Guy Hecker

Guy Hecker is one of my favorite players of all time. While he only played parts of nine seasons, he achieved so many odd and incredible feats that an entire book could be written about him. As it is, Hecker is the first player to be featured twice on this blog, as I previously advocated his Hall of Fame case in 2020. While I must attribute that post largely to excitement over his bizarre career and not to merit, I nonetheless enjoyed writing it and am happy to go through his career again, as he should not be forgotten. 

    Guy Jackson Hecker (that was his real name) began his MLB career in 1882 as one of the founding members of the Louisville Eclipse, an American Association club that has connections to today's Pirates. He pitched 13 games that season, compiling a 1.30 ERA and topping the AA in several pitching categories. Hecker had his greatest season in 1884, when he captured a pitching Triple Crown and set American Association records for wins (52), innings pitched (670 2/3), starts (73), and complete games (72). Hecker had his enormous workload trimmed a bit in 1885, resulting in "only" 30 wins, and won 26 games in 1886. Incidentally, he led the AA in batting with a .341 average that year, becoming the only pitcher in history to win a Batting Title. 

    Hecker played his last game in 1890, but not before accomplishing a remarkable number of eyebrow-raising feats. In his very first Big League at bat, he smacked an inside-the-park home run. Still a rookie, Hecker tossed a 3-1 no-hitter against Allegheny City on September 19, 1882, which was the first no-hitter in history not to result in a shutout. Later, on August 15, 1886, he became the only player in AA history to hit three home runs in a game, scoring a Major League record seven runs against Baltimore. With that performance, he became the first of only three pitchers to hit three home runs in one game, the others being Jim Tobin and (surprise) Shohei Ohtani. As if all this weren't enough, he accomplished perhaps his wildest feat on October 9, 1887. In a game against Cincinnati, Hecker became the only man to play an entire game at first base without handling a single chance. 

    While Hecker's career was brief, he made an impressive impact on the history books. Out of all the players who ever reached the Majors, he is perhaps my favorite to research. While he is not a Hall of Famer, he was an exciting player whose career should not be forgotten. 

Clarence "Big Boy" Kraft

    Clarence Kraft is a name you seldom hear today. He only appeared in three MLB games, all as a member of the Miracle Boston Braves in 1914. Despite his unremarkable MLB career, Kraft was a fantastic player, one of minor league baseball's best power hitters in the 1920's, and a successful two way player. 
    Clarence Kraft got his start in professional baseball in 1910, playing first base and pitching in three different minor leagues. He played 126 games for Flint in the Southern Michigan League in 1911, batting .316 with 19 home runs, and impressed again in 1912 with 15 homers and a .277 average (I guess he did so well because he didn't drink the water). After reaching double digits in home runs again in 1913, Kraft's path to the Majors started to straighten, and he was up with Boston by May 1. He played his final game on the 14th, having gone 1-for-3 and playing four innings at first base. Kraft spent the remainder of the season with the Newark Indians, posting an .825 OPS in 96 games. He played for a handful of different teams in the following three years, and found stability in 1918 with the Fort Worth Cats in the Texas League. He hit .308 during his first season in Texas and .275 in the next. In 1921, when the live ball era started rolling, so did Kraft. He batted .352 with 31 home runs in 154 games, earning his nickname "Big Boy." From 1922 through 1924 (his age 35-37 seasons), Kraft batted .339, .324, and .349 while belting 32, 32, and 55 home runs, respectively. In 1924, Kraft set Texas League records for RBI's, runs scored, total bases, and extra-base hits. After his historic season, Kraft retired from baseball to open an auto dealership. He later served as a judge in Tarrant County until his death in 1958, at the age of 70. 

    All told, Kraft batted .316 with 170 homers in seven seasons in the Texas League. He had over 2,000 career hits in the minor leagues. As a pitcher, he had 29 wins in 71 milb games, including a 13-2 mark in 1910. Clarence Kraft's career was very successful, and one that should be remembered. 

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 MIKE SMITH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK MIKE SMITH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Mike Smith was another successful two way player. Like Seymour and unlike Foutz, Smith was more of a hitter than a pitcher, but what a hitter he was for a while. He had a career batting average of .310, had four seasons over .340, and his career on base percentage was .398. As a pitcher, he won 75 games, including 34 in 1887. Mike Smith started his career with the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1886, going 4-4 in nine starts and also posting a .459 OBP as an 18 year old rookie. In 1887, Smith had his best season as a pitcher, completing 49 of his 52 starts and leading the American Association in ERA. In 1888, he won 22 games and improved his ERA by a solid 20 points. He had a bit of an off season in 1889 and decided to play independent ball for a while. He batted .314 for Kansas City in 1891 and returned to the Majors in 1892. As a member of the Pirates, he went only 6-7 on the mound but got a job as the regular leftfielder. He then batted over .300 in each of the next six seasons (averaging .337 during that period) and drove in 103 runs in 1893. By 1899 he had cooled off a bit, and had one last decent season in 1900. As the hard hitting 1890’s turned into the deadball 1900’s, Smith had a hard time adjusting, and was gone after the 1901 season. Mike Smith was a great hitter and a fine pitcher, providing value in multiple departments that most players simply can’t handle. Like I’ve said before, two way players are extraordinarily talented. Few players in history can claim to have as broad a skill set as Smith had during his time. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,237 season high: 138 in 1892 

