfield, and batted .278 with 20 doubles, 6 triples, 4 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .315 OBP, and a .387 slugging percentage. Hickman also made nine pitching starts and produced a 6-0 record with a 4.48 ERA for the seventh-place Giants. He jumped to the American League’s Boston Americans in 1902 where he played in left field until sold to Cleveland in early June. The Blues installed him at first base, where his defense remained deficient, although his bat proved formidable.

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 130 games (Boston – 28 / Cleveland – 102)

1B – 98, LF – 27, 2B – 3, P – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 564 (BOS – 115/ CLEV – 449)

At Bats – 534 [10] (BOS – 108/ CLEV – 426)

Runs – 74 (BOS – 13/ CLEV – 61)

Hits – 193 [1] (BOS – 32/ CLEV – 161)

Doubles – 36 [6] (BOS – 5/ CLEV – 31)

Triples – 13 [5] (BOS – 2/ CLEV – 11)

Home Runs – 11 [2, tied with Buck Freeman & Bill Bradley] (BOS – 3/ CLEV – 8)

RBI – 110 [2] (BOS – 16/ CLEV – 94)

Bases on Balls – 15 (BOS – 3/ CLEV – 12)

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 15 (BOS – 6/ CLEV – 9)

Stolen Bases – 9 (BOS – 1/ CLEV – 8)

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .361 [3] (BOS – .296/ CLEV – .378)

OBP - .387 [9, tied with Sammy Strang] (BOS – .339/ CLEV – .399)

Slugging Pct. - .539 [3] (BOS – .463/ CLEV – .559)

Total Bases – 288 [1] (BOS – 50/ CLEV – 238)

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 7 [8, tied with four others] (BOS – 4/ CLEV – 3)

Sac Hits – 8 (CLEV)

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading hits were +2 ahead of runner-up Lave Cross

League-leading total bases were +5 ahead of runners-up Bill Bradley & Buck Freeman

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 21, 3B – 6, HR - 5, RBI - 56, AVG - .328, OBP – .370, SLG – .516

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. Bos. Americans 6/6

Longest hitting streak – 25 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 5

Most home runs, game – 1 on eleven occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Washington 6/21

Pinch-hitting – N/A

Pitching

G – 1, GS – 1, CG – 1, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 8, H – 11, R – 8, ER – 7, HR – 0, BB – 5, SO – 1, ERA – 7.88, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 0 

Fielding (1B)

Chances – 1166

Put Outs – 1079

Assists – 47

Errors – 40

DP – 63

Pct. - .966

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The Americans (aka Pilgrims) went 77-60 to finish third in the AL, 6.5 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics while leading the league in fewest walks drawn (275). The Americans, led by the pitching of Cy Young and Bill Dinneen, and the hitting of outfielders BuckFreeman and Patsy Dougherty plus player/manager Jimmy Collins, rose into contention during a 16-10 May, sharing first place from May 28-30. Staying among the leaders through June, a 6-game July losing streak put them 6.5 games back but was immediately followed by an 8-game winning streak which moved them back into a close second place. Holding steady through August, the club fell behind the surging Athletics, as well as the St. Louis Browns, in September.

The Blues went 69-67 to finish fifth in the AL, 14 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics, while leading the league in hits (1401), batting (.289), and total bases (1884). The Blues got off to a slow start and were in the AL cellar by the end of May at 11-23. Boosted by the in-season arrivals of Hickman and second baseman Nap Lajoie, the well-balanced club turned things around and went 58-44 the rest of the way to move up to fifth.

Aftermath of 1902:

