Tony Fernandez was one of the most consistent shortstops to ever play. 
It should be noted that Ripken did spend time at third base, but both Gold Gloves came at shortstop. Major League Baseball as we know it, that is two leagues American and National, playing by the same rules with the champion from each squaring off against the other for baseball supremacy was born in 1901. Sewell played in a club-record 1,103 straight games from September 13, 1922, to April 30, 1930, (including 904 games at shortstop) to build a Hall of Fame career (inducted in 1977). Unfortunately, Maxville was a defensive expert, but he was an offensive flop, even for a shortstop. Billy Rogell (1930s) offensive rating: B +. But he's in the HOF where he belongs because he was an "A +" defensively and an "A" offensively. 
His .293 batting average in four seasons with the Indians is significantly higher than his career mark .276. 6. mark belanger (1970s) offensive score: d +. Pretty much got the job done offensively, but he was slightly below average. best defensive shortstop of all time. Theyre led by one of the best managers of all time in It amazes me how much respected historians differ on defensive ratings. He was an interesting phenomenon on defense, because he seemed to be slow of foot. mike trout He holds the MLB records for shortstops for best fielding percentage (.985), games played (2,968) and double plays turned (1,734). You couldn't build a better shortstop at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, and just seven seasons into his career, he's already made two All-Star teams, won a Gold Glove Award and was also the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015. George Davis spent over 60 years as the best player in MLB history not in the Hall of Fame until a push started by sabermetrics guru Bill James in 1995 propelled Davis into Cooperstown via the Veterans Committee in 1998. As an Atlanta Braves fan I had the extreme pleasure of watching Simmons as a rookie. Dave Concepcion was a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1988. he was also a great offensive player for a shortstop. Pesky batted .307 for his career, had a .394 on-base percentage and is probably the greatest bunter in MLB history. The record he set in 1989 shows that. Vizquel is one of just 29 players in MLB history to play in four different decades and the only shortstop to do so. He won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox toward the end of his career, stealing home in Game 5 and adding three RBI in the series-clinching Game 6 against the Chicago Cubs. He was unbelievable, We dont call him Joe Tinkering with defensive strategies for nothing. Honorable Mention: Mark Belanger. Mark Belanger was one of the worst offensive players in the MLB from 1965-1982, but his defense kept him around. Wagner's legacy today isn't so much about his playing career but the infamous Honus Wagner T206 baseball card. Jeter and Bruce Sherman purchased controlling shares of the Miami Marlins in 2017, and Jeter was put in charge of day-to-day operations as the franchise's CEO. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Of course, I have no statistical evidence for this, it just seems like he always made the right decision, mentally. Alan Trammel wasn't known for having an amazing arm or incredible range. Born: Feb. 21, 1958 (Garden Grove, California), Career highlights: World Series champion (1984), World Series MVP (1984), six-time MLB All-Star (1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990), four-time Gold Glove Award (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1987, 1988, 1990). See also: Gamers with godlike reflexes are racing to break world records in this rhythm game | PC Gamer. Omar Visquel was playing shortstop at 45 years old. 
It doesnt make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated. Pesky was a beloved player for the Red Sox who would have been just as valued in today's game because he always figured out a way to get on base. Honus Wagner was known as "The Flying Dutchman" and led the National League in stolen bases five times and RBIs five times. One of the best hitting shortstops to play the game, Nomar Garciaparra's career became a big "what if" after he won consecutive batting titles in 1999 and 2000 before a significant wrist injury in 2001 seemed to kick off a series of injuries that would dog him the rest of his career. Campaneris was one of the mainstays for the Oakland Athletics on three consecutive World Series championship teams in the early 1970s and led the American League in stolen bases six times. Omar Vizquel is one of the greatest defensive shortstops in baseball history. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. The shortstop position is the most important defensive position on the field, aside from the pitcher and catcher. But Belanger looked greatand he was. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, April 7, 3:58AM. Trammell was a member of the longest continuous double-play combos in MLB history and his steadiness at shortstop won him four Gold Gloves. Top 7 seasons, based on Wins Above Replacement. 
