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: Bill Bradley, 1902

Third Baseman, Cleveland Blues

Age:  24

2^nd season with Blues

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 1902:

A Cleveland native, Bradley played pickup baseball in his youth. After his schooling, he worked for a stove company and played semipro ball on the side. In 1897 he went to Iowa and joined Burlington of the Western Association for 18 games in September. In 1898 he caught on with the Auburn Maroons of the New York State League where he played shortstop and first base. Shifting to third base in 1899, Bradley batted .312 with 25 stolen bases in 88 games. The team moved to Troy, New York at the end of July, and Bradley was sold to the Chicago Orphans (now Cubs) in August. Following an error-filled trial at shortstop with his new club, he was moved back to third base. He ended up hitting .310 in 35 games for the Orphans and, receiving a raise to $300 a month for 1900, he became the regular third baseman and batted .282 with 21 doubles, 8 triples, 5 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .330 on-base percentage, and a .399 slugging percentage. Jumping to the new American League with Cleveland in 1901 for $3500, he hit .293 with 28 doubles, 13 triples, a home run, 55 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, a .336 OBP, and a .403 slugging percentage. In the field, he topped AL third basemen with a .930 fielding percentage and 25 double plays while ranking third in put outs (192), which included a record seven in one game, and assists (298). A good hitter with some power and defensive skill, Bradley appeared to be very much a player on the rise.   

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

3B – 137

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 597 [10, tied with Lave Cross]

At Bats – 550 [6]

Runs – 104 [4]

Hits – 187 [3]

Doubles – 39 [3, tied with Lave Cross]

Triples – 12 [6, tied with Socks Seybold, Elmer Flick & Topsy Hartsel]

Home Runs – 11 [2, tied with Buck Freeman & Charlie Hickman]

RBI – 77 [12]

Bases on Balls – 27

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 23

Stolen Bases – 11

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .340 [6]

OBP - .375 [16, tied with Chick Stahl & Socks Seybold]

Slugging Pct. - .515 [4]

Total Bases – 283 [2, tied with Buck Freeman]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 16 [11, tied with Barry McCormick & Freddy Parent]

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 19, 3B – 3, HR - 8, RBI - 44, AVG - .335, OBP - .362, SLG – .511

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at St. Louis Browns 6/30, (in 5 AB) vs. Detroit 7/12, (in 6 AB) vs. Baltimore 8/11, (in 5 AB) vs. Phila. A’s 9/5

Longest hitting streak – 29 games

Most HR, game – 1 on eleven occasions

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 8

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Phila. A’s 9/5

Pinch-hitting – No Appearances

Fielding

Chances – 555

Put Outs – 188

Assists – 324

Errors – 43

DP – 21

Pct. – .923

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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. The well-balanced club turned things around and went 58-44 the rest of the way to move up to fifth. Bradley contributed by homering in four consecutive games in May and achieving a career-high batting average to help boost Cleveland’s league-leading mark.

Aftermath of 1902:

The club, rechristened the Naps in honor of star second baseman Nap Lajoie, finished in third place in 1903 and Bradley, who rejected an offer from the New York Giants to return to the NL, was again a solid contributor. Among his 22 triples were three in one game against the St. Louis Browns. He also totaled 36 doubles, 6 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases while batting .313 with a .348 on-base percentage and a .496 slugging percentage. Defensively he topped all AL third basemen in assists (299) as well as placing second in double plays (18) and fourth in fielding percentage (.924) despite his league-high 37 errors. The graceful Bradley was notably excellent at fielding bunts and had an outstanding throwing arm. An aggressive baserunner as well as an adept hitter and fielder, he had another fine season in 1904, batting .300 with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 6 home runs, and 83 RBIs, along with a .334 OBP and .409 slugging percentage. He led AL third basemen with a .955 fielding percentage and placed third in assists (308). A stomach ailment led to an off year in 1905 in which he hit .268 with 34 doubles and 6 triples, although no home runs and his RBI total dropped to 51 and his OBP to .321. He remained effective in the field, again topping AL third basemen in fielding percentage (.945) as well as put outs (190) and DPs (17). Bradley missed half of the 1906 season with a broken wrist and hit .275 in 82 games. Afflicted by a bout with typhoid fever in 1907, Bradley’s hitting dropped off to a .223 average and a .286 OBP but he set a league record with 46 sacrifice hits, which he eclipsed in 1908 when he accumulated 60. Despite his lessened batting production, he remained a capable fielder. His average fell to .186 in 1909 and .196 in 1910, at the point he was released in August. In 1911 he became player/manager with Toronto in the Eastern League and hit .294 with 13 triples and 8 home runs. With the team shifting to the International League in 1912, Bradley guided the club to a pennant while also batting .292 with 17 triples. Following one more season with Toronto, he next joined the Brooklyn Tip Tops of the upstart Federal League in 1914, acting as manager and making a handful of pinch-hitting appearances. Bradley stayed with the Federal League in 1915, playing for the Kansas City Packers. While still capable at third base, he hit only .187 in 66 games. He managed in 1916 with Erie of the Inter-State League, his playing days now over. For his major league career, Bradley batted .271 with 1471 hits that included 275 doubles, 84 triples, and 34 home runs. He scored 754 runs and compiled 552 RBIs, 181 stolen bases, a .317 OBP, and a .371 slugging percentage. With Cleveland he batted .272 with 1265 hits, 649 runs scored, 238 doubles, 74 triples, 27 home runs, 473 RBIs, 157 stolen bases, a .317 OBP, and a .373 slugging percentage. In 1928 he became a highly-regarded scout for Cleveland until his death in 1954 at age 76, three years before he was inducted into the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) Hall of Fame.

