WHY I THINK GEORGE BURNS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK GEORGE BURNS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Now before I begin, I must acknowledge that, from 1914 through 1925, there were two MLB players who played under the name George Burns. George Henry Burns was a first baseman, mostly in the AL, while George Joseph Burns, who I am writing about, was a NL outfielder. Both were quite good, and it is easy to get them confused. In fact, George Henry Burns thought he should be in Cooperstown, but I, quite frankly, do not. 

George Joseph Burns was a model of what a leadoff hitter should play like. He hit for high average, walked a lot, and stole a lot of bases, including home plate 28 times. These skills helped him to lead the NL in runs scored a record five times. George Burns started his career with the New York Giants in 1911, going 1-for-17 in six games. Manager John McGraw, who had converted him from a catcher to an outfielder, had faith in him and by 1913 he was their leadoff hitter. In 1914, he set the Giants’ single season stolen base record (62) and batted .303, earning the respect of all his teammates. In time, he also built up quite a defensive reputation, and he was proclaimed the greatest sunfielder in history (best at playing the sun). A catalyst at the plate, Burns led the Giants to three pennants, including in 1921, when they beat Ruth’s Yankees in the World Series. Burns batted .333 as the Giants dispatched the Bronx Bombers in eight games, the last eight game World Series in history. After the season, the Giants decided to trade Burns to the Reds with $150,000 in exchange for Heinie Groh, a star third baseman who they had given up on years before. Burns gave the Reds two fine seasons, but in 1924 he showed signs of slowing, and at 34 the Reds decided to get rid of him. He played one more season in 1925, batting .292 for the Philadelphia A’s, before he retired. George Burns was a talented hitter, a daring base thief, a marvelous outfielder, and a winning ballplayer. Always regarded as a team player, Burns sparked the Giants to three pennants and victory in one of the most exciting World Series in history. He really should be in the Hall of Fame today. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,853 season high: 156 in 1922 led NL: 156 in 1922, 154 in 1923 

At Bats career: 7,241 season high: 631 in 1920 and 1922 led NL: 622 in 1915, 623 in 1916 

Hits career: 2,077 season high: 181 in 1920 and 1921 

Doubles career: 362 season high: 37 in 1913 

Triples career: 108 season high: 14 in 1915 

Home Runs career: 41 season high: 6 in 1920 

Runs career: 1,188 season high: 115 in 1920 led NL: 100 in 1914, 105 in 1916, 103 in 1917, 86 in 1919, 115 in 1920 

Runs Batted In career: 611 season high: 61 in 1921 

Stolen Bases career: 383 season high: 62 in 1914 led NL: 62 in 1914, 40 in 1919 

Walks career: 872 season high: 101 in 1923 led NL: 75 in 1917, 82 in 1919, 76 in 1920, 80 in 1921, 101 in 1923 

Strikeouts career: 565 season high: 74 in 1913 led NL: 74 in 1913 

Batting Average career: .287 season high: .303 in 1914 and 1919 

On Base Percentage career: .366 season high: .403 in 1914 led NL: .396 in 1919 

Slugging Percentage career: .384 season high: .417 in 1914 

Total Bases career: 2,778 season high: 252 in 1920 

Sacrifice Hits career: 112 season high: 14 in 1914 

Fielding Percentage career: .970 season high: .990 in 1919 led NL LF: .990 in 1919, .983 in 1920 led NL OF: .990 in 1919 

Double Plays career: 42 season high: 5 in 1914 and 1920 led NL LF: 5 in 1920 

Putouts career: 3,918 season high: 386 in 1922 led NL LF: 317 in 1917, 339 in 1920 

Assists career: 198 season high: 22 in 1913 led NL LF: 18 in 1916 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Silent George” 

-the leftfield bleachers in the Polo Grounds were called Burnsville during his time with the Giants 

-went 5-for-5 and hit for the cycle on September 17, 1920, the same day Bobby Veach hit for the cycle 

-finished fourth in the NL MVP Award voting in 1914 and 24th in 1913 

-led the NL five times in plate appearances and three times in times on base 

-led NL outfielders in games six times and led NL leftfielders four times 

-hit two home runs each off of Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams, and one off of Bill Doak 

-among MLB leftfielders, ranks 44th in career games, tenth in double plays, 36th in putouts, and 12th in assists 

-also played one game at third base, 15 as a pinch hitter, and four as a pinch runner 

Before we go, I must acknowledge how interesting a man and athlete George Burns truly was. Although he stood just 5’7” and weighed only 160 pounds, he was an excellent boxer before he made baseball a profession. Burns was also a top notch wrestler who even challenged Jim Thorpe to a few matches before manager McGraw forbade him. And during his playing days, this skinny little leadoff hitter swung a 42 inch, 52 ounce bat.