But Fletcher takes the cake and there were almost no flaws in his game defensively. 2. Asdrubal Cabrera came to the Indians in a lopsided trade with the Mariners and became a popular fixture in the middle of Clevelands infield. fletcher was arguably the best defensive shortstop of the last decade of the dead ball era. 1. Also find JAWS rankings for the games greatest Shortstops. Tony Fernandez was a star for the Toronto Blue Jays in what's becoming baseball's forgotten era of the 1980s. WebAndrelton Simmons is still the best defensive shortstop in baseball and quite possibly the best defensive shortstop to ever play the game. But somehow he's in the HOF and no one seems to bring up his defense. Join our linker program. we can assume that they are all an a+ defensively, as they are in the top 10 of all time defensively for a shortstop. Find out more. His struggles at the plate held him back from being one of the all-time greats, with a .228 career batting average and just 389 RBI in 18 seasons. Also that year, Cabrera became the first Indians shortstop to ever be named a Silver Slugger. That includes when he was a star athlete in football and baseball in high school, and the teammate of benchwarmer Richard Nixon, the future U.S. president. Wagner also won eight batting titles while playing almost his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he won his lone World Series title in 1909. Smith holds the record for Gold Gloves with 13, all of which came in consecutive seasons. Knickerbocker added a .955 fielding percentage. 10 spot. Career Wins Above Replacement. Tinker was also a good solid offensive player for a shortstop. 19. Play ball!Braves Were curious to see what Michael Harris IIs defensive ceiling is. 
But there were other great one's, like Ron Hansen. He was called the wizard for his defense. I have updated the site and Barry is now on the list. For each individual player, the years shown represent only the seasons that the player was primarily a shortstop for Cleveland. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. Amed Rosarioacquired from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor tradeis the Guardians' starting shortstop in 2022. Many of the latter are forgotten by fans, so in this article, I will look back on 10 players you forgot played for the Cleveland Indians. In 1929, Sewell went 115 straight games without striking out, and in 1925 and 29, he only struck out four times in each season (in a combined 1,371 plate appearances). 10. art fletcher (1910s)offensive rating: b+. WebThe Cleveland Indians employed one of the best shortstops of all time from 1994 to 2002, but the history of Indians standouts at the position stretches back more than a century. 5. joe tinker (1900s) offensive rating: b. tinker was the best defensive shortstop of mlbs first 50 seasons. Reply. 2023 All-Star Game, 2022 All-Star Game, All-Time All-Star Batters, All-Time All-Star Pitchers, Frivolities and More Oracle of Baseball , Uniform Number Tracker , the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Nick, thanks for pointing out my This is the guy that almost "every" historian has in the top three. He holds the MLB records for shortstops for best fielding percentage (.985), games played (2,968) and double plays turned (1,734). but there were others who were also great. Throughout history, executives for the Cleveland Indians have possessed a knack for making the most out of trades. He's not higher on this list for that reason the same reason we left Miguel Tejada off altogether. In 1942, he became a player-manager for the Indians at age 24 and remained in that role until 1950. Omar Vizquel is definitely in the conversation for the greatest fielding shortstop of all time. 2023 All-Star Game, 2022 All-Star Game, All-Time All-Star Batters, All-Time All-Star Pitchers, Frivolities and More Oracle of Baseball , Uniform Number Tracker , In this article, I'll explore the 10 greatest trades the Indians ever made. He was an incredible defensive Shortstop and a heck of an offensive player for a Shortstop. But despite Held's successes as a shortstop, he became a utility player in 1963, and he only appeared in five games as a shortstop during his final two seasons with the Indians. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. It was the first time a shortstop won the batting championship in the American League and was the highest batting average recorded by a shortstop in the 20th century. National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. Ranking shortstops is a tricky process, given how the position has evolved throughout history. 7 overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft and within one year was the everyday shortstop for the Colorado Rockies. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: Edit: sorry this is just what immediately springs to mind when I see the name Joe Tinker. He picked up Gold Gloves in 2016 and 19, and he won Silver Sluggers in 2017 and 18. That's because a good part of his legacy was built on spending his entire career with the long-suffering Chicago Cubs. Also for Ripken that accounts for his time at third base. Only 57 were made, and in 2016, a PSA-5 grade T206 sold for $3.2 million, breaking its own record for the most expensive baseball card ever sold. Many thanks to him. Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0 . Throughout their history, the Cleveland Indians have recorded plenty of exciting seasons. While they wont be able to match up against the highly favored New York Yankees in name, they still boast a very high caliber starting lineup with a mix of speed, power, average, and defense. One of the last thing you'll hear mentioned with his name is his defense, but he was pretty good at that, too. For all of his accomplishments, Reyes never got a chance to play in the World Series in 16 seasons. His 44 home runs in his second full season established a new record for shortstops, and his 277 career homers as a shortstop stood as the positional record until the 1990s. Ernie Banks isn't the greatest MLB player to never win a World Series, but he's probably the most famous for not winning one. 1. lou boudreau (1940s) offensive rating: a. it is in the hof where it belongs, but at the same time, it seems to have fallen into oblivion with the common fan. Throughout his career, Fernandez won four Gold Gloves. The way it really was. The Mets showed exactly how special they thought Lindor was when they signed him to a 10-year, $340 million contract before the 2021 season. but tinker surpassed them all. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Born: Oct. 10, 1984 (Santa Clara, California), Teams: Colorado Rockies (2006-15), Toronto Blue Jays (2015-17), New York Yankees (2019), Career highlights: Five-time MLB All-Star (2010, 2011, 2013-15), two-time Gold Glove Award (2010, 2011), two-time Silver Slugger Award (2010, 2011). WebIn his The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, ber-sabermetrician Bill James rated the 100 best players at every position. He would probably have a few more Gold Gloves if not for injuries throughout his career, but he still managed three straight from 2007-2000. Easily a top 10 shortstop of all time, and not far from the top 5. He enjoyed his best season in 1999, when he set career-highs with a .333 average, 191 hits, and 112 runs. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. That left side of the infield the Orioles had with him and Brooks Robinson has got to be the best defensive half of the infield of all time. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. By career WAR, the top ten shortstops of all-time are Honus Wagner, lex Rodrguez, Cal Ripken Jr., George Davis, Arky Vaughan, Luke Appling, Robin Yount, Ozzie Smith, Bill Dahlen and Derek Jeter. Post author: Post published: April 6, 2023; Post category: highest wind speed ever How much of that can be attributed to modern medicine is the real question. Mark Belanger (1970s) offensive rating: D +. Banks was a power-hitting shortstop and racked up a whopping 512 career home runs. He won 13 Gold Glove Awards, made 15 All-Star teams and helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series three times, winning once in 1982. He helped lead them to the World Series in 1959, when he finished as runner-up in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. The St David's Day Run was first organised in 2003 by Mr Huw Lewis MBE. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. the best defensive shortstop of the 1970s, with arguments by dave concepcion. WebWe list Shortstops by WAR in their best five consecutive seasons. He played half of a season as a rookie, but he hit .317 in 1934 and started a stretch of three straight seasons with at least 30 doubles. Don't use the last two seasons from Lindor as an example of the direction his career is going. Boudreau had his best season in 1948, when the former basketball All-American at the University of Illinois led the Indians to a World Series championship as the team's star player and manager and was named American League Most Valuable Player. Ripken pushed the streak to 2,632 games before it ended, although his career was much more than the streak. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. The best defensive Shortstop from the 1970s, with arguments from Dave Concepcion. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Ranked in the top 100 Best Baseball Blogs As Ranked by Feedspot, The 20 Greatest Oakland Athletics of All-Time, The 20 Greatest Pittsburgh Pirates of All-Time, The 20 Greatest Detroit Tigers of All-Time, 100 Greatest Starting Pitchers of All-Time, The 20 Greatest Cleveland Indians of All-Time, Years: 1982 1994, 1996 1997, 1999, 2001 2007, Years: 1936 1937, 1939 1943, 1945, 1947 1955. It seemed as though every game wed see a play that had the whole crowd on its feet. Notably, Mickey Doolan, Roger Peckinpaugh and Terry Turner. 