Bill Dahlen
Encyclopedia
William Frederick Dahlen (January 5, 1870 - December 5, 1950), nickname
d "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American
professional
baseball
player and manager
. He played as a shortstop
in Major League Baseball
for four National League
teams from to . After twice batting
over .350 for the Chicago Colts
, he starred on championship teams with the Brooklyn Superbas
and the New York Giants
. At the end of his career he held the major league record for career games played
(2,443); he ranked second in walks
(1,064, behind Billy Hamilton's 1,187) and fifth in at bat
s (9,033), and was among the top ten in runs batted in
(1,234), doubles
(414) and extra base hit
s (661). He was also among the NL's top seven players in hits
(2,461; some sources list totals up to 2,471), runs
(1,589), triples
(163) and total bases
(3,447). After leading the league in assists
four times and double play
s three times, he set major league records for career games (2,132), putout
s (4,850), assists (7,500), total chances
(13,325) and double plays (881) as a shortstop; he still holds the record for total chances, and is second in putouts and fourth in assists. His 42-game hitting streak
in was a record until , and remains the fourth longest in history and the longest by a right-handed NL hitter.
Dahlen was born in Nelliston, New York
at the corner of Berthoud and Dahlen and East Main. He was a very good hitter and had a good amount of power for the dead-ball era
. He began his career with the Colts in , and during his eight years with the team finished among the NL's top ten players in home run
s four times and in slugging average three times. He also scored over 100 runs with 10 or more triples in each of his first six seasons; in 1894 he posted the highest batting average to that time by a major league shortstop (various sources state .357 or .362), and he followed with a .352 average in . His 1894 season included a record 42-game hitting streak from June 20 to August 6, surpassing the 33-game streak by George Davis one year earlier. Amazingly, after going 0-for-6 in the next game, a 10-inning contest on August 7, Dahlen pulled off another 28-game streak, ending up having hit in 70 of 71 games. His mark was broken three years later by Willie Keeler
, who hit in 44 straight; that NL record was eventually tied by Pete Rose
. Only Joe DiMaggio
, with his 56-game streak in , has bettered Dahlen's mark among right-handed batters. Dahlen also twice hit three triples in a game, and once he tripled twice in one inning (August 30, 1900).
Prior to the 1899 season, Dahlen was traded by Chicago, and ended up in Brooklyn after another deal. His new team won the NL title in each of his first two seasons, and although his batting average had dropped from that of earlier years, he compensated by continuing to accumulate numerous walks and stolen base
s and by playing outstanding defense. In 1902, he finished fourth in the NL with 74 RBI. In he set an NL record for fielding percentage
with a .948 average, breaking George Wright's 1878
mark of .947; Tommy Corcoran broke his record in with a .952 average.
After the 1903 season, Dahlen was traded to the Giants, the team he'd always strived to play for, in exchange for pitcher
Jack Cronin
and Charlie Babb
. While Cronin and Babb contributed only three bad years to Brooklyn, Dahlen posted great numbers with the Giants, leading the league with 80 RBI in his first year, . In 1905 he was again among the RBI leaders, despite hitting only .242, as the Giants won their first World Series
title. Although he was hitless in the five-game Series, he contributed with flawless defense and by drawing three walks and stealing three bases. He was often considered one of the quietest players in the game, keeping to himself most of the time. After the 1907 season, he was traded to the Boston Doves
, for whom he played his last two full seasons. In he broke Jake Beckley
's record of 2386 career games; his record was broken in turn by Honus Wagner
in . He was named Brooklyn's manager for the 1910 season, but never finished above 6th place in four seasons. His last playing appearances were three games as a pinch-hitter in 1910, and one game at shortstop in .
In a 21-season career, Dahlen batted .272; his 84 home runs were then among the fifteen highest totals in history, and ranked behind only Herman Long (91) among shortstops. His 289 stolen bases after the statistic was redefined in 1898 were then among the ten highest totals, as were his 547 total steals since they were first recorded in 1887. His records for games and putouts at shortstop were broken by Rabbit Maranville
, and his mark for assists was surpassed by Luis Aparicio
, with his NL record standing until Ozzie Smith
broke it in ; his record for double plays was broken by Roger Peckinpaugh
. Dahlen's 14,566 total chances at all positions have been surpassed by only Maranville (16,091) and Wagner (15,536). In four years as a manager, all for Brooklyn, he posted a 251-355 record for a .414 winning percentage; he earned his nickname with a ferocious arguing style which drew 65 ejections as a manager, still among the top ten in history.
Dahlen died in Brooklyn
after a long illness at age 80, and was buried in the Cemetery of the Evergreens
, Brooklyn, New York City, New York. As of 2006, his grave remains unmarked.
In August 2008, he was named as one of ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee
for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. He played as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for four National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
teams from to . After twice batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
over .350 for the Chicago Colts
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, he starred on championship teams with the Brooklyn Superbas
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. At the end of his career he held the major league record for career games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(2,443); he ranked second in walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(1,064, behind Billy Hamilton's 1,187) and fifth in at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s (9,033), and was among the top ten in runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(1,234), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(414) and extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s (661). He was also among the NL's top seven players in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(2,461; some sources list totals up to 2,471), runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(1,589), triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(163) and total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(3,447). After leading the league in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
four times and double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s three times, he set major league records for career games (2,132), putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s (4,850), assists (7,500), total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
(13,325) and double plays (881) as a shortstop; he still holds the record for total chances, and is second in putouts and fourth in assists. His 42-game hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
in was a record until , and remains the fourth longest in history and the longest by a right-handed NL hitter.