WHY I THINK LUIS TIANT SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK LUIS TIANT SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Luis Tiant pitched from 1964 through 1982, most notably with the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. He sometimes gets overlooked on account of his reputation as a legendary smoker, his odd pitching motion, and for the weird path of his career. Tiant seems to have had two peaks - from 1964 through 1968, and from 1972 through 1976. The three seasons in between were riddled with injuries, and it is a wonder how quickly and effectively he came back from them. Luis Tiant began his MLB career with the Indians in 1964, going 10-4 with a 2.83 ERA in 19 games. He was used more increasingly in relief, and in 1966 he led the Majors with five shutouts despite making only 16 starts. In 1968, Tiant had his best season to date, when he went 21-9 and led the AL with a microscopic ERA of 1.60. In 1969, however, Tiant slumped to 9-20 for a crummy Indians team that won only 62 games. He pitched in 1970 for the Twins, and the Red Sox got him in 1971. By 1972, Tiant seemed to have regained his old form, as he won 15 games and led the Majors in ERA. He then won 20 or more games in three of the next four seasons. He was a big part of the Red Sox’s pennant winner in 1975, as he won 18 games in the regular season, one in the LCS, and two in the World Series. Tiant had three more quality seasons with the Red Sox and the Yankees, but fell to 8-9 in 1980. He pitched for parts of the next two seasons before calling it quits. Luis Tiant was one of the greatest overall pitchers of the 1960’s and 1970’s, quite feared by batters, and quite loved by the fans. In Boston, there is an ongoing push for his induction, and just about every Red Sox fan wants to see him in the Hall of Fame. He would be a good choice. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 573 season high: 46 in 1966 

Starts career: 484 season high: 38 in 1974 and 1976 

Complete Games career: 187 season high: 25 in 1974 

Shutouts career: 49 season high: 9 in 1968 led AL: 5 in 1966, 9 in 1968, 7 in 1974 

Games Finished career: 51 season high: 22 in 1966 

Wins career: 229 season high: 22 in 1974 

Losses career: 172 season high: 20 in 1969 led AL: 20 in 1969 

Winning Percentage career: .571 season high: .714 in 1972 

ERA career: 3.30 season low: 1.60 in 1968 led AL: 1.60 in 1968, 1.91 in 1972 

WHIP career: 1.199 season low: 0.871 in 1968 led AL: 1.085 in 1973 

Innings Pitched career: 3,486 ⅓ season high: 311 ⅓ in 1974 

Strikeouts career: 2,416 season high: 264 in 1968 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 6.2 season high: 9.2 in 1967 and 1968 led AL: 9.2 in 1967 

Walks career: 1,104 (53 intentional) season high: 129 in 1969 led AL: 129 in 1969 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 2.19 season high: 3.62 in 1968 

Saves career: 15 season high: 8 in 1966 

Fielding Percentage career: .946 season high: 1.000 in 1977 and 1978 led AL P: 1.000 in 1977 and 1978 

Double Plays career: 31 season high: 4 in 1973 and 1976 

Putouts career: 221 season high: 22 in 1969 and 1974 

Assists career: 389 season high: 34 in 1976 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .399 season high: 1.000 in 1968 

Pickoffs career: 28 season high: 5 in 1975 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-son of Negro League star Luis Tiant 

-nicknamed “El Tiante” in Boston 

-pitched a shutout and struck out 11 batters on his MLB debut 

-set MLB records for batting average against (.168) and hits per nine innings (5.3) in 1968 

-finished fifth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1968, eighth in 1972, 11th in 1974, and 26th in 1976 

-finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 1974, fifth in 1976, and sixth in 1972 