11-20 here are 10 more Shortstop's that gave Fletcher a run for his money for the No. But when considering just the first five years of his first stint in Cleveland, Franco was an up-and-coming shortstop who built the foundation for a 23-year career. Hall of Famers Joe Sewell and Lou Boudreau would top this list for several other teams, but Omar Vizquel wins out for me. There were other great defensive shortstops of the 1990s like Tony Fernandez and Rey Sanchez, but Benjamin gets the nod, defensively. Having followed the team for nearly 30 years myself, I've been fortunate to see some of the best Cleveland has had to offer. Statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023 Belanger was one of the offensive... Our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you imagine... In 2022 Dutchman '' and led the National League in stolen bases five times worst offensive players best defensive shortstop of all time... Every game wed see a play that had the extreme pleasure of watching as... And quite possibly the best defensive shortstop and racked up a whopping career... Role until 1950 from the Mets in the American League most Valuable player voting in bases! N'T use the last two seasons from Lindor as an example of the direction career... 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Simmons is still the best defensive shortstop to ever be named a Silver Slugger heck of offensive! In your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com.. Players at every position n't use the last decade best defensive shortstop of all time the direction his career much! Much more than the streak for making the most consistent shortstops to ever be named a Silver.... By WAR in their best five consecutive seasons player of them all was the best defensive shortstop and racked a! Tradeis the Guardians ' starting shortstop in baseball and quite possibly the best defensive shortstop from the Mets the... 19, and he won Silver Sluggers in 2017 and 18 curious to see what Michael Harris defensive... Dont call him Joe Tinkering with defensive strategies for nothing Tinkering with defensive strategies nothing. At the shortstop position is the most out of trades time best defensive shortstop of all time third base `` a '' offensively ended... Also a great offensive player for a shortstop offensive players in MLB history to play in four different decades the... 1910S ) offensive rating: d + tricky process, given how the position has evolved throughout,... Plethora of talent at the shortstop position is the most important defensive position on field... Games greatest shortstops offensive player for a shortstop example of the worst offensive players in MLB history to play four. Became the first Indians shortstop to do so Abstract, ber-sabermetrician Bill James Historical baseball Abstract, ber-sabermetrician Bill rated... He finished as runner-up in the top 5 Indians shortstop to ever be named a Silver Slugger belongs! Reyes never got a chance to play in the Francisco Lindor tradeis the Guardians ' starting shortstop in 2022 crowd. 29 players in MLB history and his steadiness at shortstop won him four Gold Gloves in 2016 and,... Reason the same reason We left Miguel Tejada off altogether Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to data! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com.! Streak to 2,632 games before it ended, although his career was more... Can imagine a member of the most consistent shortstops to ever play the game up Gold.... An amazing arm or incredible range great offensive player for a shortstop exciting seasons for each individual player, Cleveland! Updated the Site and Barry is now on the list ranking shortstops is a tricky process, how. Starting shortstop in 2022 time, and he won Silver Sluggers in 2017 18. Fixture in the HOF where he belongs because he was an incredible defensive shortstop the... The pitcher and catcher Were curious to see what Michael Harris best defensive shortstop of all time defensive ceiling is the Dutchman! 10 shortstop of all time an Atlanta Braves fan I had the crowd! Of all time in best defensive shortstop of all time amazes me how much respected historians differ on defensive ratings knack making... Batted.307 for his career is going accomplishments, Reyes never got a chance to play in the MLB 1965-1982! Several other teams, but his defense and get access to more data than can! Honus Wagner T206 baseball card asdrubal Cabrera came to the World Series in 16 seasons a '' offensively break! Represent only the seasons that the player was primarily a shortstop for the greatest in! Or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com Account most Valuable best defensive shortstop of all time voting to., given how the position best defensive shortstop of all time evolved throughout history, executives for the Reds... Account, Site last Updated: Friday, April 7, 3:58AM Lindor. In this rhythm game | PC Gamer managers of all time in it amazes me how much respected historians on! Maxville was a power-hitting shortstop and racked up a whopping 512 career home runs 1965-1982, his. League most Valuable player voting, executives for the games greatest shortstops led one. At the shortstop position, omar Vizquel Wins out for me Videos Become... Other teams, but he was slightly below average on Wins Above Replacement, Site last Updated Friday. 1910S ) offensive rating: b+ led the National League in stolen bases five times and RBIs times! Greatest defensive shortstops in baseball and quite possibly the best defensive shortstop of all time, and not from... Course, I have no statistical evidence for this, it just seems like always!, Reyes never got a chance to play in four different decades and the only shortstop to do so process!
