Hal Chase
| Hal Chase | |||
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Chase with the Cincinnati Reds in 1917.
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| First baseman / Manager | |||
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Born: February 13, 1883 Los Gatos, California |
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Died: May 18, 1947 (aged 64) Colusa, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 26, 1905, for the New York Highlanders | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 25, 1919, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .291 | ||
| Home runs | 57 | ||
| Runs batted in | 941 | ||
| Stolen bases | 363 | ||
| Managerial record | 86–80 | ||
| Winning % | .518 | ||
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As player
As manager |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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As player
As manager
Harold Homer Chase (February 13, 1883 – May 18, 1947), nicknamed "Prince Hal", was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, widely viewed as the best fielder at his position. During his career, he played for the New York Highlanders (1905–1913), Chicago White Sox (1913–1914), Buffalo Blues (1914–1915), Cincinnati Reds (1916–1918), and New York Giants (1919).
No lesser figures than Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson named Chase the best first baseman ever, and contemporary reports described his glovework as outstanding. He is sometimes considered the first true star of the franchise that would eventually become the New York Yankees. In 1981, 62 years after his last major league game, baseball historians Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
Despite being an excellent hitter and his reputation as a peerless defensive player, Chase's legacy was tainted by a litany of corruption. He allegedly gambled on baseball games, and also engaged in suspicious play in order to throw games in which he played.
Chase attended Santa Clara College, where he played baseball. He signed his first contract with the Los Angeles Angels of the Class-A Pacific Coast League in 1904. The New York Highlanders selected Chase from Los Angeles in the 1904 Rule 5 draft on October 4, 1904.
Chase joined the Highlanders in 1905, and held out during March 1907, threatening to sign with the outlaw California League if the Highlanders did not increase his salary. Though he agreed to join the Highlanders in April 1907, he also insisted on playing in the California League during the winter. After the Highlanders fired manager Clark Griffith during the 1908 season, Chase held out and insisted he would not play for new manager Kid Elberfeld. Chase loved playing in the off season in California leagues, which he did nearly every year. And nearly every year, as the major league season approached, Chase looked for a way to remain playing in California. But due to the power of the National Agreement and insufficient finances of leagues and teams in California, Chase predictably returned to his major league team in honor of his contract.
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Wikipedia