WHY I THINK CLAUDE RITCHEY SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK CLAUDE RITCHEY SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Claude Ritchey was quite the defensive second baseman, as he won five fielding titles there and had a career fielding average 11 points above the league average. Ritchey also played a capable shortstop, but was mostly the second sacker. He could also hit quite well, accumulating a lifetime batting average of .273 with over 150 stolen bases. Claude Ritchey started his career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1897 and batted .282. Traded to the Louisville Colonels, he had his first .300 season two years later. In 1900, the Colonels traded him to the Pirates in one of the worst deals in baseball history, as they also traded away such stars as Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Tommy Leach, Deacon Phillippe, Chief Zimmer and Ritchey for three players and cash. Ritchey was developing into the finest all around second baseman in baseball, as he batted no lower than .277 until 1904. He slumped to marks a bit under .270 in his next three seasons and was dealt over to the Boston Doves for the 1907 season. He continued his fine fielding ways in Boston but was not the hitter that he used to be. After a .255 season Ritchey revitalized a bit with a .273 mark in 1908 but played in only 30 games in his final season of 1909, before being released. Claude Ritchey was the finest fielding second baseman of the dead ball era and a great hitter for a middle infielder. For all of his hits and all of the hits that he saved in the field, he belongs in Cooperstown. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games career: 1,672 season high: 156 in 1904 led NL: 156 in 1904 

At Bats career: 5,923 season high: 551 in 1898 

Hits career: 1,619 season high: 162 in 1899 

Doubles career: 216 season high: 29 in 1905 

Triples career: 68 season high: 12 in 1904 

Home Runs career: 18 season high: 5 in 1898 

Runs career: 709 season high: 79 in 1904 

Runs Batted In career: 675 season high: 74 in 1901 

Stolen Bases career: 155 season high: 21 in 1899 

Walks career: 607 season high: 68 in 1906 

Strikeouts career: 290 season high: 36 in 1904 

Batting Average career: .273 season high: .300 in 1899 

On Base Percentage career: .348 season high: .370 in 1897 and 1902 

Slugging Percentage career: .342 season high: .381 in 1903 

Total Bases career: 2,025 season high: 204 in 1899 

Sacrifice Hits career: 224 season high: 31 in 1898 led NL: 31 in 1898 

Fielding Percentage career: .952 season high: .971 in 1907 led NL 2B: .966 in 1902 and 1906, .961 in 1903 and 1905, .971 in 1907 

Double Plays career: 619 season high: 59 in 1905 and 1906 led NL 2B: 53 in 1901, 59 in 1905, 46 in 1908 

Putouts career: 3,841 season high: 379 in 1899 

Assists career: 4,958 season high: 484 in 1904 led NL 2B: 392 in 1901, 460 in 1903 

DID YOU KNOW?

-nicknamed “Little All Right” 

-was a switch hitter 

-despite a low overall batting average, he hit a double, stole a base and drew four walks in the 1903 World Series 

-fielded perfectly in the 1903 World Series (five double plays, 20 putouts, 29 assists) 

-was the hardest batter to strike out in the NL in 1908 

-stole 15 or more bases in a season five times 

-led NL second basemen in games in 1901 (139), 1903 (137) and 1904 (156) 

-also played 23 games in the outfield and eight as a pinch hitter 

-had over 300 putouts in a season seven times and over 400 assists six times 

-among MLB second basemen, ranks 42nd in career games, 37th in putouts and 40th in assists