Cooperstown Chronicles - Harry Stovey

Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI

I’ve decided to profile Harry Stovey.  Here are my findings.

The Numbers
1486 Games
6138 At Bats
.289 Batting Average
1492 Runs (66th All-time)
1771 Hits
347 Doubles
174 Triples (21st)
122 Home Runs
908 RBI
663 Walks 
509 Stolen Bases (33rd All-time)

Awards

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average - Six Times
On-Base % - Seven Times
Slugging % - Eight Times (Led league in 1883, 1889 & 1891)
OPS -Eight Times
Games - Twice (Led league in 1885)
At-Bats - Three Times
Runs - Ten Times (Led league in 1883, 1884, 1885 & 1889)
Hits - Four Times
Total Bases - Eight Times (Led league in 1883, 1889 & 1891)
Doubles - Nine Times (Led league in 1883)
Triples - Seven Times (Led league in 1880, 1884, 1888 & 1891)
Home Runs - Eleven Times (Led league in 1880, ‘83, ‘85, ‘89 & 1891)
RBI - Five Times (Led league in 1889)
Extra-Base Hits - Ten (Led league in 1880, ‘83, ‘84, ‘89 & 1891)
Walks - Eight Times
Stolen Bases - Five Times (Led league in 1886 & 1890)

Harry is one of the forgotten players of the Dead Ball Era.  He played for the Worcester Ruby Legs, Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Reds, Boston Beaneaters, Baltimore Orioles, and the Brooklyn Grooms.  He was consistently one of the best sluggers in the game.   He was alos one of the games best basestealers.  His real last name was Stowe, but he used the alternative surname to keep his family from finding out.  He strung together nine straight 110+ run seasons.  He had 509 career stolen bases despite not having any recorded until he was 29 and six years into his playing career.  He was the first player to hit 100 career Home Runs.  His Black Ink and Gray Ink ratings are all above what you typically need to be enshrined.  I don’t know why he was overlooked, but to me clearly he is deserving of enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.

References
Baseball-reference.com
Baseball Library

Past Chronicles
Bert Byleven
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Bobby Matthews
Tommy John
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Jim Rice
Ted Simmons
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Al Oliver
Steve Garvey
Jim Kaat
Pete Ro$e
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Dave Concepcion
Lou Whitaker
Alan Trammell
Ron Santo
Ron Guidry
Gil Hodges
Dave Parker
Tony Mullane
Keith Hernandez
Don Mattingly
Dwight Evans
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Harold Baines
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Joe Carter
Rusty Staub
Gary Gaetti
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
Roger Maris
Lance Parrish
Mo Vaughn
Mark Grace
Dennis Martinez
Chuck Finley
Fred McGriff
Wes Parker
Steve Finley
Orlando Cepeda*
Albert Belle
Willie Randolph
Graig Nettles
Luis Gonzalez
Lefty O’Doul
Rocky Colavito
Boog Powell
Jerry Koosman
Mike Cuellar
Edgar Martinez
Brooks Robinson*
Roberto Alomar
Dave Stieb
John Franco
Maury Wills
Sherry Magee
Phil Rizzuto*
Orel Hershiser
Frank Viola
David Cone
Dwight Gooden
Tim Raines
Bernie Williams
Barry Larkin
Pete Browning
Bobby Veach 
Tony Oliva

* signifies actual Hall of Famers

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