Baseball History: Remembering Jack Glasscock

Jack Glasscock was considered one of the best defensive infielders in the early days of baseball history. He was also an excellent hitter whose career has been overlooked.

Born on this day in 1857, Jack Glasscock dropped out of school in the fourth grade to become a carpenter. He began playing for local baseball teams in the middle of the 1870s, and eventually attracted the attention of professional clubs. In 1878, Glasscock joined the Cleveland Blues, which joined the National League the following year.

He quickly earned a reputation as one of the better fielding infielders in the game. Glasscock became known for his habit of scouring the infield dirt for small pebbles, which he would pocket in order to keep the baseball from having a bad hop, earning him the nickname “Pebbly Jack.” However, this idea worked for Glasscock, as he led the league in fielding percentage six times, and was one of the few shortstops to have a fielding percentage over .900 in that time.

Glasscock was more than an excellent defensive shortstop. He also developed into an excellent hitter, batting over .300 five times. He led the league in batting average in 1890 with the Giants, the team he was awarded to after the Indianapolis Hoosiers folded. Glasscock also became the second player in National League history to lead the league in hits for consecutive seasons, joining Dan Brouthers in that group.

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It was that final season in Indianapolis where Glasscock truly shined. He led the league with 2005 hits, and finished second with 40 doubles and a .352 batting average. Defensively, Glasscock also shined, as he led National League shortstops with 246 putouts, 478 assists, and 60 double plays.

Over the course of his 17 year career, Glasscock provided solid offense. He had a lifetime .290/.337/.374 batting line, good for a 114 OPS+. In his 1737 games, he had 2041 hits, and was the sixth player in baseball history to reach the 2000 hit milestone. Glasscock also had 319 doubles and 373 steals, although the latter statistic was not tracked during his first seven years in the majors.

After his playing days, Glasscock went back to carpentry, working on various construction sites. His time on the diamond gradually faded from memory, as he was only on one Hall of Fame ballot. In 1936, when the Hall opened, he received 2.6% of the vote, equaling Nap Lajoie and more than seven eventual Hall of Famers. Glasscock passed away in 1947 at the age of 89, with his obituary referring to him as “one of the great infielders when baseball was young.“

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One of the best shortstops during the early days of baseball history, Jack Glasscock was a brilliant defensive player who became a solid hitter. While he may not be a Hall of Fame player right now, Glasscock was certainly worthy of being in the discussion.