OT: 100 Years Ago Today, Baseball's Best Record
 

On this date in 1916, the Pittsburgh Press posted results of a poll, which was asked of ten managers of the day. Those managers were Connie Mack, John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, Clark Griffith, Hugh Jennings, Miller Huggins, Buck "Large Ass" Herzog, Jimmie Callahan, George Stallings and Pat Moran.

They were given six choices and were also able to write in another feat if they desired. The question was simple. What was baseball's best record/feat. The final voting was as follows:

Six chose Old Hoss Radbourn's record of 72 games pitched.
Two voted for Willie Keeler never striking out during the 1896 season with nearly 700 plate appearances.
One voted for Harry Stovey stealing 156 bases in 1888
One voted for Rube Waddell setting a strikeout record with 343 in 1904.
Tip O'Neill batting .492 in 1887 didn't get any votes and neither did George Gibson catching 140 consecutive games in 1909.

The poll has obviously taken a hit over time with better research. Only the Gibson stat is correct now and Radbourn, Waddell and Stovey weren't the record holders at the time. It's a lot of names we talk about here often, so figured it was interesting to share.

Why didn't Corcoran make the list?!?

Those were an interesting collection of feats. More impressive than Radborne's single season games pitched (75 GS, 73 CG in 1884) is his 59 wins in that same season (59-12, rest of staff at 25-16). Several pitchers approached and exceeded Radbourne's games pitched but no one would hit his single season victory total.

Corcoran did hold the record for home runs allowed in a season for awhile, so they could have included it.

I think it's funny that the biggest baseball feat in the first 45 years of pro ball was the fourth highest games started total. That would be like celebrating Stan Musial's 3630 hits as the most impressive now, though the 1815 home/road split does make it more interesting.

That hit split is an incredible stat.

Batting .497 didn't get a vote. That's interesting... Good stuff John!!

Technically that was his on base percentage. Walks counted as hits in 1887. Still quite impressive though.

Tom C