OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The Simplest Beginnings: From Amateurism in 1857, to Pro Ball (1870), Int'l Ball, & More

tm1681 · 06-23-2023, 10:36 PM

ANOTHER EARLY STAR OF PRO BALL, EDWARD FITZSIMMONS, CALLS IT A CAREER

The 1897 MWBA season ended up being the twentieth as a professional for Edward Fitzsimmons, as well as the 42-year-old’s last.

"Fitzy" had a unique career in that it occurred during a three-decade span that started when the APBL played 90 games per season as the only pro league and ended with pro teams playing 130+ games per season in large markets all over the Eastern and Midwestern United States. The Massachusetts native’s career began in 1878 when he signed for the Brooklyn Kings after graduating from Boston College. From there he immediately became a superstar in the APBL and was a key part of four President’s Cup winners with the Kings (1879, 80, 83, 85) before joining the Boston Shamrocks as their replacement superstar when Alva Burgess made his famous move to Detroit in the MWBL. He won another P.C. in Boston (1887) before playing with Jacob Milburn in St. Louis for three seasons (1890-92), moving back to Boston (1893-94) and then playing his final three seasons as a diminished role player for the Kansas City Bulls (1895-97).

Like Edward Huntley before him, Fitzsimmons started his career as a hard-hitting shortstop with Golden Glove defense who transitioned to third base as his range started to decline, only to continue to rack up accolades on the left side of the infield at his new position. He never led the APBL or MWBA in any of the major batting categories, but his combination of batting and defense at a middle infield position made him one of the most valuable players in either league for the better part of fifteen years before Fitzsimmons’ skills started to fall off in his late 30s.

At the time of his retirement, Fitzsimmons stood as the third most award-decorated pro player, after Konrad Jensen and Alva Burgess. His WAR was tied with Alva Burgess for the all-time lead among retired position players who only played pro baseball, while both his eleven Team of the Year nominations and nine Golden Glove awards were records for retired professional infielders.

Fitzsimmons’ career record:

5x APBL President’s Cup winner (1879, 80, 83, 85, 87)
1x APBL President’s Cup MVP (1879)
1x APBL Most Valuable Player (1879)
11x Team of the Year at SS or 3B (9x APBL, 2x MWBA)
9x Golden Glove at SS or 3B (9x APBL, 2x MWBA) – professional record

85.2 WAR – tied for all-time lead among retired pro position players (Alva Burgess)
6.6 WAR per 162 games during career
Career Zone Rating of +360.7 over 2,055 games at SS/3B
9x league leader in Zone Rating at SS or 3B (7x APBL, 2x MWBA)
4x league leader in Position Player WAR (3x APBL, 1x MWBA)
1x APBL leader in Runs Batted In (1888: 77)
1x APBL leader in Total Bases (1887: 205)

06-23-2023, 10:36 PM	#60
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,085	ANOTHER EARLY STAR OF PRO BALL, EDWARD FITZSIMMONS, CALLS IT A CAREER The 1897 MWBA season ended up being the twentieth as a professional for Edward Fitzsimmons, as well as the 42-year-old’s last. "Fitzy" had a unique career in that it occurred during a three-decade span that started when the APBL played 90 games per season as the only pro league and ended with pro teams playing 130+ games per season in large markets all over the Eastern and Midwestern United States. The Massachusetts native’s career began in 1878 when he signed for the Brooklyn Kings after graduating from Boston College. From there he immediately became a superstar in the APBL and was a key part of four President’s Cup winners with the Kings (1879, 80, 83, 85) before joining the Boston Shamrocks as their replacement superstar when Alva Burgess made his famous move to Detroit in the MWBL. He won another P.C. in Boston (1887) before playing with Jacob Milburn in St. Louis for three seasons (1890-92), moving back to Boston (1893-94) and then playing his final three seasons as a diminished role player for the Kansas City Bulls (1895-97). Like Edward Huntley before him, Fitzsimmons started his career as a hard-hitting shortstop with Golden Glove defense who transitioned to third base as his range started to decline, only to continue to rack up accolades on the left side of the infield at his new position. He never led the APBL or MWBA in any of the major batting categories, but his combination of batting and defense at a middle infield position made him one of the most valuable players in either league for the better part of fifteen years before Fitzsimmons’ skills started to fall off in his late 30s. At the time of his retirement, Fitzsimmons stood as the third most award-decorated pro player, after Konrad Jensen and Alva Burgess. His WAR was tied with Alva Burgess for the all-time lead among retired position players who only played pro baseball, while both his eleven Team of the Year nominations and nine Golden Glove awards were records for retired professional infielders. Fitzsimmons’ career record: 5x APBL President’s Cup winner (1879, 80, 83, 85, 87) 1x APBL President’s Cup MVP (1879) 1x APBL Most Valuable Player (1879) 11x Team of the Year at SS or 3B (9x APBL, 2x MWBA) 9x Golden Glove at SS or 3B (9x APBL, 2x MWBA) – professional record 85.2 WAR – tied for all-time lead among retired pro position players (Alva Burgess) 6.6 WAR per 162 games during career Career Zone Rating of +360.7 over 2,055 games at SS/3B 9x league leader in Zone Rating at SS or 3B (7x APBL, 2x MWBA) 4x league leader in Position Player WAR (3x APBL, 1x MWBA) 1x APBL leader in Runs Batted In (1888: 77) 1x APBL leader in Total Bases (1887: 205)