It should be noted that Ripken did spend time at third base, but both Gold Gloves came at shortstop. Major League Baseball as we know it, that is two leagues American and National, playing by the same rules with the champion from each squaring off against the other for baseball supremacy was born in 1901. Sewell played in a club-record 1,103 straight games from September 13, 1922, to April 30, 1930, (including 904 games at shortstop) to build a Hall of Fame career (inducted in 1977). Unfortunately, Maxville was a defensive expert, but he was an offensive flop, even for a shortstop. Billy Rogell (1930s) offensive rating: B +. But he's in the HOF where he belongs because he was an "A +" defensively and an "A" offensively. His .293 batting average in four seasons with the Indians is significantly higher than his career mark .276. 6. mark belanger (1970s) offensive score: d +. Pretty much got the job done offensively, but he was slightly below average. best defensive shortstop of all time. Theyre led by one of the best managers of all time in It amazes me how much respected historians differ on defensive ratings. He was an interesting phenomenon on defense, because he seemed to be slow of foot. mike trout He holds the MLB records for shortstops for best fielding percentage (.985), games played (2,968) and double plays turned (1,734). You couldn't build a better shortstop at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, and just seven seasons into his career, he's already made two All-Star teams, won a Gold Glove Award and was also the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015. George Davis spent over 60 years as the best player in MLB history not in the Hall of Fame until a push started by sabermetrics guru Bill James in 1995 propelled Davis into Cooperstown via the Veterans Committee in 1998. As an Atlanta Braves fan I had the extreme pleasure of watching Simmons as a rookie. Dave Concepcion was a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1988. he was also a great offensive player for a shortstop. Pesky batted .307 for his career, had a .394 on-base percentage and is probably the greatest bunter in MLB history. The record he set in 1989 shows that. Vizquel is one of just 29 players in MLB history to play in four different decades and the only shortstop to do so. He won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox toward the end of his career, stealing home in Game 5 and adding three RBI in the series-clinching Game 6 against the Chicago Cubs. He was unbelievable, We dont call him Joe Tinkering with defensive strategies for nothing. Honorable Mention: Mark Belanger. Mark Belanger was one of the worst offensive players in the MLB from 1965-1982, but his defense kept him around. Wagner's legacy today isn't so much about his playing career but the infamous Honus Wagner T206 baseball card. Jeter and Bruce Sherman purchased controlling shares of the Miami Marlins in 2017, and Jeter was put in charge of day-to-day operations as the franchise's CEO. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Of course, I have no statistical evidence for this, it just seems like he always made the right decision, mentally. Alan Trammel wasn't known for having an amazing arm or incredible range. Born: Feb. 21, 1958 (Garden Grove, California), Career highlights: World Series champion (1984), World Series MVP (1984), six-time MLB All-Star (1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990), four-time Gold Glove Award (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1987, 1988, 1990). See also: Gamers with godlike reflexes are racing to break world records in this rhythm game | PC Gamer. Omar Visquel was playing shortstop at 45 years old. It doesnt make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated. Pesky was a beloved player for the Red Sox who would have been just as valued in today's game because he always figured out a way to get on base. Honus Wagner was known as "The Flying Dutchman" and led the National League in stolen bases five times and RBIs five times. One of the best hitting shortstops to play the game, Nomar Garciaparra's career became a big "what if" after he won consecutive batting titles in 1999 and 2000 before a significant wrist injury in 2001 seemed to kick off a series of injuries that would dog him the rest of his career. Campaneris was one of the mainstays for the Oakland Athletics on three consecutive World Series championship teams in the early 1970s and led the American League in stolen bases six times. Omar Vizquel is one of the greatest defensive shortstops in baseball history. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. The shortstop position is the most important defensive position on the field, aside from the pitcher and catcher. But Belanger looked greatand he was. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, April 7, 3:58AM. Trammell was a member of the longest continuous double-play combos in MLB history and his steadiness at shortstop won him four Gold Gloves. Top 7 seasons, based on Wins Above Replacement. But Fletcher takes the cake and there were almost no flaws in his game defensively. 