-was the 1972 AL Comeback Player of the Year 

-won the AL Babe Ruth Award in 1975 

-won two AL Player of the Week awards and one Player of the Month award 

-had a career ERA of 3.00 in three career all-star games (1968, 1974, and 1976) 

-shut out the Reds in Game 1 of the 1975 World Series and threw 163 pitches in Game 4, another complete game victory 

-struck out 19 batters in ten innings on July 3, 1968 

-hurled four consecutive shutouts in 1968 

-his 23 complete games in 1973 are the most in MLB history without a shutout 

-batted .406 in 1970 and had 11 sacrifices in 1968 

-ranks 21st in career shutouts and 48th in strikeouts 

-was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997, the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009, the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, and Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals in 2012

2022 Hall of Fame Ballot Results

The BBWAA has voted on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, and the results have been made available to the public. 

David Ortiz - .779 of the vote 

Barry Bonds - .660 

Roger Clemens - .652

Scott Rolen - .632 

Curt Schilling - .586 

Todd Helton - .520 

Billy Wagner - .510 

Andruw Jones - .411 

Gary Sheffield - .406 

Alex Rodriguez - .343 

Jeff Kent - .327 

Manny Ramirez - .289 

Omar Vizquel - .239 

Sammy Sosa - .185 

Andy Pettitte - .107 

Jimmy Rollins - .094 

Bobby Abreu - .086 

Mark Buehrle - .058 

Torii Hunter - .053 

Dropoffs from future ballots 

Joe Nathan - .043 

Tim Hudson - .030 

Tim Lincecum - .023 

Ryan Howard - .020 

Mark Teixeira - .015 

Justin Morneau - .013 

Jonathan Papelbon - .013 

Prince Fielder - .005 

A.J. Pierzynski - .005 

Carl Crawford and Jake Peavy - both squat 

    The Hall of Fame made its worst decision in history in the exclusion of Curt Schilling, an obvious first ballot Hall of Famer. Nobody in the universe believes that Schilling's career doesn't merit induction. He has been a victim of the cancel culture, as he is an outspoken conservative. 

    I have decided that I no longer care who is in the Hall of Fame and who is not. I will still write for this blog and for my book (including future articles on Joe Nathan, Tim Hudson, Jonathan Papelbon, and A.J. Pierzynski), but since I have a good understanding of who should be in and who shouldn't, it doesn't really matter to me. Everyone has his own personal Hall of Fame, and I am simply sharing who could be in mine. I never really looked at the Hall of Fame as a plausible end in itself, since the Hall of Fame over the years has done a pretty awful job. Now that they've gotten political and nasty, I cease to care about who is in the actual shrine at Cooperstown, since the people who voted them there are obviously less qualified to vote than I am, for example. 

    Congratulations, Big Papi, for your first ballot entry. And I am more open to forgive you, BBWAA, since you opened the door for Scott Rolen's induction, shut it on Bonds and Clemens, and will do the same to A-Rod in the future. 

WHY I THINK JOHNNY KLING SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JOHNNY KLING SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Johnny Kling’s main claim to fame was his excellent defense behind the plate. His career spanned 13 seasons (1900-1913), and he was baseball’s premier defensive catcher during that time, dominating almost all defensive leaderboards. He was also renowned for his skill in handling the Cubs’ pitching staff, his high baseball IQ, and his pitch framing. Kling was also a good hitter, compiling a .272 career batting average in the dead ball era - a great mark for a backstopper. He also had a huge impact on pennant races, as his Cubs won three straight pennants in 1906-1908, missed out in 1909 when he took a season off, and won again in 1910 when he returned. Johnny Kling started his career with the Cubs in 1900, batting .294 in 15 games. He played in 74 games the following season and was a regular by 1902, his age 26 season. Kling soon established himself as the best catcher in the game, batting .289 with 25 stolen bases in 1902 and .297 with 23 swipes in 1903. Kling got married in 1904, and as they say, women weaken legs, and his performance dropped off for a couple seasons. He got his head on straight in 1906 and batted .312, leading the team to a record 116 wins. The Cubs won their last World Series for 108 years in 1908, as the Cubs failed to win again until 2016, the record for the longest championship drought in American sports history. The Cubs might have won again in 1909 if Kling had been with the team, as they rotated two catchers, neither of whom could hit, in his absence and finished second to the Pirates. Kling, one of the most famous billiards players of his day, couldn’t agree on a contract that year and took a whole season off to win the “world’s championship of pool.” This angered Cubs management, probably hurting his Hall of Fame chances, and he was fined $700 before he was allowed to play again. He had a solid season upon his return, showing more patience at the plate, and he helped the Cubs to another pennant. Kling had an off season in 1911, playing most of the season with the Boston Braves, and he managed the club in 1912. The Braves were quite lousy in those days, so 36 year old Kling played himself in 81 games and wound up hitting a robust .317. He played 80 games with the Reds in 1913, proving himself still a competent player with a .273 mark, but decided to retire. He went on to establish a billiards hall, own his own minor league team, and sell it to the Yankees for a huge profit. Anyway, Johnny Kling was an outstanding defensive catcher, a tough hitter, and an interesting character. I would certainly vote for Kling for the Hall of Fame if I had the chance. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,261 season high: 132 in 1903 

