A good player, but if you can identify a lesser-qualified Hall of Fame member, I’m all ears. Offensively, he didn’t steal many bases and was a low-average, high-power hitter.įreddie Lindstrom (58.2%, 1924-36). He was a third baseman from his first minor league appearance in 1896 through his major league career to 1904, but then, at age 27, he began to be deployed in the outfield, and from 1909 (age 31) onward, he was pretty much exclusively an outfielder. Even by the norms of his day, Leach was a little guy (5’6½”, 150). A hitter that great would have to be a far worse fielder than Thome to not provide enormous value as a third baseman. It was always obvious that he’d wind up at first eventually, but the Indians were able to extract several useful seasons out of Thome at third base. To look at the huge, slow Thome, one might expect he would have been a horrible third baseman, but he wasn’t too bad. Then the Lee May-for- Joe Morgan trade opened up first base, and Perez never played another inning at third, but he hadn’t been a terrible fielder there. Never graceful, but long-limbed and reasonably agile, Perez was signed as a second baseman, and he played mostly third in the minors and majors through age 29. Both the Cardinals (see Joe Torre below) and Dodgers gave him serious shots at third in 19, but he fielded dreadfully both times, and was just a first baseman from then on. He might have developed into a decent third baseman, but being Allen, he expended ever-diminishing effort toward doing so, and finally the Phillies just gave up on playing him there altogether. He originally played shortstop and then second base in the minors before being shifted to the outfield he never handled a professional chance at third base until his major league Rookie of the Year season. Like Killebrew, built like a mailbox, but in Allen’s case, only from the waist up Allen’s legs were actually rather slender, and for someone of his immense strength, he was remarkably light on his feet. He established himself there in his first full big-league season, but was shifted to first base the very next year-damage control, one might say.īut Killebrew wasn’t a terrible third baseman he was acceptable enough there to be moved back to third in two separate periods (1965-71) when the needs of his team dictated it, and he was still there for 64 games at the age of 35.ĭick Allen (37.9%, 1963-77). He was signed as a second baseman (suggesting he might not yet have been quite so thick-bodied in high school) but immediately moved to third. Very thick-bodied, very strong and very slow, Killebrew was pretty much unsuited for any position except the batter’s box he didn’t throw well enough to be a catcher-a scout who passed on signing him said “he throws like a girl.” To be fair, Killebrew was sure-handed. Harmon Killebrew (35.3% of his major league defensive appearances were as a third baseman, between 19). This time, we’ll peruse the very long list of highly talented players who, for one reason or another, wisely or foolishly, were allowed to spend only part of their careers passing through The Crossroads. Last time, we looked at the most prominent major leaguers who played all or mostly at third base.
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