WHY I THINK ROGER PECKINPAUGH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN
By- Damien
Roger Peckinpaugh was one of the finest fielding shortstops that the game has ever seen. Almost all of the best fielding shortstops that the game has ever seen haven’t been inducted into Cooperstown, and that is a travesty. Not only was he one of the best fielders of all time, but Peckinpaugh was also a great hitter for a middle infielder, a fine bunter, and a keen base thief. He was the AL MVP in 1925 and the leader of the World Series Champion Washington Senators in 1924. He also played on the Yankee pennant winners of 1921 and the Senator pennant winners of 1925. Roger Peckinpaugh started his career with the Cleveland Naps in 1910 for 15 games. He spent the 1911 season in the minors and played in 70 games for Cleveland in 1912, but batted only .212 in his rookie season. He played in 96 games in his sophomore season and batted .268, mostly with the Yankees. Peckinpaugh slipped to .223 in 1914 but stole a career best 38 bases and, for his fielding prowess, got his first career MVP votes. He managed the club for 20 games that season and became the youngest manager in MLB history up to that point. He would manage until 1941, going 500-491-4 during that span. Peckinpaugh remained only slightly above average as a hitter until 1919, when he recorded his first .300 season. Peckinpaugh refused to slow down, as he batted .288 and .270 in his next two seasons while still being a constant stolen base threat. He led the Senators to the World Series victory in 1924 with a .272 season average and he batted .417 with a pair of doubles in the Fall Classic. Peckinpaugh was the league’s MVP in 1925 with a .294 batting average, 64 RBI’s, and effortless play at shortstop. The most ironic statistic of his is that he never led the league in fielding percentage at shortstop, though he had a career fielding percentage nine points above the league average (he finished in second place four times). Peckinpaugh could make plays that other players thought impossible, so the numbers mostly fail to tell of his excessive talent. Unfortunately, his MVP season in 1925 was his last as a regular, and was out of the MLB as a player by 1928 after batting .295 in 68 games in 1927. Roger Peckinpaugh was a fine fielder, a marvelous baserunner, and a very good hitter. For his downright baseball talent, he belongs in Cooperstown.
LIFETIME STATISTICS
Games career: 2,012 season high: 157 in 1914
At Bats career: 7,233 season high: 577 in 1921
Hits career: 1,876 season high: 166 in 1921
Doubles career: 256 season high: 26 in 1920
Triples career: 75 season high: 8 in 1916
Home Runs career: 48 season high: 8 in 1920 and 1921
Runs career: 1,006 season high: 128 in 1921
Runs Batted In career: 740 season high: 73 in 1924
Stolen Bases career: 205 season high: 38 in 1914
Walks career: 814 season high: 84 in 1921
Strikeouts career: 670 season high: 73 in 1916
Batting Average career: .259 season high: .305 in 1919
On Base Percentage career: .336 season high: .390 in 1919
Slugging Percentage career: .335 season high: .404 in 1919
Total Bases career: 2,426 season high: 229 in 1921
Sacrifice Hits career: 314 season high: 40 in 1923 led AL: 40 in 1923
Fielding Percentage career: .949 season high: .963 in 1924
Double Plays career: 966 season high: 105 in 1923 led AL SS: 84 in 1917, 75 in 1918, 64 in 1919, 95 in 1922, 105 in 1923, 81 in 1924
Putouts career: 3,930 season high: 318 in 1921
Assists career: 6,338 season high: 527 in 1922 led AL SS: 468 in 1916, 439 in 1918, 434 in 1919, 510 in 1923
Games Managed career: 995 season high: 155 in 1928 and 1941
Wins career: 500 season high: 87 in 1932
Losses career: 491 season high: 92 in 1928
Ties career: 4 season high: 1 in 1928, 1931, 1932, and 1941
Winning Percentage career: .505 season high: .572 in 1932
Ejections career: 7 season high: 2 in 1931
DID YOU KNOW?
-was the team captain of the Yankees from 1914 through 1921
-set the MLB record for assists by a shortstop (nine) in one game in 1921
-finished 13th in the AL MVP voting in 1923, 21st in 1922, and 23rd in 1914
-batted .250 with a home run and a double in the 1925 World Series against the Pirates
-led AL shortstops in games in 1914 (157), 1916 (145), 1923 (154), and 1924 (155)
-also played two games at first base, 30 as a pinch hitter, and two as a pinch runner
-ranks eighth in career sacrifice hits and 32nd in assists
-among MLB shortstops, ranks 20th in career games, 15th in putouts, 13th in assists, and 42nd in double plays
Peckinpaugh has a better case than I though at first. An average hitter for his position, and a very good fielder indeed. Still, it's the hall of fame, and nobody remembers him anymore. I will be more open if he's inducted as a Yankee. :)
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