At Bats career: 4,246 season high: 491 in 1903 

Hits career: 1,154 season high: 146 in 1903 

Doubles career: 181 season high: 29 in 1903 

Triples career: 61 season high: 13 in 1903 

Home Runs career: 20 season high: 4 in 1908 

Runs career: 475 season high: 67 in 1903 

Runs Batted In career: 514 season high: 68 in 1903 

Stolen Bases career: 124 season high: 25 in 1902 

Walks career: 281 season high: 38 in 1911 

Strikeouts career: 327 season high: 43 in 1911 

Batting Average career: .272 season high: .312 in 1906 

On Base Percentage career: .319 season high: .357 in 1906 

Slugging Percentage career: .357 season high: .428 in 1903 

Total Bases career: 1,517 season high: 210 in 1903 

Sacrifice Hits career: 106 season high: 17 in 1905 

Fielding Percentage career: .971 season high: .987 in 1907 led NL C: .982 in 1906, .987 in 1907 

Double Plays career: 132 season high: 20 in 1912 led NL C: 17 in 1902, 20 in 1912 

Putouts career: 5,577 season high: 609 in 1908 led NL C: 477 in 1902, 565 in 1903, 499 in 1904, 538 in 1905, 520 in 1906, 499 in 1907 

Assists career: 1,564 season high: 189 in 1903 led NL C: 160 in 1902, 140 in 1911 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .480 season high: .575 in 1906 led NL C: .575 in 1906 

Pickoffs career: N/A 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Noisy” for his constant chatter with batters and umpires 

-played part of his career in the days before shin guards 

-set the MLB record in 1902 with a hit in 12 straight plate appearances 

-finished 27th in the NL MVP Award in 1911 

-set three World Series fielding records for catchers: the most chances accepted in a six game Series (56), the most caught stealing in a five game Series (six), and the most assists in a nine inning game (four) 

-hit four home runs off of Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson and one off of Kid Nichols 

-led NL catchers in caught stealing and games caught three times apiece 

-among MLB catchers, ranks 29th in career double plays, sixth in assists, fifth in caught stealing, and 42nd in caught stealing percentage 

-his 189 assists in 1903 are the 16th most in history among catchers 

-his 20 double plays in 1911 are the 12th most of all time, and his 17 in 1902 rank 38th 

-also played 12 games at first base, one at shortstop, one at third base, 26 in the outfield, and 54 as a pinch hitter 

-umpired one NL game in 1901

WHY I THINK BOB CARUTHERS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BOB CARUTHERS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Bob Caruthers was one of the greatest two way players in history. As I have already explained, two way players are the most talented of all because it is hard enough to succeed as a hitter or a pitcher, forget both. Caruthers was not only one of the best pitchers of the 19th century, but he was also a great hitter. Bob Caruthers started his career with the AA St. Louis Browns in 1884, going 7-2 with a 2.61 ERA. He had his best season on the mound in 1885, winning 40 of 53 decisions and leading the American Association in ERA. Caruthers came into his own as a hitter the following season, batting .334 with a .448 OBP to complement his 30 victories. He followed up with two 29 win seasons and was back up to 40 in 1889. As the strain began to mount on his 25 year old arm, Caruthers began to see fewer innings on the mound and more in the outfield. He had two more quality seasons on the mound, but slipped to 2-10 in 1892. He played 132 games in the field that season, by far more than he had in any other season, and proceeded to tally 100+ hits for the third time in his career. He appeared in 14 games in 1893 (none as a pitcher) before he called it quits. Now it was common for a 19th century pitcher to throw several hundred innings per season, then burn out his arm after five or six seasons. While the same thing essentially happened to Caruthers, he was able to accomplish more in that short window of time than perhaps any other 19th century pitcher. His won-lost record of 218-99 made him the only pitcher in history to win 200 or more games and lose fewer than 100. He led the AA in winning percentage three times and had an excellent 2.83 career ERA. That, and what he was able to accomplish at the plate, make him a viable Hall of Fame candidate. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 340 season high: 56 in 1889 

