Posted By:
RhysYou can easily look up what I quoted as it is right in the 1894 Reach baseball guide. Someone on this forum probably has a copy as I sold mine a few months back. Also, the fact that people today use MODERN fielding stats to compare players of the 19th century is a dislexic way of looking at things.
In the 19th century if you touched a ball and did not make an out, it was considered an error. Therefor the BEST fielders usually had the worst fielding stats. The shortstops or third baseman with the best range made spectacular plays that others could not make, and if they made the play, great, if they got to a ball way in the hole but could not throw the guy out, error. The same problem is used by people who have no clue what they are talking about when refering to Germany Long who was THE BEST defensive shortstop of his era, but led the league in errors almost every year.
Ned Williamson was FAR AND AWAY the best fielding third baseman of the 19th century and basically any book on 19th century baseball will tell you that, but like I said, you cant look at modern stats to prove it. If you read enough material from the 19th century and go to sources from the era and not just reading modern crap from other guys who have never read vintage material, you will get this overwhelming impression over and over again. Ned Williamson was one of the premier players of early baseball and he was voted more popular than Anson and Kelly in the 1894 guide.