MLB history: Forgotten stars of the current NL East teams

Forgotten stars of the current NL East teams

Fred Tenney, Braves

Although Fred Tenney played for the franchise that became the Boston Braves in 1912, he played all of his career for the team first technically known as the Red Stockings, but widely called most of his career the Beaneaters, a name given them by sportswriters in 1883.

Ten of Tenney’s 17 years in MLB were played after the introduction of the foul strike rule, so he is arguably a modern player.

Moreover, he is credited with the introduction of at least three realities in MLB history that are most definitely considered modern. Tenney is credited by SABR.org with the start of the 3-6-3 double play, as well as the practice of playing well away from his base as modern players handle that position the majority of the time now.

Finally, as a smallish player, he seems to have been the first player at his position to stretch towards throws coming from other players, perhaps as a result of his size. The Chicago News reported in 1896: “Tenney’s way is far different from that of other first basemen. He reaches his hands far out for the ball, and stretches his legs so that he is farther out from the bag on every throw than any other first baseman in the league.”

A matter of quiet amazement then, apparently.

Like Flick, Tenney started as a catcher, and a left-handed one at that, but his throws were erratic, and he moved to the outfield, then finally to first. He settled in there despite his 5-foot-9, 155-pound size. (He was long gone from professional baseball before the original home run explosion in MLB history fueled by Babe Ruth and allegedly juiced balls in 1920.)

It was not an expectation then that all MLB first basemen are the size of the current Braves star at that position.

Tenney was a fine hitter as well as a fielding innovator, posting a lifetime batting average of .294 with seven marks over .300 (five before the foul strikes). His two highest modern marks were .315 and .313 in 1902 and ’03. In all, he had 2231 career hits.

He could run a little as well, stealing 285 bases in his career, and gathering 77 triples.

The little first baseman was also feisty when he needed to be, once getting into a fight with Pittsburgh manager Fred Clarke. “Clarke called me names, then I twisted his nose, and he kicked me in the stomach,” he claimed. He got a ten-game suspension, and as a star was thought to be a candidate to jump to the newly-formed American League.

He stayed with the Beaneaters, however.

Fred Tenney’s significant place in MLB history is also bolstered by his four years in Boston when he was the team’s player-manager (although the team was fairly lousy all four years).

The remaining, current NL East teams, of course, are newer teams than the Braves and Phillies, so their forgotten stars may not be as thoroughly forgotten as players from the early 20th century. We’ll start with…