Starts career: 310 season high: 53 in 1885 

Complete Games career: 298 season high: 53 in 1885 

Shutouts career: 24 season high: 7 in 1889 led AA: 7 in 1889 

Games Finished career: 29 season high: 6 in 1884, 1889, and 1891 

Wins career: 218 season high: 40 in 1885 and 1889 led AA: 40 in 1885 and 1889 

Losses career: 99 season high: 15 in 1888 

Winning Percentage career: .688 season high: .784 in 1889 led AA: .755 in 1885, .763 in 1887, .784 in 1889 

ERA career: 2.83 season low: 2.07 in 1885 led AA: 2.07 in 1885 

WHIP career: 1.158 season low: 0.996 in 1888 led AA: 1.167 in 1887 

Innings Pitched career: 2,828 ⅔ season high: 482 ⅓ in 1885 

Strikeouts career: 900 season high: 190 in 1885 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 2.9 season high: 3.9 in 1886 

Walks career: 597 (0 intentional) season high: 107 in 1891 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.51 season high: 3.33 in 1885 

Saves career: 3 season high: 1 in 1889, 1891, and 1892 

Games career: 705 season high: 143 in 1892 

At Bats career: 2,465 season high: 513 in 1892 

Hits career: 695 season high: 142 in 1892 

Doubles career: 104 season high: 23 in 1887 

Triples career: 50 season high: 14 in 1886 

Home Runs career: 29 season high: 8 in 1887 

Runs career: 508 season high: 102 in 1887 

Runs Batted In career: 359 season high: 73 in 1887 

Stolen Bases career: 152 season high: 49 in 1887 (Caruthers’s stolen base information prior to 1886 is unavailable) 

Walks career: 417 season high: 86 in 1892 

Strikeouts career: 140 season high: 40 in 1888 (Caruthers’s strikeout information prior to 1887 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .282 season high: .357 in 1887 

On Base Percentage career: .391 season high: .463 in 1887 led AA: .448 in 1886 

Slugging Percentage career: .400 season high: .547 in 1887 

Total Bases career: 986 season high: 199 in 1887 

Sacrifice Hits career: N/A 

Fielding Percentage career: .904 season high: .968 in 1889 led AA P: .971 in 1887 

Double Plays career: 35 season high: 8 in 1892 

Putouts career: 788 season high: 209 in 1892 

Assists career: 657 season high: 105 in 1887 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: N/A 

Pickoffs career: N/A 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Parisian Bob” 

-allowed the fewest walks per nine innings in the AA in 1889 (2.1) and the fewest home runs per nine in 1885 (0.1) 

-led the AA in OPS (.974) in 1886 

-had seven wins and a 2.51 ERA in 147 innings of postseason play, and won the unofficial “World Series” with the Browns in 1886 

-hit two home runs, one triple, and one double on August 16, 1886 

-hit two home runs off of Guy Hecker and one each off of Kid Nichols, Silver King, Bobby Mathews, and Tony Mullane
-went 16-32-2 as a player manager in 1892 

-ranks eighth in career winning percentage (minimum 100 wins) 

