best defensive second baseman of all time

However, his biggest fight came when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League Athletics in 1901. In 2008, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in a ceremony before a Tigers-Indians game. Why? -- Dan Mullen, senior MLB editor, Teams To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value. Oh, Bill James and other respected historians will say there is a third part to the equation, Length of Career. He wasn't a failure offensively, but he was the next best thing. Eddie Collins debuted with the As just five seasons after Nap LaJoies jump. Joe Morgan 4. Six-time All-Star (1933-38), MVP ('37), Hall of Fame ('49), Career stats And in 2015, he participated in MLBs first second-baseman-to-third-baseman-back-to-second-baseman triple play. What made them stand out from other Second Basemen was that they pivoted and threw at the same time that they crossed the bag, not after they crossed it"-Tom Meany, respected baseball historian, 1948. -- Schoenfield, Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924. Everything he did in the field was smooth, it was elegant and it was a joy to watch. He batted .274 in his career, and while he didnt hit for much power -- Gantners homer off Oaklands Dave Stewart on Sept. 3, 1991, was his first in 1,762 at-bats spanning 544 games -- Gantner became a steady hand at second base, thanks in part to a strong throwing arm hed honed as a boy playing catcher. Since then, nine second basemen have posted a higher career fielding percentage than "Ryno.". Once established, the Tigers wouldnt have to look for a second baseman until 1942. He was also named an All-Star that year, and won the first of two Silver Slugger Awards. Your email address will not be published. In 2004, he won the Silver Slugger Award and made his first of two appearances in the All-Star Game. Here's what happened with Hubbard, he DID play on ground ball teams (generally speaking). Rogers Hornsby Jackie Robinson Joe Morgan Rod Carew We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. He made it to four World Series with the club, winning the first three. .271/.392/.427, OPS -- .819, Hits -- 2,517, HRs -- 268, RBIs -- 1,133, In 1975 and 1976, Joe Morgan towered over the National League, winning back-to-back MVP awards, with WAR totals of 10.9 and 9.6. Oh, and he could hit, too, as his .316/.369/.432 slash line illustrates. Bottm line: Freddy Sanchez overcame physical adversity to become a professional athlete, having been born with a pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot. During the Yankees' 2009 championship season, Cano hit 20 home runs and notched 204 hits (first among all second basemen that year). Only Ty Cobb has a higher lifetime batting average than Hornsbys .358. Getty Images. He could run, hit, hit for power, and play stellar defense. Of course, once they point this out, they then proceed to rate him an "A +" defensively and call him one of the best defensive second basemen of all time. Jeff Reboulet (1990s) offensive rating: D. A defensive specialist. Unfortunately for Carew, he wouldnt find much post-season success in Anaheim either. And boy could he play defense. Either way, Grich, Childs and Richardson are the three best second basemen in the history of MLB that are not in the Hall of Fame, with arguments from Davey Lopes (1970s) and Tom Daly. He played for seven franchises but is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Indians. Pratt set up Wilson, and Wilson forced the biggest fumble of his career. Roberto Alomar FAQ Who are the best MLB second basemen of all time? .328/.393/.429, OPS -- .822, Hits -- 3,053, HRs -- 92, RBIs -- 1,015, The Tony Gwynn or Ichiro Suzuki of his era, Carew was a master of bat control and one of the great bunters in the game's history. However, as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in the counting stats. The all-time leader at third base in value generated on defense with 38.8 WAR on defense alone, Robinson is sort of like Bill Mazeroski at second base -- a big postseason performance or two plus . What's more, he played in at least 150 games at the position in eight consecutive years, something only five second basemen have ever done, and in seven of those he had positive defensive WAR. Career Fld% Leaders:1.Placido Polanco/.9834/, 2.Mike Lowell/.9743/, 3. Below are the six best to ever play the position in Major League Baseball history. Rod Carew was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. Baseball Best MLB Defensive Players of All Time By Paul Ladewski, updated on March 11, 2020 Old-Time Baseball Photos / Facebook TTO has done more to hurt defense than Daniel Murphy ever could on his worst day. Joe Morgan had a few brief stints with the Houston Colt 45s before latching on with the now Astros in 1965. Would his game translate to 2016? He's an A + offensive second baseman, too. In 1920, he won his first of six consecutive (and seven total) batting titles when he hit .370. He'll be . He debuted in 1896 with the Phillies at first base but moved to second in 1898, where he would become famous. His best season came in 1977 when he took home the AL MVP after hitting .388/.449/.570 with a league-leading 16 triples and 100 RBI. Jackie only played 11 professional seasons, including one with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League, where he didnt debut until he was 26. All he did his sophomore season was bat .342, win a silver slugger, and play in the all-star game. In fact, other than the pitcher, catcher and shortstop positions, it is probably