Delahanty was clearly the best hitter in the league. Despite missing 15 games, he was second in the league in runs produced, and fourth in total bases. Though
he was still he top form as a player, this would be 35-year-old Delahanty's
last full year. Next spring, he got drunk on a train and was kicked off at
the Canadian border. A week later, his body washed up at the bottom of Niagara
Falls. Apparently he walked right off the bridge and fell to his death,
though there have always been odd rumours that he may have been pushed.
This was Charlie Hickman's best season. He was nicknamed
"Piano Legs", another one of those cruelly descriptive nicknames
you just don't see anymore. He was originally a third baseman, but...well,
let's just say that playing third base requires quickness and
agility not normally found in a man named "Piano Legs". In 1900,
for example, he made a record 86 errors (yes, 86) at third base. He was moved
to first base, where he made only 40 errors this year.
George Davis, Lave Cross and Bobby Wallace were three more stars
who switched to the AL. Cross was one of the best third basemen from
the dead ball era. He wasn't a great hitter, though he lasted long enough
to accumulate over 2500 hits in his career. He had little power and rarely
walked, but was a very good defensive player. This was his best season in
the AL, and he helped Philadelphia win the pennant.
This was George Davis' best year in the AL. He is one of the
most underrated players in baseball history. He was a great
shortstop, better than many players who are in the Hall Of Fame. But
Davis has been forgotten by time, and was excluded from the Hall until he
was finally inducted in 1999. Davis was a great defensive player, had
over 2600 hits, over 600 stolen bases, and as many RBI as Jim Rice.
The best players above were Cross, Bill Bradley, and Nap
Lajoie. Lajoie was the best player, but missed a lot of games.
Bradley may have been a better hitter than Cross, but Cross led the
AL in runs produced, and led his team to the pennant. I'll give him
the edge over the other two.