At Bats career: 4,693 season high: 518 in 1893 

Hits career: 1,456 season high: 179 in 1893 

Doubles career: 197 season high: 33 in 1894 

Triples career: 136 season high: 23 in 1893 

Home Runs career: 37 season high: 7 in 1893 

Runs career: 913 season high: 128 in 1894 

Runs Batted In career: 665 season high: 103 in 1893 

Stolen Bases career: 233 season high: 34 in 1894 and 1895 

Walks career: 639 season high: 82 in 1892 

Strikeouts career: 258 season high: 43 in 1892 (Smith’s strikeout information from 1886 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .310 season high: .362 in 1896  

On Base Percentage career: .398 season high: .454 in 1896 

Slugging Percentage career: .434 season high: .539 in 1894 

Total Bases career: 2,036 season high: 272 in 1893 

Sacrifice Hits career: 48 season high: 10 in 1894 (Smith’s sacrifice hit information prior to 1894 is unavailable) 

Games Pitched career: 149 season high: 52 in 1887 

Starts career: 136 season high: 52 in 1887 

Complete Games career: 122 season high: 49 in 1887 

Shutouts career: 9 season high: 5 in 1888 

Games Finished career: 11 season high: 7 in 1889 

Wins career: 75 season high: 34 in 1887 

Losses career: 57 season high: 17 in 1887 and 1888 

Winning Percentage career: .568 season high: .667 in 1887 

ERA career: 3.35 season low: 2.74 in 1888 led AA: 2.94 in 1887 

WHIP career: 1.313 season low: 1.143 in 1888 

Innings Pitched career: 1,210 ⅓ season high: 447 ⅓ in 1887 

Strikeouts career: 525 season high: 176 in 1887 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.9 season high: 4.6 in 1889 

Walks career: 422 season high: 126 in 1887 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.24 season high: 1.73 in 1888 

Saves career: 0 

Fielding Percentage career: .915 season high: .949 in 1898 

Double Plays career: 37 season high: 8 in 1894 

Putouts career: 2,233 season high: 302 in 1896 

Assists career: 315 season high: 67 in 1887 

Caught Stealing Percentage N/A 

Pickoffs career: N/A 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-also known as Elmer Smith 

-allowed the fewest hits per nine innings in the AA in 1887 (8.0) and the fewest homers per nine in 1888 (0.0) 

-hit two home runs each off of Hall of Famers Cy Young and Kid Nichols and one each off of Tony Mullane, Sam Leever, and Cy Seymour 

-also played 123 games in rightfield and 39 in centerfield

WHY I THINK CY SEYMOUR SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK CY SEYMOUR SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Cy Seymour was another great two way player. He pitched in six different seasons, winning 61 games and two league strikeout crowns, and also had a career batting average of .303, mostly as an outfielder. Two way players are criminally underrated, as they are the most talented baseball players in history (see my post on Dave Foutz). Cy Seymour began his career with the New York Giants in 1896, going 2-4 in eleven games (eight starts). In 1897, Seymour won 18 games and led the NL in both strikeouts and walks, as his wild fastball, curve, and screwball made him a feared power pitcher. Ceymour did better in 1898, when he won 25 games, upped his strikeout total by 83, and started to hit a bit for himself. In 1899, Seymour slipped to 14 wins but batted .327, and was thus converted to an outfielder after the season. He made a few appearances on the mound in 1900 and 1902 but was essentially a centerfielder from that point forward. He batted over .300 in five straight seasons from 1901 through 1905, the greatest offensive season of his career. That year, Seymour batted .377, led the NL in nine major batting categories, set the NL record with 325 total bases, and missed the Triple Crown by one home run. The leader, Fred Odwell, never hit another homer in the Big Leagues after the season. Seymour slumped to .286 in 1906, his age 33 season, but remained a very good hitter and RBI man until 1910. He batted .265 that season in 79 games and spent the next two seasons in the minor leagues. He was brought back up in 1913 by the Boston Braves and played 39 games for them before calling it quits. Cy Seymour was a great hitter, the owner of one of the greatest offensive seasons ever, and a very strong pitcher. Only eight players in the last 140 years have really contributed both on the mound and at bat, and Seymour is one of them. One is in the Hall of Fame (Babe Ruth), one is named Shohei Ohtani, and the other five also belong in Cooperstown. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,529 season high: 156 in 1908 