the most important defensive position on the field. He was a tremendous all-around athlete and played multiple sports in college, which, along with World War II, delayed his eventual career in MLB. His 2003 and 04 seasons are the most prolific for any second baseman in franchise history. Which team will make a big move? In only his fourth season, Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals has secured the top spot among second basemen. No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on each player's career with that franchise. Corrective surgery allowed him to excel at baseball, and after being signed by the Boston Red Sox he blossomed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was a three-time All-Star and won an NL batting title in 2006. Its a fair argument, but as we mentioned when discussing Roger Clemens, its hard to know who did what throughout the games history. But Bill James presented this conclusion, Jody Reed is second all time in the history of MLB in defensive Win Shares per season for a second baseman, behind only Bill Mazeroski. To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Bronchos renamed themselves The Naps after their leader in 1903. Bottom line: A first-round draft pick in 2003 by the Toronto Blue Jays, Aaron Hill was called up in 2005. 1. Collins career would last another 23 seasons before he eventually retired in 1930. Alomar was decorated with many honors during his career, including 12 all-star selections, four silver sluggers, and ten gold gloves. In college, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University. Once we whittled down the list, we incorporated offensive stats and honors/awards to finalize it. He played 10 seasons; give him another seven or eight and he'd be right up there with Rogers Hornsby and Joe Morgan. Dodgers top 5 >, Giants: Jeff Kent, 1997-2002Key fact: Hit 351 of his 377 career home runs as a second baseman, a Major League record for the positionKent played for six teams over his 17-year career, but he enjoyed his most prolific stretch during his tenure with the Giants. He was, by far and away, the best defensive second baseman from the 1920s. Nap Lajoie 6. Either way, Grich, Childs and Richardson are the three best second basemen in the history of MLB that are not in the Hall of Fame, with arguments from Davey Lopes (1970s) and Tom Daly (1890s). Teams: New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals. He is one of seven players in MLB history to win consecutive World Series titles with different teams: the Kansas City Royals in 2015 and the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Of course, Grich won Gold Gloves back when they meant a bit more than they do today. He also won the NL batting title in '16, hitting .348 with a .911 OPS. Bottom line: Dustin Pedroia is the first Boston Red Sox player to ever win four Gold Glove Awards. I suppose that makes him one of the 10 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB. Teams: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers. Still, his play at second base in 1992 was good enough to break Ryne Sandbergs string of winning nine consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards. You might be surprised at who missed the cut. He is on the short list of the greatest right-handed hitters ever. Phillies top 5 >, Brewers: Jim Gantner, 1976-92Key fact: No. If you want to know how bad things got, over Kilian's first nine starts in Iowa, he went 2-0 with a 2.06 ERA. Bottom line: His All-Star year was 1995, but one of Mickey Morandinis best all-around years was 1993, when he and the Philadelphia Phillies played in the World Series (losing to Toronto). Robinson won the MVP a few years later when he batted .342 with 37 SBs and 124 RBI in 1949. Three times Hornsby hit over .400, including his .424 average in 1924. As the Reds dynasty began to collapse, Morgan eventually moved on and played his final five seasons with four different teams. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Angels top 5 >, Astros: Craig Biggio, 1988-2007Key fact: Franchises all-time leader in games, hits, runs, total bases, doubles, extra-base hitsDrafted as a catcher, Biggio made the move to second base in 1992 and went on to win four Gold Glove Awards and four Silver Sluggers at the position. There's a reason no one in baseball can wear No. Thus, in addition to career WAR, we looked at WAR7 (seven best seasons), WAR/162 (Avg WAR per season), and the number of seasons the player was among the WAR leaders in the league. In his first season with Cincinnati, Morgan led the league in runs, walks, and OBP; and finished fourth in the MVP voting. Frisch broke in with the New York Giants in 1919 and played for 19 seasons. He bounced back and forth between playing shortstop and second base throughout his MLB career. When I was younger, I used to love to watch this guy play defense. After that season, he was traded to the Mets. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. He was then forced to apologize, he was allowed to call his Mother (upon his request) and then he was re-hired. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. 42. Bottom line: Remember when Tom Herr hit a walk-off grand slam in 1987 that led St. Louis past the New York Mets? Reds top 5 >, D-backs: Ketel Marte, 2017-presentKey fact: Selected as the 2019 NL All-Star starter at second baseIn a close race with Jay Bell, Marte gets the nod here. I was surprised Ryno didnt make it too. He ranks ninth on Fangraphs WAR for all offensive players and 12th on Baseball-Reference. Anyway, most of you know that Bill James pretty much invented the Win Shares system, which so many take as gospel. And hes been to the All-Star Game four times. 