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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: Bill Bernhard, 1902

Pitcher, /Philadelphia Athletics/Cleveland Blues

Age:  31

2^nd season with Athletics

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 205 

Prior to 1902:

The son of German immigrants and a native of the Buffalo, New York area, Bernhard pitched for several amateur teams before entering the professional ranks with Palmyra of the New York State League in 1897 at age 26 as a pitcher and first baseman. In 34 pitching appearances he led the league with 148 strikeouts and threw a no-hitter. A hard thrower, Bernhard rejected an offer from the NL’s Philadelphia Phillies in 1898 and instead pitched for a minor league team in Canajoharie, New York. “Big Bill” signed with the Phillies in 1899 and, as a 28-year-old major league rookie, produced a 6-6 record with a 2.65 ERA, 10 complete games, one shutout, and 23 strikeouts in 132.1 innings pitched. He got off to a 12-1 start with the Phillies in 1900 before tailing off, having difficulty with his control, and finishing with a 15-10 tally, 4.77 ERA, and 49 strikeouts over 218.2 innings. In 1901 he jumped to the Philadelphia Athletics of the new American League and was 17-10 with a 4.52 ERA, 26 complete games, and 58 strikeouts over the course of 257 innings. In the legal battle with the Phillies, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the contractual “reserve clause” in the National League contract and declared that Bernhard, pitcher Chick Fraser, and second baseman Nap Lajoie would be held in contempt of court and subject to arrest if they played in Pennsylvania for any other team than the Phillies. Fraser elected to return to the Phillies, but Bernhard and Lajoie refused to do so. Athletics president/manager Connie Mack, wishing to keep the duo in the AL, released them early in the 1902 season and they signed with Cleveland.

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 28 games (Philadelphia 1/ Cleveland – 27)

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 28 (PHI – 1/CLEV – 27)

Games Started – 25 (PHI – 1/CLEV – 24)

Complete Games – 23 [17] (PHI – 1/CLEV – 22)

Wins – 18 [9, tied with Casey Patten] (PHI – 1/CLEV – 17)

Losses – 5 (CLEV)

PCT - .783 [1] (PHI – 1.000/CLEV - .773)

Saves – 1 [2, tied with nine others] (CLEV)

Shutouts – 3 [5, tied with four others] (CLEV)

Innings Pitched – 226 [18] (PHI – 9/CLEV – 217)

Hits – 176 (PHI – 7/CLEV – 169)

Runs – 79 (PHI – 1/CLEV – 78)

Earned Runs – 54 (PHI – 1/CLEV – 53)

Home Runs – 4 (CLEV)

Bases on Balls – 37 (PHI – 3/CLEV – 34)

Strikeouts – 58 [19] (PHI – 1/CLEV – 57)

ERA – 2.15 [3, tied with Cy Young] (PHI – 1.00/CLEV – 2.20)

Hit Batters – 5 (CLEV)

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 [16, tied with five others] (CLEV) 

League-leading win percentage was +.009 ahead of runner-up Rube Waddell

Midseason Snapshot: 6-3, ERA – 2.87, SO - 19 in 87.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. A’s 9/5

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. Washington 8/30

Batting (combined)

PA – 95, AB – 94, R – 8, H – 18, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 1, SO – 16, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .191, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Fielding (combined)

Chances - 80

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 71

Errors – 4

DP – 2

Pct. – .950

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The Blues went 69-67 to finish fifth in the AL, 14 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (16), saves (3, tied with Detroit), bases on balls issued (411), and fewest hits allowed (1199). The Blues got off to a slow start and were in the AL cellar by the end of May at 11-23. The well-balanced club turned things around and went 58-44 the rest of the way to move up to fifth.

Aftermath of 1902:

With the team rechristened as the Naps, in honor of Lajoie, in 1903, Cleveland rose to third place in 1903 and Bernhard contributed a 14-5 record and a 2.12 ERA with 18 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 60 strikeouts in 165.2 innings pitched. He had a stronger season in 1904, posting a 23-13 tally with a 2.13 ERA, 35 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 137 strikeouts over the course of 320.2 innings. His wife and young daughter attended home games when he was scheduled to pitch. Bernhard also established himself as a well-liked and intelligent student of baseball. He had an off-year in 1905, going 7-13 with a 3.36 ERA. He rebounded in 1906 with a 16-15 record and 2.54 ERA, 23 complete games, and 85 strikeouts over 255.1 innings. Tragedy struck in February of 1907 when Bernhard’s daughter died of pneumonia. He was little used in his final major league season that year, appearing in just 8 games and compiling an 0-4 tally. The Naps released him in the offseason. For his major league career, Bernhard compiled a 116-81 record with a 3.04 ERA, 175 complete games, 14 shutouts, and 545 strikeouts in 1792 innings pitched. With Cleveland he was 77-55 with a 2.45 ERA, 118 complete games, 12 shutouts, and 414 strikeouts in 1175 innings pitched. Following his major league playing career, Bernhard became manager of the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association. Utilizing his baseball knowledge and calm managerial style, he received acclaim for leading Nashville from last place in 1907 to first in 1908. The club finished second in 1909 and it was rumored that Bernhard would manage a major league team, but he returned to the Volunteers in 1910 and moved on to the Memphis Turtles from 1911 to 1913. After pitching for the Salt Lake City Skyskrapers in 1914 (he had pitched while managing in the Southern Association as well), he returned to the Southern Association as a pitching coach and umpire. He managed the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League in 1917, which was his last job in baseball. Bernhard remained in Southern California until his death at age 78 in 1949 due to leukemia.

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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.