At Bats career: 5,686 season high: 587 in 1908 

Hits career: 1,724 season high: 219 in 1905 led NL: 219 in 1905 

Doubles career: 229 season high: 40 in 1905 led NL: 40 in 1905 

Triples career: 96 season high: 21 in 1905 led NL: 21 in 1905 

Home Runs career: 52 season high: 8 in 1905 and 1906 

Runs career: 737 season high: 95 in 1905 

Runs Batted In career: 799 season high: 121 in 1905 led NL: 121 in 1905 

Stolen Bases career: 222 season high: 38 in 1901 

Walks career: 354 season high: 51 in 1905 

Strikeouts career: 361 season high: 46 in 1902 

Batting Average career: .303 season high: .377 in 1905 led NL: .377 in 1905 

On Base Percentage career: .347 season high: .429 in 1905 

Slugging Percentage career: .405 season high: .559 in 1905 led NL: .559 in 1905 

Total Bases career: 2,301 season high: 325 in 1905 led NL: 325 in 1905 

Sacrifice Hits career: 138 season high: 33 in 1908 

Games Pitched career: 141 season high: 45 in 1898 

Starts career: 124 season high: 43 in 1898 

Complete Games career: 105 season high: 39 in 1898 

Shutouts career: 6 season high: 4 in 1898 

Games Finished career: 15 season high: 5 in 1897 and 1900 

Wins career: 61 season high: 25 in 1898 

Losses career: 56 season high: 19 in 1898 

Winning Percentage career: .521 season high: .568 in 1898 

ERA career: 3.73 season low: 3.18 in 1898 

WHIP career: 1.554 season low: 1.475 in 1898 

Innings Pitched career: 1,038 season high: 356 ⅔ in 1898 

Strikeouts career: 591 season high: 239 in 1898 led NL: 156 in 1897, 239 in 1898 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 5.1 season high: 6.0 in 1898 led NL: 4.9 in 1897, 6.0 in 1898, 4.8 in 1899 

Walks career: 659 season high: 213 in 1898 led NL: 168 in 1897, 213 in 1898, 170 in 1899 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 0.90 season high: 1.12 in 1898 

Saves career: 1 season high: 1 in 1897 

Fielding Percentage career: .933 season high: .975 in 1907 

Double Plays career: 69 season high: 12 in 1905 led NL CF: 11 in 1905, 6 in 1906, 10 in 1908 led NL OF: 12 in 1905, 9 in 1908 

Putouts career: 2,952 season high: 347 in 1905 led AL RF: 255 in 1901 led NL OF: 318 in 1903 

Assists career: 535 season high: 112 in 1898 led NL P: 100 in 1897 led NL CF: 19 in 1906, 29 in 1908 led NL OF: 29 in 1908 led AL RF: 22 in 1901 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: N/A

Pickoffs career: N/A

DID YOU KNOW? 

-led the NL in OPS (.988) and extra-base hits (69) in 1905 

-is one of only two players in history with at least 50 home runs and 50 wins (Babe Ruth, of course, is the other) 

-pitched three games in two days in 1898 

-set a single game record with four sacrifice hits on July 25, 1902 

-his .377 average in 1905 is the Cincinnati Reds’ single season record 

-led NL centerfielders in games three times 

-hit two home runs each off of Christy Mathewson, Deacon Phillippe, and Three Finger Brown and one each off of Vic Willis, Joe McGinnity, and Ed Reulbach 

-his 11 double plays from centerfield in 1905 are the sixth most of all time, and his 10 in 1908 rank 13th 

-his 29 assists from centerfield in 1908 are the 13th most of all time, and his 25 in 1905 rank 28th 

-among MLB centerfielders, ranks seventh in career double plays and 11th in assists 

-among MLB outfielders, ranks 28th in career double plays 

-also played five games at first base, one at second base, two at third base, 20 in leftfield, and 37 as a pinch hitter 