-also played 13 games at first base and nine at second base

WHY I THINK HEINIE GROH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK HEINIE GROH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Heinie Groh was one of the greatest defensive third basemen of all time. His lifetime fielding percentage of .967 is the highest in history among players who spent most of their careers in the dead ball era (minimum 500 games) and the 23rd highest of all time (and he accomplished this using those terrible gloves that we’ve just discussed). Groh is best known today as the only player ever to successfully use the bottle bat (which was uniformly thick at the barrel and thin at the handle), which helped him become an outstanding leadoff hitter and a fantastic bunter. Heinie Groh started his career with the New York Giants in 1912, batting .271 in 27 games. The Giants gave up on him early in 1913 and the Reds got him, and he would turn out to be a massive success. Groh hit .281 that season, mostly as the second baseman, and continued to improve. In 1917, he batted .300 for the first time and won his first career fielding title. Groh established himself as the National League’s best third baseman. A consistent .300 hitter, Groh led NL third basemen in fielding percentage five times - a record that would stand for 57 years. His combination of defense, on base skills, and speed electrified Reds fans and filled Giants management with regret. He batted .331 in 1921 and the Giants couldn’t take it anymore, so they traded an established star outfielder in George Joseph Burns and $150,000 in exchange for Groh soon after the season. Groh enjoyed three solid seasons in New York, helping them win the pennant each year. He batted .474 in the 1922 World Series, winning his second ring (his first had been in 1919, the “Black Sox” Series). He had one last fine season in 1924. Future Hall of Famer Fred Lindstrom shared the third base job with Groh in 1925, and when Lindstrom came into his own in 1926, Groh saw less and less playing time. The Pirates signed him in the middle of the 1927 season, and he batted .286 as Pie Traynor’s backup. Groh helped the Pirates to the World Series and retired after they got thumped by the Yankees. Heinie Groh was a great third baseman, a fine hitter, a unique part of history for his success with the bottle bat, and a winning ballplayer. I would like to see him in the Hall of Fame someday. I think he’s earned it. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,676 season high: 160 in 1915 led NL: 160 in 1915, 156 in 1917 

At Bats career: 6,074 season high: 599 in 1917 

Hits career: 1,774 season high: 182 in 1917 led NL: 182 in 1917 

Doubles career: 308 season high: 39 in 1917 led NL: 39 in 1917, 28 in 1918 

Triples career: 87 season high: 14 in 1916 

Home Runs career: 26 season high: 5 in 1919 

Runs career: 918 season high: 91 in 1917 and 1923 led NL: 86 in 1918 

Runs Batted In career: 566 season high: 63 in 1919 

Stolen Bases career: 180 season high: 24 in 1913 and 1914 

Walks career: 696 season high: 84 in 1916 led NL: 84 in 1916 

Strikeouts career: 345 season high: 37 in 1913 

Batting Average career: .292 season high: .331 in 1921 

On Base Percentage career: .373 season high: .398 in 1921 led NL: .385 in 1917, .395 in 1918 

Slugging Percentage career: .384 season high: .431 in 1919 

Total Bases career: 2,334 season high: 246 in 1917 

Sacrifice Hits career: 182 season high: 31 in 1915 

Fielding Percentage career: .963 season high: .983 in 1924 led NL 3B: .966 in 1917, .969 in 1918, .965 in 1922, .975 in 1923, .983 in 1924 

Double Plays career: 407 season high: 57 in 1914 led NL 3B: 34 in 1915, 32 in 1916, 28 in 1917, 35 in 1918, 23 in 1919, 30 in 1920, 25 in 1922 

Putouts career: 2,172 season high: 257 in 1914 led NL 3B: 178 in 1917, 180 in 1918, 171 in 1919 

Assists career: 3,568 season high: 399 in 1914 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-brother of Lew Groh 

-middle name was Knight 

-finished 21st in the NL MVP Award voting in 1914 

-hit for the cycle on July 5, 1915 

-had a 23 game hitting streak in 1917

-scored six runs in the 1919 World Series 

-led the NL twice each in hit by pitch and times on base and once each in plate appearances and OPS 

-three times led NL third basemen in games 

-set MLB season records for fielding by a third baseman in 1924 

-hit two home runs off of Art Nehf and one each off of Christy Mathewson, Rube Marquard, Jesse Haines, Dazzy Vance, and Bill Doak 

-managed the Reds for the last ten games of the 1918 season, going 7-3 and taking over for Mathewson 

-among MLB third basemen, ranks 37th in double plays and 40th in assists 

-also played 22 games at shortstop, 32 as a pinch hitter, and eight as a pinch runner 

-was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1963