Career
Nelliston, New York
Nelliston is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 622 at the 2000 census. The name is from members of the Nellis family.The Village of Nelliston is in the Town of Palatine and is west of Amsterdam....
at the corner of Berthoud and Dahlen and East Main. He was a very good hitter and had a good amount of power for the dead-ball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
. He began his career with the Colts in , and during his eight years with the team finished among the NL's top ten players in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s four times and in slugging average three times. He also scored over 100 runs with 10 or more triples in each of his first six seasons; in 1894 he posted the highest batting average to that time by a major league shortstop (various sources state .357 or .362), and he followed with a .352 average in . His 1894 season included a record 42-game hitting streak from June 20 to August 6, surpassing the 33-game streak by George Davis one year earlier. Amazingly, after going 0-for-6 in the next game, a 10-inning contest on August 7, Dahlen pulled off another 28-game streak, ending up having hit in 70 of 71 games. His mark was broken three years later by Willie Keeler
Willie Keeler
William Henry Keeler in Brooklyn, New York, nicknamed "Wee Willie", was a right fielder in professional baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas in the National League, and the New York Highlanders in the American League.- Biography :Keeler's...
, who hit in 44 straight; that NL record was eventually tied by Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
. Only Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, with his 56-game streak in , has bettered Dahlen's mark among right-handed batters. Dahlen also twice hit three triples in a game, and once he tripled twice in one inning (August 30, 1900).
Prior to the 1899 season, Dahlen was traded by Chicago, and ended up in Brooklyn after another deal. His new team won the NL title in each of his first two seasons, and although his batting average had dropped from that of earlier years, he compensated by continuing to accumulate numerous walks and stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s and by playing outstanding defense. In 1902, he finished fourth in the NL with 74 RBI. In he set an NL record for fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
with a .948 average, breaking George Wright's 1878
1878 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Red Caps*International Association: Buffalo Bisons*Pacific Coast: San Francisco Athletics Inter-league playoff: Boston and Buffalo each won 1 game in 2 game series.-National League final standings:...
mark of .947; Tommy Corcoran broke his record in with a .952 average.
After the 1903 season, Dahlen was traded to the Giants, the team he'd always strived to play for, in exchange for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Jack Cronin
Jack Cronin
John J. Cronin was a 19th century Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1895-1904. He is buried in Oceanview, Cemetery, Section L, formerly known as Vallhalla Cemetery in Staten Island, New York.-External links:*...
and Charlie Babb
Charlie Babb
For the baseball player, see Charlie Babb Charles David Babb was a safety for the Miami Dolphins . He is a graduate of Charleston High School in Charleston, Missouri. Both of Charlie's parents are deaf, making for an interesting home life for Charlie as a child....
. While Cronin and Babb contributed only three bad years to Brooklyn, Dahlen posted great numbers with the Giants, leading the league with 80 RBI in his first year, . In 1905 he was again among the RBI leaders, despite hitting only .242, as the Giants won their first World Series
1905 World Series
- Game 1 :Monday, October 9, 1905 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA pitchers' duel took place between Christy Mathewson and Eddie Plank. Both pitchers got out of jams and were able to shut the offense down. In the Giants top of the fifth, Mathewson singled, but was forced by Roger...
title. Although he was hitless in the five-game Series, he contributed with flawless defense and by drawing three walks and stealing three bases. He was often considered one of the quietest players in the game, keeping to himself most of the time. After the 1907 season, he was traded to the Boston Doves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, for whom he played his last two full seasons. In he broke Jake Beckley
Jake Beckley
Jacob Peter Beckley , nicknamed "Eagle Eye", was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. He was born in Hannibal, Missouri.-Professional career:...
's record of 2386 career games; his record was broken in turn by Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
in . He was named Brooklyn's manager for the 1910 season, but never finished above 6th place in four seasons. His last playing appearances were three games as a pinch-hitter in 1910, and one game at shortstop in .
In a 21-season career, Dahlen batted .272; his 84 home runs were then among the fifteen highest totals in history, and ranked behind only Herman Long (91) among shortstops. His 289 stolen bases after the statistic was redefined in 1898 were then among the ten highest totals, as were his 547 total steals since they were first recorded in 1887. His records for games and putouts at shortstop were broken by Rabbit Maranville
Rabbit Maranville
Walter James Vincent Maranville , better known as Rabbit Maranville due to his speed and small stature , was a Major League Baseball shortstop. At the time of his retirement in 1935, he had played in a record 23 seasons in the National League, a mark which wasn't broken until 1986 by Pete Rose...
, and his mark for assists was surpassed by Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, with his NL record standing until Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
broke it in ; his record for double plays was broken by Roger Peckinpaugh
Roger Peckinpaugh
Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox...
. Dahlen's 14,566 total chances at all positions have been surpassed by only Maranville (16,091) and Wagner (15,536). In four years as a manager, all for Brooklyn, he posted a 251-355 record for a .414 winning percentage; he earned his nickname with a ferocious arguing style which drew 65 ejections as a manager, still among the top ten in history.
Dahlen died in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
after a long illness at age 80, and was buried in the Cemetery of the Evergreens
Cemetery of the Evergreens, Brooklyn
The Cemetery of the Evergreens is a non-denominational cemetery in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, colloquially called Evergreen Cemetery. It was incorporated in 1849, not long after the passage of New York's Rural Cemetery Act spurred development of cemeteries outside Manhattan. For a time, it was...
, Brooklyn, New York City, New York. As of 2006, his grave remains unmarked.
In August 2008, he was named as one of ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
See also
- Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2009 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001 and further revamped in 2007. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Fierce Shortstop Dahlen Stands Test of Time
- BaseballLibrary - career highlights
- Baseball Evolution Hall of Fame - Player Profile