The genial and popular player known as “Cheerful Charlie”, as well as “Piano Legs”, hit with formidable strength as he batted .295 in 1903 with 31 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 97 RBIs, a .325 OBP, and a .466 slugging percentage. He committed another 40 errors at first base as his defense continued to be problematic. Tried at second base in 1904, Hickman continued to face criticism for his defensive lapses from manager Bill Armour, until he was traded to Detroit in August, much to the disappointment of the Cleveland fans. For the year he hit .274 with 28 doubles, 16 triples, 6 home runs, 67 RBIs, a .312 OBP, and a .437 slugging percentage. Hitting poorly for the Tigers in 1905, Hickman was dealt to the Washington Senators in July, who moved him back to second base (he had been shifted to right field by the Tigers). Hitting only .212 with Detroit, his bat came alive in Washington, and for the season, he batted .277 with 37 doubles, 12 triples, 4 home runs, 66 RBIs, a .311 OBP, and a .405 slugging percentage. Defense remained a problem, particularly in one late-September game in which Hickman committed five errors at second base. On a more pleasant personal note, in Washington he also renewed a friendship with President Theodore Roosevelt that began during an exhibition trip to Cuba in 1898 to support the troops during the Spanish-American War. Also, while in Washington, he operated a sporting goods store and took classes at George Washington University. In 1906 he was placed in Washington’s right field and hit .284 with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 9 home runs, 57 RBIs, a .311 OBP, and a .421 slugging percentage. Bothered by a knee injury in 1907, Hickman was sold to the Chicago White Sox on August 1 where he was utilized primarily as a pinch-hitter. For the year he batted .276 in 81 games with a .342 OBP. Returning to Cleveland by trade in the offseason, he hit .234 in 1908 with nine extra-base hits and a .271 OBP until he was dealt to the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association in early August. In 47 games with Toledo, Hickman batted .409. He stayed on with Toledo until 1911, continuing to hit well, but was let go because, at age 35, he could cover minimal ground defensively. He finished the 1911 season with Milwaukee, also of the American Association, thus ending his playing career. For his major league career, Hickman batted .295 with 1176 hits that included 217 doubles, 91 triples, and 59 home runs. He scored 478 runs and compiled 614 RBIs, 72 stolen bases, a .331 OBP, and a .440 slugging percentage. With Cleveland he batted .309 with 458 hits, 175 runs scored, 90 doubles, 33 triples, 26 home runs, 252 RBIs, 33 stolen bases, a .337 OBP, and a .467 slugging percentage. A good hitter and poor fielder, Hickman had difficulty establishing himself for long with any club and would likely have benefited if the Designated Hitter rule existed during his career. Following his baseball playing career, Hickman returned to Morgantown, West Virginia where he scouted for Cleveland and coached baseball at West Virginia University. He later became mayor of Morgantown and sheriff of Monongalia County. Encountering a decline in his health he died in 1934 at age 58. 

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Jim Brosnan, 1961

Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  31

3^rd season with Reds (2^nd complete)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 197 

Prior to 1961:

A Cincinnati native, Brosnan early on displayed intelligence and a dedication to learning in addition to being a baseball fan and pitcher for an American Legion team. A few months after graduating from high school in 1946, the 17-year-old Brosnan signed with the Chicago Cubs for $2500. Initially assigned to Elizabethton of the Class D Appalachian League in 1947, he displayed a good fastball and impressive curve while posting a 17-8 record with a 3.04 ERA and 171 strikeouts over 228 innings. Brosnan experienced difficulties in 1948 and, while pitching for Fayetteville of the Class B Tri-State League, he quit the team and returned home after a particularly bad outing. He returned and went on to finish with a 7-13 tally and 5.16 ERA with Fayetteville and Springfield of the New England League. Mentored by Arthur Meyerhoff, a Cubs stockholder, Brosnan underwent psychoanalysis which helped the introverted loner deal with his personality issues. His pitching improved when assigned to Macon of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League in 1949, as he produced a 9-11 record with a 3.77 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 148 innings. With two teams in 1950 he went a combined 5-6 with a dreadful 7.71 ERA and exhibited a poor attitude. Afterward he entered Army service for two years where he pitched for the service team in Fort Meade, Maryland. The newly married pitcher resumed his minor league career in 1953 with Springfield of the Class AAA International League, where his record was a miserable 4-17 with a 4.70 ERA. Distraught about the course of his baseball career, he was surprised to be invited to spring training with the pitching-deprived Cubs in 1954. Following 18 relief appearances with the Cubs that resulted in a 1-0 tally and 9.45 ERA, he was sent down to Beaumont of the Class AA Texas League where he developed a slider and went 7-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 58 strikeouts over 68 innings. Advancing to Los Angeles of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1955, Brosnan produced a 17-10 mark with a 2.38 ERA and 133 strikeouts over 223 innings pitched. Having filled out physically, as well to having developed as a pitcher, he returned to the Cubs in 1956 and as a reliever who occasionally started, he put together a modest 5-9 tally with a 3.79 ERA, one save, one shutout, and 51 strikeouts over 95 innings for the cellar-dwelling club. Used far more as a reliever in 1957 he showed improvement in posting a 5-5 record and 3.38 ERA with 73 strikeouts over 98.2 innings pitched. The glasses-wearing hurler was becoming known for his intellectual pursuits and eccentric tastes more than his pitching performance. In 1958 he got off to a good start as a member of the starting rotation and was 3-4 with a 3.14 ERA when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in May for veteran infielder Alvin Dark. He returned to a starter-reliever role and was at his best out of the bullpen. With the Cardinals he was 8-4 with 7 saves, a 3.44 ERA, and 65 strikeouts over 115 innings. During the season, he was published for the first time in Sports Illustrated. He had been keeping a diary and the published excerpt received positive reviews and led to the publishing of his diary of the 1959 season that became a book called The Long Season which contained his often wry observations about life as a major league baseball player. As for that 1959 season, Brosnan was now largely relegated to the bullpen and was dealt to the Reds in June and for the year went 9-6 with 4 saves, a 3.79 ERA, and 74 strikeouts over 116.1 innings. Taking some criticism for revealing too much about players’ difficulties (although unlike Jim Bouton’s Ball Four several years later, he avoided comments about other players’ personal lives) in his book, he did receive good reviews in general. His performance with the Reds in 1960 was almost entirely in relief and resulted in a 7-2 tally in 57 appearances with 12 saves, a 2.36 ERA, and 62 strikeouts over 99 innings. He was now becoming acclaimed as both a relief pitcher and writer.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 53 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 53 [9, tied with Don McMahon, Ron Perranoski & Larry Sherry]