-was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1998

WHY I THINK DAVE FOUTZ SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK DAVE FOUTZ SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Shohei Ohtani had an incredible 2021 season. He was the unanimous AL MVP for both his hitting prowess and pitching skills. He went 9-2 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA, and also batted .257 with 46 homers. He was easily the best player in baseball, as he provided much value both at bat and on the mound (something that nobody has been able to do since Babe Ruth, but even Ruth started hitting only after he stopped pitching), but he rightfully fell short of both the Hank Aaron Award (for the best hitter in the league) and the Cy Young Award. Dave Foutz was kind of like that, more of a pitcher than a hitter, but nonetheless the first pitcher to reach 1,000 career hits. He was a lifetime .276 hitter with two .300 seasons and two 100 RBI seasons, but he was one of the greatest pitchers of the 19th century, with a lifetime record of 147-66 (.690) and a 2.84 ERA. Dave Foutz started his career with the St. Louis Browns (American Association) in 1884, and went 15-6 with a 2.18 ERA. He got off to a very late start, as he made his MLB debut shortly before his 28th birthday. Foutz went 33-14 in 1885, completing each of his 46 starts, and had his best season to date in 1886. That season, he led the AA in wins (41), ERA (2.11), winning percentage, and saves. He also started hitting that year, as he batted .280. In 1887, he batted .357 with 108 RBI’s, and also went 25-12 on the mound. He averaged over 100 RBI’s per season over the next three years, and while he was still a good pitcher, he focused more on his hitting, as a broken thumb had inhibited him from throwing as many innings. In 1891, while with the Brooklyn Grooms (today’s Dodgers), he had an off year at the plate, and began to see more innings on the mound. In 1892, he went 13-8 and pitched more innings than he had since 1887. His hitting continued to suffer until 1894 when, at the age of 37, he batted .303. He pitched his final game in 1894 and stuck around until 1896 as an outfielder and first baseman. He died on March 5, 1897. Dave Foutz was a good hitter, a great pitcher, and one of the few successful two way players in history. It takes a lot of focus and practice to make yourself into a good pitcher, and the same goes for the making of a hitter. Most people can’t commit to both, and instead specialize in one. Some very special players, most notably Foutz, Mike Smith, Guy Hecker, Smoky Joe Wood, Bob Caruthers, Cy Seymour, Ruth, and Ohtani, could do both. The second criterion in the Hall of Fame voting system is playing ability, and if this wasn’t enough for Foutz’s induction, then the voters clearly haven’t been doing their jobs. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,136 season high: 140 in 1888 

At Bats career: 4,537 season high: 563 in 1888 

Hits career: 1,253 season high: 156 in 1888 

Doubles career: 186 season high: 26 in 1887 and 1891 

Triples career: 91 season high: 13 in 1887, 1888, and 1890 

Home Runs career: 31 season high: 7 in 1893 

Runs career: 784 season high: 118 in 1889 

Runs Batted In career: 750 season high: 113 in 1889 

Stolen Bases career: 280 season high: 48 in 1891 (Foutz’s stolen base information from before 1886 is unavailable) 

Walks career: 300 season high: 64 in 1889 

Strikeouts career: 183 season high: 34 in 1893 (Foutz’s batting strikeout information from before 1887 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .276 season high: .357 in 1887 

On Base Percentage career: .323 season high: .393 in 1887 

Slugging Percentage career: .378 season high: .508 in 1887 

Total Bases career: 1,714 season high: 220 in 1890 

Sacrifice Hits career: 10 season high: 8 in 1894 (Foutz’s sacrifice information from before 1894 is unavailable) 

Games Pitched career: 251 season high: 59 in 1886 

Starts career: 216 season high: 57 in 1886 

Complete Games career: 202 season high: 55 in 1886 

Shutouts career: 16 season high: 11 in 1886 

Games Finished career: 33 season high: 7 in 1892 

Wins career: 147 season high: 41 in 1886 led AA: 41 in 1886 

Losses career: 66 season high: 16 in 1886 

Winning Percentage career: .690 season high: .719 in 1886 led AA: .719 in 1886 

ERA career: 2.84 season low: 2.11 in 1886 led AA: 2.11 in 1886 

WHIP career: 1.178 season low: 0.982 in 1884 

Innings Pitched career: 1,997 ⅓ season high: 504 in 1886 

Strikeouts career: 790 season high: 283 in 1886 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.6 season high: 5.1 in 1886 

Walks career: 510 season high: 144 in 1886 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.55 season high: 2.64 in 1884 

Saves career: 4 season high: 2 in 1890 led AA: 1 in 1886 led NL: 2 in 1890 

Fielding Percentage career: .966 season high: .979 in 1889 

Double Plays career: 317 season high: 66 in 1889 

Putouts career: 6,763 season high: 1,376 in 1889 led AA P: 57 in 1886, 44 in 1887 

Assists career: 658 season high: 106 in 1885 led AA P: 101 in 1885 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: N/A

Pickoffs career: N/A

DID YOU KNOW? 

-brother of Frank Foutz 

-nicknamed “Scissors” 

-was famous for an unassisted pickoff of Pete Browning off first base that he pulled on September 12, 1886 

-batted .286 with a home run and 9 RBI’s in the 1889 World Series 

-had a 2.64 ERA in World Series play, including an 0.62 in 1885 

-hit two home runs off of Silver King and one each off of Kid Nichols, Cy Young, Mickey Welch, John Clarkson, Mike Smith, Matt Kilroy, and Tony Mullane 

-also played a game at shortstop in 1891

-went 264-257-11 (.507) in four seasons as a player-manager

-ranks fifth in career winning percentage