HERMAN LONG – BENCH
You can look at Herman Long and his career two different ways. A speedy superstar in the 1890s, he led the Beaneaters to five NL titles before the modern World Series. Or, he is the all-time leader in errors by a shortstop with 1,070. Trust us when we say he was an above-average fielder. Baseball Reference’s defensive WAR is tricky to understand, but his 2.2, with 75 errors, in 1894 was the best in the NL.
When it came to his star power, he was the big guy in Boston as baseball took hold. For his time, Long was a big bopper. His 12 homers in 1900 topped baseball. Triples were more common in those days and four times he slashed double-digits.
A true five-tool player, six times he stole over 30 bases and scored over 100 runs. In 13 seasons with Boston, he logged 1,647 games and 1,902 hits. Long’s 35.4 WAR is still in the Braves top ten despite playing his last game with Boston in 1902. Think he would love today’s smaller ballparks with manicured infields?
Although Long has slipped away from history, what he did during the first golden age of Braves baseball merits inclusion as an all-time great.
Next: An Iron-Armed Kid