Games Started – 0

Games Finished – 34 [5, tied with Larry Sherry]

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 10

Losses – 4

PCT - .714 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 16 [3, tied with Bill Henry]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 80

Hits – 77

Runs – 34

Earned Runs – 27

Home Runs – 7

Bases on Balls – 18

Strikeouts – 40

ERA – 3.04 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 0

Balks – 1 [8, tied with fourteen others]

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 5-2, ERA - 2.95, G – 29, SV – 13, SO - 20 in 39.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 4 (in 3 IP) at Chi. Cubs 9/26

10+ strikeout games – 0

Batting

PA – 15, AB – 13, R – 1, H – 2, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 1, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .154, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 30

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 18

Errors – 3

DP – 0

Pct. - .900

Postseason Pitching: G – 3 (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

GS – 0, CG – 0, GF – 1, Record – 0-0, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 6, H – 9, R – 5, ER – 5, HR – 0, BB – 4, SO – 5, ERA – 7.50, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 2

Awards & Honors:

20^th in NL MVP voting (3 points – 1% share)

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The Reds went 93-61 to win the NL pennant by 4 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (12), saves (40), fewest hits allowed (1300), and fewest runs allowed (653). The lightly regarded Reds were paced by their formidable hitting and decent starting pitching that featured righthanders Joey Jay and Bob Purkey, and LHP Jim O’Toole, supported by relievers Brosnan and Bill Henry. They put together a 54-30 first half and remained strong down the stretch to hold off the Dodgers and nail down the first Cincinnati pennant since 1940. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of 1961:

The Reds dropped to third in 1962 but Brosnan remained effective from the bullpen, posting a 4-4 record with a 3.34 ERA, 13 saves, and 51 strikeouts over 64.2 innings pitched. Nicknamed “Professor”, he was writing regularly on baseball for a variety of publications as well as a book about the 1961 season called Pennant Race. Early into the 1963 season the Reds traded him to the Chicago White Sox, where he became part of an outstanding bullpen. He appeared in 45 games for the Chisox and was 3-8 with a 2.84 ERA, 15 saves, and 46 strikeouts over 73 innings. Having been banned from writing during the season by the front office, and facing a pay cut that made him more inclined to submit articles for publication, he was released just prior to spring training in 1964 and was unable to catch on with another club, thus ending his baseball career. For his major league career, Brosnan pitched in 385 games and compiled a 55-47 record with a 3.54 ERA, 68 saves, and 507 strikeouts over 831.1 innings. With the Reds he made 190 appearances with a 29-14 tally, 3.04 ERA, 43 saves, and 213 strikeouts over 331.2 innings. The 1961 World Series marked his only postseason action. After baseball he wrote for an advertising agency as well as continuing to write free-lance articles and books on baseball geared to younger readers. Having made a name for himself as an athlete with literary talent who wrote his own material about his experiences in baseball (rather than with the aid of a ghostwriter), Brosnan died at age 84 in 2014.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Sam Crawford, 1901

Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  21 (April 18)

3^rd season with Reds

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 190 

Prior to 1901:

A native of Wahoo, Nebraska (hence his nickname “Wahoo Sam”), Crawford ended his formal schooling in fifth grade to apprentice as a barber. He also demonstrated baseball skill early on playing sandlot ball. After joining a touring team he played for the local Killian Brothers club. In 1898 he played semipro ball while barbering in two small towns in Nebraska. Recommended to the Canadian League team in Chatham, Ontario in 1899, Crawford batted .370 in 43 games before moving on to Columbus and Grand Rapids in the Western League and hit .328 with 13 triples and 5 home runs in 60 games. The Reds purchased his contract and the 19-year-old outfielder appeared in 31 games and batted .307 with 11 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs, a .318 on-base percentage, and a .465 slugging percentage. In his first full major league season in 1900 he hit .260 with 15 doubles, 15 triples, 7 home runs, 59 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, a .314 OBP, and a .429 slugging percentage. Solidly built and strong, he quickly developed into a highly regarded power hitter within the context of the times.

1901 Season Summary

Appeared in 131 games

RF – 126, PH – 5, LF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 559

At Bats – 515

Runs – 91 [15]

Hits – 170 [14, tied with Emmet Heidrick]

Doubles – 20 [19, tied with Jesse Burkett, Claude Ritchey & Charlie Hickman]

Triples – 16 [3, tied with Ed Delahanty, Kitty Bransfield & Topsy Hartsel]

Home Runs – 16 [1]

RBI – 104 [3, tied with Jimmy Sheckard]

Bases on Balls – 37

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 45

Stolen Bases – 13

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .330 [11]

OBP - .378 [13]

Slugging Pct. - .524 [3]

Total Bases – 270 [5, tied with Elmer Flick]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 4

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading home runs were +5 ahead of runner-up Jimmy Sheckard

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 10, 3B – 14, HR – 6, RBI – 59, AVG - .324, SLG - .512, OBP – .369

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at NY Giants 6/27

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 8

Most home runs, game – 1 on sixteen occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Chi. Cubs 4/27

Pinch-hitting – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 248

Put Outs – 209

Assists – 20

Errors – 19

DP – 6

Pct. - .923

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The Reds went 52-87 to finish eighth in the NL, 38 games behind the pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates while leading the league in batting strikeouts (587). The rebuilding Reds started well and ended May in second place at 16-12. A poor June performance that included a 10-game losing streak dropped them to seventh where they languished for most of the rest of the summer. A 9-27 finish put them in the NL cellar for the first time in club history. Crawford and LHP Noodles Hahn were the club’s stalwarts.

Aftermath of 1901:

Crawford followed up on his outstanding performance with another strong season in 1902 in which he batted .333 with 18 doubles, a co-league leading 22 triples, 3 home runs, 78 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, a .386 OBP, and a .461 slugging percentage. In 1903 he jumped to the Detroit Tigers of the American League and led the AL with 25 triples to go along with 23 doubles, 4 home runs, 89 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, a .335 average, a .366 OBP, and a .489 slugging percentage. He performed well defensively as he split his time between right and left field, although his lack of speed hindered his ability to cover much ground. His production dropped in 1904 but he regained his consistency in making contact in 1905 as he hit .297 with 6 home runs, 75 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, a .357 OBP, and a .430 slugging percentage. The arrival of Ty Cobb in 1906 brought a player who would take over in center field and overshadow right fielder Crawford over the next decade. In contrast to Cobb’s brashness and aggressiveness, “Wahoo Sam” was highly respected for his integrity and gentlemanly disposition. Despite his lack of formal education, he came also to be known as well-read and articulate. And he remained an outstanding hitter, in 1906 batting .295 with 25 doubles, 16 triples, 2 home runs, 66 RBIs, 24 stolen bases, and a .341 OBP. The Tigers won the AL pennant in 1907 and Crawford contributed by leading the league with 102 runs scored while hitting .323 with 34 doubles, 17 triples, 4 home runs, 81 RBIs, a .366 OBP, and a .460 slugging percentage. In the World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs he hit .238. The Tigers repeated as AL champs in 1908 and Crawford again scored 102 runs while batting .311 with 33 doubles, 16 triples, a league-leading 7 home runs, a .355 OBP, and a .457 slugging percentage. Detroit again lost to the Cubs in the World Series, and again Crawford hit .238. The Tigers topped the AL again in 1909 and Crawford led the circuit with 35 doubles while batting .314 with 14 triples, 6 home runs, 97 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, a .366 OBP, and a .452 slugging percentage. The club fell to Pittsburgh in the World Series although Crawford contributed a home run and 4 RBIs. The Tigers dropped to third in 1910 although “Wahoo Sam” led the league in triples (19) and RBIs (120) while hitting .289 with 26 doubles, 5 home runs, a .332 OBP, and a .423 slugging percentage. His production remained solid in 1911 as he batted .378 with 36 doubles, 14 triples, 7 home runs, 115 RBIs, 37 stolen bases, a .438 OBP, and a .526 slugging percentage. He tied for fourteenth in AL Chalmers Award voting for league MVP, well behind his teammate, Cobb, who won the award. In 1912 the durable and consistent Crawford hit .325 with 30 doubles, 21 triples, 4 home runs, 109 RBIs, 42 stolen bases, a .373 OBP, and a .470 slugging percentage for the sixth-place Tigers. He again tied for fourteenth in AL MVP balloting. “Wahoo Sam” topped the AL in triples (23) and total bases (298) in 1913 while batting .317 with 32 doubles, 9 home runs, 83 RBIs, a .371 OBP, and a .489 slugging percentage. Detroit again finished in sixth and for the third straight year, Crawford tied for fourteenth in league Chalmers Award balloting. He rose to second in 1914 after topping the AL in triples (26) and RBIs (104) while hitting .314 with 22 doubles, 8 home runs, a .388 OBP, and a .483 slugging percentage. After a decent 1916 season, Crawford’s performance dropped off drastically at age 37 in 1917, after which he was released by the Tigers, which ended his major league career. He went on to play four seasons with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, topping that circuit with 239 hits in 1919 and 21 triples in 1920. For his major league career he batted .309 with 2961 hits that included 458 doubles, 309 triples, and 97 home runs. Crawford scored 1391 runs and compiled 1523 RBIs, 367 stolen bases, a .362 OBP, and a .452 slugging percentage. With the Reds he batted .312 with 276 runs scored, 495 hits, 56 doubles, 60 triples, 27 home runs, 261 RBIs, 49 stolen bases, a .361 OBP, and a .474 slugging percentage. His overall career total of 309 triples remains the NL/AL record. He led either the NL or AL in triples six times, and the AL in RBIs on three occasions. Appearing in 17 World Series games, he hit .243 with 5 doubles, one home run, and 8 RBIs. While Crawford and Cobb had an uneasy relationship, Cobb speculated that his long-time teammate would have had 40-home run seasons during the era of the livelier ball. Following his playing career Crawford was a successful head baseball coach at USC and also worked as a Pacific Coast League umpire. Quiet and reclusive in retirement, he explained in his laconic way to an interviewer why he didn’t have a phone by saying “I never was for telephones. Just don’t like them, that’s all. Anybody wants to talk to you, they can come to see you. I do have a television…but I never turn it on. I’d rather read a book.” Crawford was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957, 11 years before his death in 1968 at age 88.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Frank “Noodles” Hahn, 1900

Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  21 (April 29)

2^nd season with Reds

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 160 

Prior to 1900:

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Hahn picked up his nickname “Noodles” in his youth as a result of his mother’s chicken noodle soup, which he either repeatedly expressed a particular liking for, brought to his father for lunch each day at a nearby piano factory, or delivered to a poor neighbor. Whatever the reason, the nickname stuck. At age 16 he joined a Southern Association team that moved from Chattanooga to Mobile during the 1895 season. Staying on with Mobile in 1896, he produced a 7-4 record with a 1.44 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 112.2 innings pitched. In 1897 he joined Detroit of the Western Association and went 17-16 with a 2.82 ERA, 31 complete games, and 144 strikeouts over 313 innings. Splitting 1898 between Detroit and St. Paul he had a mediocre season, going 12-20 with 28 complete games and 144 strikeouts in 266 innings. Recommended to the Reds by St. Paul owner Charles Comiskey, he pitched well in spring training and made the club. With an effective, if not overpowering, fastball and good control, he put together a 23-8 record in 1899 while leading the NL with 145 strikeouts and posting a 2.68 ERA. Hahn ran into difficulty coming to terms on a contract with the Reds for 1900 but signed in March.

1900 Season Summary

Appeared in 39 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 39 [9, tied with Bert Jones]

Games Started – 37 [3, tied with Joe McGinnity, Bill Dinneen & Jack Powell]

Complete Games – 29 [8, tied with Bert Jones & Deacon Philippe]

Wins – 16 [11]

Losses – 20 [2, tied with Ed Scott]

PCT - .444

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [1, tied with Cy Young, Clark Griffith & Kid Nichols]

Innings Pitched – 311.1 [7]

Hits – 306 [10]

Runs – 145 [14, tied with Al Orth]

Earned Runs – 113 [10]

Home Runs – 4

Bases on Balls – 89 [9, tied with Pink Hawley]

Strikeouts – 132 [1]

ERA – 3.27 [13]

Hit Batters – 7

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 

League-leading strikeouts were +2 ahead of runner-up Rube Waddell

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Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 0 (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. Phillies 7/12

 (No-hitter with 2 BB, 1 HB & 8 strikeouts. Reds won 4-0)

Batting

PA – 121, AB – 115, R – 12, H – 24, 2B – 3, 3B – 1, HR – 2, RBI – 9, BB – 2, SO – 42, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .209, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 3, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 90

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 74

Errors – 7

DP – 1

Pct. - .922

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The Reds went 62-77 to finish seventh in the NL, 21.5 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas. The Reds got off to a 6-4 start in April but two seven-game losing streaks in May and into early June dropped the club into the NL cellar. They perked up during June to rise to fifth, but a late July slump dropped them into seventh. A 12-9 August was followed by a dreadful September and two losses to finish the season in October sealed a seventh-place finish. Hahn proved to be the best performer for the mediocre team, and along the way he pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies, one of the league’s best-hitting clubs.

Aftermath of 1900:

Hahn was again successful in 1901, producing a 22-19 tally for the last-place Reds, along with a 2.71 ERA and 239 strikeouts, once again a league-leading total that included a then-record 16 in a game against the Boston Beaneaters. He also topped the NL with 41 complete games and 375.1 innings pitched. Resisting an offer to jump to the rival American League, he signed a $4200 contract to stay with the Reds, making him the team’s highest-paid player. Cincinnati improved to 70-70 in 1902 and Hahn went 23-12 with a 1.77 ERA, 35 complete games, 6 shutouts, 321 innings pitched, and 142 strikeouts. He was 22-12 in 1903 with a 2.52 ERA, 34 complete games, and 127 strikeouts. Showing signs of slippage in 1904, he posted a 16-18 tally with a still outstanding 2.06 ERA, 33 complete games among his 297.2 innings, and 98 strikeouts. A sore arm that diminished his fastball limited Hahn to 77 innings and a 5-3 mark with a 2.81 ERA in 1905, and the Reds released him in August. After pitching semi-professionally for the remainder of ’05, he caught on with the AL’s New York Highlanders in 1906. He appeared in just six games before requesting his release and deciding to end his major league career. For that career, he compiled a 130-94 record with a 2.55 ERA, 212 complete games, 25 shutouts, and 917 strikeouts over 2029.1 innings. Nearly all of his production came with the Reds. Having attended Cincinnati Veterinary College during his playing days, he became a veterinary inspector for the US government in Cincinnati for over 30 years. He pitched semi-professionally on the side for a time and also regularly pitched batting practice for the Reds at Crosley Field until he was well into his 60s. He also had a reputation as a skillful pianist. Moving to North Carolina after retiring from his government job, he died at age 80 in 1960.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.