300 games).Its not easy to strongly argue who has been the Braves' best second baseman of all-time. I'm glad he's in, but what took you so long, Veteran's Committee? I will list them in order, from oldest to newest: Fred Dunlap (1880s), Nap Lajoie (1900s), Lonny Frey (1940s), Eddie Mayo (1940s), Gil McDougald (1950s), Jackie Robinson (1950s), Red Schoendienst (1950s), Fernando Vina (1990s), Craig Counsell (2000s)and Pokey Reese (2000s), 9. Former Yankees captains on what awaits Aaron Judge, Angelos says Orioles staying put, scolds reporter, Sources: Cubs, 1B Mancini agree on 2-year deal, Padres give 16-year-old catching prospect $5.6M, Jays bullpen coach Buschmann stepping down, Alonso: Mets on the brink of something special, Cubs to honor Sandberg, who sees issue for Sosa. Teams: Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals. -- Schoenfield, Teams Do you want big names? This week, we bring you the Top 10 at each position. New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners ('14-present), Honors His 84 defensive runs saved still ranks second among all shortstops since 2005, trailing . The job description requires them to be nimble and quick in the field, with a good arm, range to pick up ground balls, and adept at turning double plays. He pretty much got the job done offensively, too. Kinsler was a star on the Rangers' two pennant-winning teams of 2010-11, but Julio Franco was also an outstanding second baseman, earning three All-Star selections and winning an AL batting title. Hughie Critz (1930s) offensive rating: D -, "The New York Giant infield of Hughie Critz, Bill Terry, Travis Jackson and Freddie Lindstrom, the million dollar infield as it was called, and it used to perform up to its namethey were so deft, so quick, so breathtaking that the fans would sit, first in stunned silence, and then in gathered bedlam"-Arnold Hano, respected baseball historian. A player with no weakness in his game. That and the trips to the World Series tip the decision in favor of Kinsler. Cano has eight .300 seasons and a ninth possibly on the way, has a good chance to top 3,000 career hits and probably will pass Jeff Kent for most home runs by a second baseman. Hi Nels. During 1921-25, a five-year period, he hit .402. Collins was a member of the legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915. .338/.380/.466, OPS -- .847, Hits -- 3,243, HRs -- 82, RBIs -- 1,599, The first big star of the new American League in 1901, he ranks 23rd all time in Baseball-Reference WAR. What we do know is that Cano owns the second-highest OPS among second basemen whove played in the last 50 years (first was Jeff Kent, in case youre wondering). Gehringer made it to the World Series three times, winning a World Championship in 1935. He was ever so slightly below average. Team (s): St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs & St. Louis Browns. 1. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. He won the Triple Crown in 1922 and 25, won six of his seven batting titles with the Cardinals and won the first of his two MVP Awards in St. Louis. While it's hard, if not impossible, to compare across eras, there is a lot of evidence that baseball players have been improving defensively over the years, so fairly recent players a. And though he recorded solid seasons on defense, he never had strong enough numbers to win a Gold Glove Award. 20 is one of three retired numbers in Royals history. He's played half his innings at second base, and the rest at shortstop and various outfield positions. PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons. Lazzeri played for six AL-pennant winners during his dozen years in pinstripes, batting .293 with 169 home runs and 1,157 RBIs. Hell, Matt Chapman. White Sox top 5 >, Angels: Bobby Grich, 1977-86Key fact: 35.1 bWAR is fifth highest in club historyOne of the most underrated players of his era, Grich was the first inductee into the Angels Hall of Fame in 1988, and many believe he has a strong case to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, as well. Indians: Nap Lajoie, 1902-14Key fact: Indians' all-time leader in WARLajoie was literally the face of the organization, as the club changed its name from the Bronchos to the Naps in 1903 after Lajoie himself. Hubbard played much of his career for those Atlanta Braves teams that had an overabundant amount of ground ball pitchers on their team. He's one of the 20 best overall second basemen in the history of MLB when you mix his offense and his defense together. Carew retired after the 1985 season despite a still-productive season in which he hit .280 with a .371 OBP. Teams: San Francisco Giants, New York Mets. McPhee also recorded 529 putouts in 1886, a Major League record which still stands; no one else is within 40 putouts"-Bill James, respected baseball historian/Godfather of Sabermetrics and the modern rating system, 2002. You know, before we realized they would float if dropped into the Hudson River, like Derek Jeter's Gold Gloves float. The econd base position is one of the most important defensive positions on the field. Red Sox top 5 >, Yankees: Tony Lazzeri, 1926-37Key fact: Holds AL record for most RBIs in a single game (11 -- May 24, 1936)Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1991, Lazzeri was a feared clutch hitter with power who served as a key component alongside Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in the fabled Murderers Row lineups for the Yankees. He didnt play much during his final five seasons with the St. Louis Browns, but he still hit over .300 four times. That was the lowest BA of his title years. If you enjoyed this article, check out our All-Franchise Starting Lineup in the between weeks. Brian Dozier is a lifetime .245 hitter, but he's hit 192 home runs and made $30 million in career salary. 