2. Asdrubal Cabrera came to the Indians in a lopsided trade with the Mariners and became a popular fixture in the middle of Clevelands infield. fletcher was arguably the best defensive shortstop of the last decade of the dead ball era. 1. Also find JAWS rankings for the games greatest Shortstops. Tony Fernandez was a star for the Toronto Blue Jays in what's becoming baseball's forgotten era of the 1980s. WebAndrelton Simmons is still the best defensive shortstop in baseball and quite possibly the best defensive shortstop to ever play the game. But somehow he's in the HOF and no one seems to bring up his defense. Join our linker program. we can assume that they are all an a+ defensively, as they are in the top 10 of all time defensively for a shortstop. Find out more. His struggles at the plate held him back from being one of the all-time greats, with a .228 career batting average and just 389 RBI in 18 seasons. Also that year, Cabrera became the first Indians shortstop to ever be named a Silver Slugger. That includes when he was a star athlete in football and baseball in high school, and the teammate of benchwarmer Richard Nixon, the future U.S. president. Wagner also won eight batting titles while playing almost his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he won his lone World Series title in 1909. Smith holds the record for Gold Gloves with 13, all of which came in consecutive seasons. Knickerbocker added a .955 fielding percentage. 10 spot. Career Wins Above Replacement. Tinker was also a good solid offensive player for a shortstop. 19. Play ball!Braves Were curious to see what Michael Harris IIs defensive ceiling is. But there were other great one's, like Ron Hansen. He was called the wizard for his defense. I have updated the site and Barry is now on the list. For each individual player, the years shown represent only the seasons that the player was primarily a shortstop for Cleveland. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. Amed Rosarioacquired from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor tradeis the Guardians' starting shortstop in 2022. Many of the latter are forgotten by fans, so in this article, I will look back on 10 players you forgot played for the Cleveland Indians. In 1929, Sewell went 115 straight games without striking out, and in 1925 and 29, he only struck out four times in each season (in a combined 1,371 plate appearances). 10. art fletcher (1910s)offensive rating: b+. WebThe Cleveland Indians employed one of the best shortstops of all time from 1994 to 2002, but the history of Indians standouts at the position stretches back more than a century. 5. joe tinker (1900s) offensive rating: b. tinker was the best defensive shortstop of mlbs first 50 seasons. Reply. 2023 All-Star Game, 2022 All-Star Game, All-Time All-Star Batters, All-Time All-Star Pitchers, Frivolities and More Oracle of Baseball , Uniform Number Tracker , the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Nick, thanks for pointing out my This is the guy that almost "every" historian has in the top three. He holds the MLB records for shortstops for best fielding percentage (.985), games played (2,968) and double plays turned (1,734). but there were others who were also great. Throughout history, executives for the Cleveland Indians have possessed a knack for making the most out of trades. He's not higher on this list for that reason the same reason we left Miguel Tejada off altogether. In 1942, he became a player-manager for the Indians at age 24 and remained in that role until 1950. Omar Vizquel is definitely in the conversation for the greatest fielding shortstop of all time. 2023 All-Star Game, 2022 All-Star Game, All-Time All-Star Batters, All-Time All-Star Pitchers, Frivolities and More Oracle of Baseball , Uniform Number Tracker , In this article, I'll explore the 10 greatest trades the Indians ever made. He was an incredible defensive Shortstop and a heck of an offensive player for a Shortstop. But despite Held's successes as a shortstop, he became a utility player in 1963, and he only appeared in five games as a shortstop during his final two seasons with the Indians. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. It was the first time a shortstop won the batting championship in the American League and was the highest batting average recorded by a shortstop in the 20th century. National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. Ranking shortstops is a tricky process, given how the position has evolved throughout history. 7 overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft and within one year was the everyday shortstop for the Colorado Rockies. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: Edit: sorry this is just what immediately springs to mind when I see the name Joe Tinker. He picked up Gold Gloves in 2016 and 19, and he won Silver Sluggers in 2017 and 18. That's because a good part of his legacy was built on spending his entire career with the long-suffering Chicago Cubs. Also for Ripken that accounts for his time at third base. Only 57 were made, and in 2016, a PSA-5 grade T206 sold for $3.2 million, breaking its own record for the most expensive baseball card ever sold. Many thanks to him. Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0 . Throughout their history, the Cleveland Indians have recorded plenty of exciting seasons. While they wont be able to match up against the highly favored New York Yankees in name, they still boast a very high caliber starting lineup with a mix of speed, power, average, and defense. One of the last thing you'll hear mentioned with his name is his defense, but he was pretty good at that, too. For all of his accomplishments, Reyes never got a chance to play in the World Series in 16 seasons. His 44 home runs in his second full season established a new record for shortstops, and his 277 career homers as a shortstop stood as the positional record until the 1990s. Ernie Banks isn't the greatest MLB player to never win a World Series, but he's probably the most famous for not winning one. 1. lou boudreau (1940s) offensive rating: a. it is in the hof where it belongs, but at the same time, it seems to have fallen into oblivion with the common fan. Throughout his career, Fernandez won four Gold Gloves. The way it really was. The Mets showed exactly how special they thought Lindor was when they signed him to a 10-year, $340 million contract before the 2021 season. but tinker surpassed them all. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Born: Oct. 10, 1984 (Santa Clara, California), Teams: Colorado Rockies (2006-15), Toronto Blue Jays (2015-17), New York Yankees (2019), Career highlights: Five-time MLB All-Star (2010, 2011, 2013-15), two-time Gold Glove Award (2010, 2011), two-time Silver Slugger Award (2010, 2011). WebIn his The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, ber-sabermetrician Bill James rated the 100 best players at every position. He would probably have a few more Gold Gloves if not for injuries throughout his career, but he still managed three straight from 2007-2000. Easily a top 10 shortstop of all time, and not far from the top 5. He enjoyed his best season in 1999, when he set career-highs with a .333 average, 191 hits, and 112 runs. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. That left side of the infield the Orioles had with him and Brooks Robinson has got to be the best defensive half of the infield of all time. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. By career WAR, the top ten shortstops of all-time are Honus Wagner, lex Rodrguez, Cal Ripken Jr., George Davis, Arky Vaughan, Luke Appling, Robin Yount, Ozzie Smith, Bill Dahlen and Derek Jeter. Post author: Post published: April 6, 2023; Post category: highest wind speed ever How much of that can be attributed to modern medicine is the real question. Mark Belanger (1970s) offensive rating: D +. Banks was a power-hitting shortstop and racked up a whopping 512 career home runs. He won 13 Gold Glove Awards, made 15 All-Star teams and helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series three times, winning once in 1982. He helped lead them to the World Series in 1959, when he finished as runner-up in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. The St David's Day Run was first organised in 2003 by Mr Huw Lewis MBE. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. the best defensive shortstop of the 1970s, with arguments by dave concepcion. WebWe list Shortstops by WAR in their best five consecutive seasons. He played half of a season as a rookie, but he hit .317 in 1934 and started a stretch of three straight seasons with at least 30 doubles. Don't use the last two seasons from Lindor as an example of the direction his career is going. Boudreau had his best season in 1948, when the former basketball All-American at the University of Illinois led the Indians to a World Series championship as the team's star player and manager and was named American League Most Valuable Player. Ripken pushed the streak to 2,632 games before it ended, although his career was much more than the streak. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. The best defensive Shortstop from the 1970s, with arguments from Dave Concepcion. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Ranked in the top 100 Best Baseball Blogs As Ranked by Feedspot, The 20 Greatest Oakland Athletics of All-Time, The 20 Greatest Pittsburgh Pirates of All-Time, The 20 Greatest Detroit Tigers of All-Time, 100 Greatest Starting Pitchers of All-Time, The 20 Greatest Cleveland Indians of All-Time, Years: 1982 1994, 1996 1997, 1999, 2001 2007, Years: 1936 1937, 1939 1943, 1945, 1947 1955. It seemed as though every game wed see a play that had the whole crowd on its feet. Notably, Mickey Doolan, Roger Peckinpaugh and Terry Turner. 11-20 here are 10 more Shortstop's that gave Fletcher a run for his money for the No. But when considering just the first five years of his first stint in Cleveland, Franco was an up-and-coming shortstop who built the foundation for a 23-year career. 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