|
Frank Chance- The Peerless Leader spent his whole career with the Cubs and played all but 3 of his 16 years in the Replay League. He retired at age 36 in 1913.
His numbers were-
5977 AB, 1657 H, .277 BA, 895 R, 276 doubles, 89 triples, 19 HR, 734 RBI, 443 SB (85th), 65.6 WAR
Frank had a very consistent career, with most of his BA being in the .275-.285 range with 60-70 RBI, 40ish SB, 70ish runs, etc. Nice numbers, but nothing that outstanding. In 1903, he rose above those numbers in his BA, hitting .323, which helped him lead the league in OBP at .435. That was the only time he led the league in any category.
Frank won one championship and came up big as the Playoff MVP. He won 8 Silver Sluggers, so his numbers were certainly pretty good for his era! He was also named to 11 All-Star teams. He spent 10 years on the HOF ballot, but only reached a high of 49.5 % in 1927 and was not elected. He was a very good player in his era, but his overall numbers just don't make him a HOFer.
__________________
"The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor." — Cincinnati Gazette editorial, 1879
|