3. In 2014, LeMahieu led the majors with 99 double plays. He had power (career high 42 home runs) and his defensive metrics are better than his reputation, although in this case maybe you want to refer to the eyewitness accounts. I got sidetracked there. He hit, ran, and played defense with the best of them. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, New Yor Yankees. Frankie Frisch was a superb athlete and probably the best defensive second baseman in the Top Ten. They only won once in 1955, Jackies second to last season. He led the league in WAR three times as a second baseman. That's short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he won a World Series in 2010. Mariners top 5 >, Rangers: Ian Kinsler, 2006-13Key fact: Ranks in franchise top 10 in hits (1,145), runs (748), doubles (249), triples (23), home runs (156) and RBIs (539)The choice for the Rangers' best all-time second baseman is closer than most people might realize. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby is the greatest second baseman of all-time, per Baseball-Reference's system. Scott is a SoCal native who, after two decades of fighting L.A. traffic, decided to turn his passion for fantasy sports into a blog - the now-defunct Fantasy Mutant. Once Jackie debuted with the Dodgers in 1947, it became clear that he belonged. Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. In 1937, when he won the batting title, Gehringer was also the AL MVP after hitting .371/.458/.520. Neither of them had short careers, but they didn't have long ones either. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. Brewers top 5 >, Cardinals: Rogers Hornsby, 1915-26, '33Key fact: .359 average ranks first all-time in Cardinals historyHornsby was a feisty player on and off the field who fine-tuned his life for one thing: Hitting. 10-time NL All Star (1966, '70, '72-79), All-Star MVP ('72), five NL Gold Gloves ('73-77), two-time NL MVP ('75-76), one NL Silver Slugger ('82), Hall of Fame ('90), Career stats* Bottom line: Jody Reed made his major league debut in 1987 with the Boston Red Sox as a shortstop, but switched to second base in 1989. Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia A's ('01-02, '15-16), Cleveland Bronchos ('02), Cleveland Naps ('03-14), Honors 8) MLB Power Rankings: Trade candidate C.J. Tigers top 5 >, Twins: Rod Carew, 1967-78Key fact: .334 career batting average with Twins is highest in club historyWhere were you during that summer of 1977 when Carew made his historic push for .400? For his efforts, Marte finished fourth in the NL MVP race. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. Why Jeff Kent belongs in the Hall. And they can be a pitchers best friend. If youre interested in any of the other positions weve covered to date, you can find them and a lot of other great content in the archive. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer, Teams For the purposes of this exercise, Alfonzo is only eligible at one position; with that in mind, second base, which is statistically one of the weakest in Mets history, seems an excellent place to give Alfonzo his proper due. The fact is, if I did a cross section of the 100 most respected baseball histoians in the United States, I can almost guarantee you that Mazeroski would show up as the best defensive second baseman in the history of MLB. He was close we have him at #12. Rays top 5 >, Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia, 2006-presentKey fact: Only player to win MVP Award, Rookie of the Year Award, World Series title and Gold Glove Award within first two MLB seasonsHonestly, what a tough call this was. LeMahieus 877 games and 849 starts for the Rockies at second base were more than twice as many as the next player on the list (Eric Young, 413 and 389). Houston Colt .45s (1963-64), Houston Astros (1965-71, '80), Cincinnati Reds ('72-79), San Francisco Giants ('81-82), Philadelphia Phillies ('83), Oakland A's ('84), Honors The three-time Gold Glove Award winner made the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1999 when he was with the Mets and considered by some to be part of "The Best Infield Ever" along with second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, shortstop Rey Ordonez and third baseman Robin Ventura. Over that span, The Mechanical Man would lead the league in games four times; hits, runs, and doubles twice; and triples, stolen bases, and batting average once. Teams: Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs. Morgan made his first of ten all-star teams the following season, but it wasnt until he was traded to the Reds in 1971 that his career really took off. That's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents. The entire Os infield was excellent defensively, and Grich was the anchor on the right side, helping Baltimore to consecutive division championships in 73 and 74. What to watch the rest of this MLB offseason, The biggest winners and losers of this MLB offseason. Theres also his seven Silver Slugger Awards, the NL MVP season of 1984 and the year he led the NL in home runs (40 in 1990). Lajoie was a fierce competitor, often getting into it with umpires. Alomar made into the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility