WHY I THINK EDDIE STANKY SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN
By- Damien
Eddie Stanky was one of the recognized masters at drawing walks and scoring runs, as he averaged over 100 of each across a full season in the majors. He also had a pretty decent bat, hitting for a lifetime .268 batting average and connecting for 14 home runs in 1951. At second base, he was perhaps the best glove of his time and a master of turning the double play. Manager Leo Durocher once said of Stanky, “He’s my kind of player. He comes to kill you.” Stanky played with aggression, determination, and downright hustle to win any game, no matter the costs. He batted leadoff for the deadly Brooklyn Dodgers lineup from 1944 through 1947, and had a .410 OBP and incredible bunting skills to boot. Eddie Stanky started his career with the Cubs in 1943, making his debut at the age of 27. He hit only .245 that year but provided a valuable glove and 92 walks. Nevertheless, he had to split the 1944 season between the Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers, batting a combined .273 in 102 games. Stanky batted .258 for the Dodgers in 1945 and set NL records for the most runs scored (128) and walks (148) in a season by a second baseman and led the NL in both. He also performed the incredibly rare feat of getting more walks than base hits (143) in a season. Stanky the batted .273 in 1946 and .252 in 1947. He was then traded to the Boston Braves to make room at second base for future Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson and batted .320 and .285 before being traded to the Giants. Stanky batted .300 in 1950 but fell to .247 in 1951. He was traded to the Cardinals for 1952 and batted .229 in 53 games with them. Stanky retired after batting .267 for the Cards in 17 games in 1953. Eddie Stanky was a great baseball player whose defensive skills and knowledge of the strike zone deserve a place in Cooperstown, but not as much as his determination did. There may have never been a baseball player more determined to win than Eddie Stanky.
LIFETIME STATISTICS
Games career: 1,259 season high: 153 in 1945
At Bats career: 4,301 season high: 559 in 1947
Hits career: 1,154 season high: 158 in 1950
Doubles career: 185 season high: 29 in 1945
Triples career: 35 season high: 7 in 1946
Home Runs career: 29 season high: 14 in 1951
Runs career: 811 season high: 128 in 1945 led NL: 128 in 1945
Runs Batted In career: 364 season high: 53 in 1947
Stolen Bases career: 48 season high: 9 in 1950
Walks career: 996 season high: 148 in 1945 led NL: 148 in 1945, 137 in 1946, 144 in 1950
Strikeouts career: 374 season high: 63 in 1951
Batting Average career: .268 season high: .300 in 1950
On Base Percentage career: .410 season high: .460 in 1950 led NL: .436 in 1946, .460 in 1950
Slugging Percentage career: .348 season high: .412 in 1950
Total Bases career: 1,496 season high: 217 in 1950
Sacrifice Hits career: 103 season high: 20 in 1946 led NL: 20 in 1946
Fielding Percentage career: .974 season high: .985 in 1947 led NL 2B: .985 in 1947
Double Plays career: 829 season high: 128 in 1950 led NL 2B: 101 in 1945, 88 in 1946, 123 in 1947
Putouts career: 3,118 season high: 429 in 1945 led NL 2B: 429 in 1945, 356 in 1946, 407 in 1950
Assists career: 3,323 season high: 441 in 1945 led NL 2B: 418 in 1950
Games Managed career: 906 season high: 163 in 1966
Wins career: 467 season high: 89 in 1967
Losses career: 435 season high: 82 in 1954
Ties career: 4 season high: 3 in 1953
Winning Percentage career: .518 season high: .571 in 1952
Ejections career: 26 season high: 8 in 1953
Pennants N/A
World Series N/A
DID YOU KNOW?
-son in law of Milt Stock, who was famous for getting four hits in four consecutive games in 1925
-nicknamed “The Brat”, “Stinky” and “Muggsy”
-was a three time all-star (in 1947, 1948, and 1950)
-led the NL in plate appearances in 1945 (726) and hit by pitch in 1950 (12)
-finished third in the 1950 NL MVP voting, seventh in 1946, 13th in 1947, and 33rd in 1945
-batted .286 with a double, seven walks, and four runs scored in the 1948 World Series
-led NL second basemen in games in 1946 (141) and 1950 (151)
-made over 350 putouts in a season seven times and over 400 assists five times
-also played 51 games at shortstop, six at third base, 64 as a pinch hitter, and three as a pinch runner
-ranks 35th all time in career OBP and had a seasonal mark over .400 five times
-his 429 putouts at second base in 1945 are the 40th most of all time
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