|
|
Hall of Merit— A Look at Baseball's All-Time Best
Thursday, February 22, 2007
|
Bookmarks
You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.
Hot Topics
2023 Hall of Merit Ballot Discussion (168 - 1:46pm, Jul 13)Last:  DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: Trophy Case (71 - 6:53pm, Jul 08)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1900 Results (6 - 6:28pm, Jul 08)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1900 Ballot (11 - 4:03pm, Jul 06)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1918 Results (6 - 8:58pm, Jun 29)Last: kennaMost Meritorious Player: 1920 Ballot (25 - 8:55pm, Jun 29)Last: kennaMost Meritorious Player: 1900 Discussion (9 - 1:14am, Jun 29)Last: Harmon RipkowskiHall of Merit Book Club (6 - 12:45pm, Jun 28)Last: progrockfanMost Meritorious Player: 1899 Results (6 - 1:51pm, Jun 22)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1899 Ballot (10 - 9:54am, Jun 22)Last: TomHMost Meritorious Player: 1899 Discussion (9 - 9:04am, May 31)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1898 Results (4 - 3:22pm, May 06)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1898 Ballot (8 - 10:07am, May 05)Last: DL from MNMost Meritorious Player: 1898 Discussion (7 - 1:08am, May 02)Last: Harmon RipkowskiMost Meritorious Player: 1897 Results (2 - 4:29pm, Apr 06)Last: DL from MN
|
|
Reader Comments and Retorts
Go to end of page
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
1. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: February 22, 2007 at 01:47 PM (#2301636)1922 Ballot Discussion
Second Basemen Positional Thread
If you know of any others, please let me know.
>>
Lajoie should have been called "The Big Napoleon".
He was a slugger and, I've learned from 1900 reading, a superstar. A gate attraction.
It's easy to guess that Delahanty was jealous, and to empathize.
But Lajoie couldn't stay in the lineup. He suffered major downtime in '99, '00, '02 (his mid-twenties when he was considered maybe the best player in baseball), '05, and '11 (the batting race with Cobb concluding at age 37). In 1900, the cause was injury fighting Elmer Flick.
<<
--
Yesterday I read the SABR biography "Napoleon Lajoie" by J.M. Murphy, which is The National Pastime 8 (1988), a dedicated issue.
Lajoie was down with pleurisy in winter 1903 and therefore missed the "All-American" team (AL stars) barnstorming tour. Murphy concludes (page 25, emphasis mine):
> Lajoie's recovery was no doubt helped by his own abundant good health.
> He was strong, a physical specimen who received many offers to exhibit his physique
> in dime museums throughout the country. He always refused. "I'm not a freak," he stated.
1899
Jul 14 - collision with baserunner Harry Steinfeldt at second base. "Steinfeldt lay unconscious for almost five minutes" but played next day. Lajoie made five pinch-hitting appearances beginning Sep 15.
1900
May 31 - clubhouse fistfight with teammate Elmer Flick. Lajoie broke his left thumb. Flick missed three game, Lajoie returned only Jul 5.
1902
Apr 23 (opening day in Baltimore) - removed for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, upon delivery of a telegram to manager Mack reporting the temporary injunction issued in Philadelphia. Lajoie returned as newly minted captain of Cleveland team, Jun 4.
1903
winter - pleurisy - Lajoie missed the All-American tour (mainly California) but opened the season.
1905
Jul 1 - spiked at second base but remained in the game. Soon hospitalized with blood poisoning from the blue dye in his uniform stockings. His doctor reportedly thought that amputation might be necessary but he was soon attending home games in a wheelchair. Lajoie returned Aug 28 (a win), playing first base, where he remained for four games with Philadelphia in the next three days. Four defeats dropped Cleveland from 4-1/2 to 8-1/2 games behind and Lajoie sat out the rest of the season.
1907
Jul 10 (1) - spiked at second base but remained in the game, washed and bandaged, and also played the second game. Lajoie returned Aug 5.
1911
May 7 - ruptured a leg muscle. Appeared 15 days later, not again until pinch-hitting twelve times Jul 1-28. Returned fulltime at first base on bad legs.
1912
Jul 11 - in Washington received notice of his mother's death. Lajoie and his wife traveled to Woonsocket after the game and he did not play again until Jul 27.
(Recent Cleveland high school phenom played shortstop and convinced the Naps that he was not worth keeping.)
17 pa, 6 h, 4 bb => on-base .586
--
This is not a full-length biography but the once-standard number of a SABR journal: 84 pages inclusive, 8.5x11 inches.
You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.
<< Back to main