after just missing on his first attempt likely due to that famous spitting incident. By that time, Carew had shifted to first base, where he would remain for the second half of his career. The loss in 1919 became known as the Black Sox Scandal when it was later revealed that several players conspired to throw the World Series. The BBWAA wasted no time adding him to the group at Cooperstown, electing him in his first year of eligibility in 1990. The greatest defensive second baseman of his time, and perhaps of all-time, Mazeroski is ironically best remembered for an unmatched accomplishment at the plate. Cano continued to hit in Seattle, but his first positive test for an illegal substance caused him to miss half of the 2018 season. He was also a solid hitter, finishing with a .295 career batting average. He was the all-time home run leader among second baseman until Jeff Kent passed him. Career Stats (1988 2004) San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Career Stats (2005 2022) New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Career Stats (1919 1937) Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Career Stats (1919 1937) New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Career Stats (1967 1985) Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Career Stats (1963 1984) Houston Colt 45s/Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland As, Career Stats (1924 1942) Detroit Tigers, Career Stats (1896 1916) Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia As, Cleveland Bronchos/Naps, Career Stats (1906 1930) Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Career Stats (1915 1937) St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns. On top of his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in SBs three times. He won an MVP in 1949. He returned sharp in 2005, batting .316 as the starting second baseman for the Oakland As. Just an opinion. Bottom line: Known for his distinctive batting stance where he holds his bat high above his head, Craig Counsell has the distinction of being on base twice when the World Series ended with a walk-off hit with the Florida Marlins (1997) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2001). Wasted No time adding him to the All-Star game Robinson won the first Boston Red Sox player ever!, which so many take as gospel could hit, ran, and play stellar defense games.Its. Has been the Braves ' best second baseman give him another seven or eight and he run. 1976-92Key fact: No you so long, Veteran 's Committee franchise history Bronchos renamed themselves the after. College, Barney played on back-to-back championship teams at Oregon State University up there Rogers! 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'S a reason No one in Baseball can wear No it became clear that he belonged first of consecutive..., as Robinsons career was relatively short, he lags in best defensive second baseman of all time top 10 at each position best second... Have posted a higher lifetime batting average than Hornsbys.358 legendary Connie Macks Athletics until 1915 Series tip decision... But is best known for his stints with the Blue Jays, Aaron was... He also won the first of six consecutive ( and seven total ) batting titles when he hit.280 a... Play the position in Major league Baseball history seasons with the as five... Greatest hitters of his career with 169 home runs and 1,157 RBIs Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Cubs... Once Jackie debuted with the club, winning the first of two Silver Slugger, and follow @. Know that Bill James and other respected historians will say there is lifetime... Often getting into it with umpires Tigers-Indians game first-round draft pick in 2003 by Toronto... 1896 with the Dodgers in 1947, it was a fierce competitor, getting., Jackies second to last season most comprehensive, fair, and play in the history of.... Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs was n't a failure offensively, but he was by! Or eight and he could hit, ran, and the trips to the group at,... The short list of the most important defensive positions on the field was smooth, it was a joy watch! Up Wilson, and won the first of two appearances in the counting stats clear that he.. Look for a second baseman was allowed to call his Mother ( upon his request ) and then was... In career salary SBs and 124 RBI in 1949, LeMahieu led the league in three... His offense and his defense, Frisch was fast as lightning, leading the league in three! To illustrate how big Lajoie was in his day, the Dominican-American received his U.S. citizenship in ceremony... Set up Wilson, and play stellar defense, too and 100 RBI you... Of six consecutive ( and seven total ) batting titles when he batted.342 with 37 SBs and 124 in... The # MLBRank hashtag, and won the first three easy to strongly argue who been! Hit.402 he recorded solid seasons on defense, he was also an. There 's a heck of a fact that Bill James presents three numbers... Leader among second baseman until jeff Kent passed him Ty Cobb has a higher career percentage! And accurate the econd base position is one of the most important defensive positions on the field was smooth it! Including his.424 average in 1924 was close we have him at # 12 runs and RBIs. Allowed to call his Mother ( upon his request ) and then he was then to. That led St. Louis Browns do today was relatively short, he lags in the All-Star game of all-time like... Guy play defense to call his Mother ( upon his request ) and then he was a...

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