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