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All-Time Career Batting Leaders
before and after the Deadball Era

Here are the all-time major league leader boards (including the 1871-1875 National Association) after the 1900 season and after the 1919 season. So these tables show how the all-time Top Ten in each category changed during the Deadball Era.

Batting Games includes games played only as a baserunner but not games played only as a pitcher-fielder or only as a fielder, so it might be called games played on offense. Plate Appearances is the sum of At Bats, Bases on Balls, and first bases on Hit by Pitch. It some seasons, that differs from plate appearances by sacrifice bunts or flies and first base on balk or interference. Bold face highlights those 1900 leaders who were still leaders after 1919.

Career Batting Leaders to 1900 . . . and to 1919

    Batting Games
    G                   to 1900                                 to 1919
                                        
    Cap Anson           2523                Honus Wagner        2792        
    Bid McPhee          2135                Cap Anson           2523        
    Jim O'Rourke        1998                Sam Crawford        2517        
    Roger Connor        1997                Nap Lajoie          2480        
    John Ward           1825                Bill Dahlen         2443        
    Tom Brown           1786                Jake Beckley        2386        
    Jimmy Ryan          1778                Bobby Wallace       2383        
    George Van Haltren  1741                George Davis        2368        
    Jack Glasscock      1736                Lave Cross          2275        
    Germany Smith       1710                Fred Clarke         2242        

    Plate Appearances (estimate)  
    PA                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           11319               Honus Wagner        11739          
    Bid McPhee          9409                Cap Anson           11319          
    Jim O'Rourke        9047                Sam Crawford        10594          
    Roger Connor        8837                Jake Beckley        10470          
    Tom Brown           8182                Nap Lajoie          10460          
    Jimmy Ryan          8092                Bill Dahlen         10390          
    John Ward           8084                George Davis        10151          
    George Van Haltren  7953                Fred Clarke         9819           
    Dan Brouthers       7653                Lave Cross          9710           
    Ed McKean           7610                Bobby Wallace       9612           
                                                                               
    At Bats             
    AB                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           10277               Honus Wagner        10430          
    Jim O'Rourke        8501                Cap Anson           10277          
    Bid McPhee          8291                Nap Lajoie          9589           
    Roger Connor        7794                Sam Crawford        9570           
    John Ward           7647                Jake Beckley        9526           
    Tom Brown           7363                Lave Cross          9072           
    Jimmy Ryan          7243                Bill Dahlen         9031           
    George Van Haltren  7110                George Davis        9031           
    Paul Hines          7062                Tommy Corcoran      8804           
    Jack Glasscock      7030                Bobby Wallace       8618           
                                                                               
    Hits                
    H                   to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           3418                Cap Anson           3418           
    Jim O'Rourke        2642                Honus Wagner        3415           
    Roger Connor        2467                Nap Lajoie          3242           
    Dan Brouthers       2296                Sam Crawford        2961           
    George Van Haltren  2255                Willie Keeler       2932           
    Bid McPhee          2250                Jake Beckley        2930           
    Jimmy Ryan          2238                Jesse Burkett       2850           
    Ed Delahanty        2174                Ty Cobb             2713 (active)  
    Hugh Duffy          2171                Fred Clarke         2672           
    Paul Hines          2134                George Davis        2660           
                                                                               
    Doubles             
    2B                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           581                 Nap Lajoie          657            
    Jim O'Rourke        465                 Honus Wagner        640            
    Dan Brouthers       460                 Cap Anson           581            
    Roger Connor        441                 Ed Delahanty        522            
    Ed Delahanty        430                 Jake Beckley        473            
    Paul Hines          399                 Jim O'Rourke        465            
    Jimmy Ryan          394                 Dan Brouthers       460            
    King Kelly          359                 Sam Crawford        458            
    Harry Stovey        347                 George Davis        451            
    Sam Thompson        340                 Jimmy Ryan          451            
                                                                               
    Triples             
    3B                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Roger Connor        233                 Sam Crawford        309            
    Dan Brouthers       205                 Honus Wagner        252            
    Jake Beckley        188                 Jake Beckley        243            
    Bid McPhee          188                 Roger Connor        233            
    Buck Ewing          178                 Fred Clarke         220            
    Harry Stovey        174                 Ty Cobb             210 (active)   
    Mike Tiernan        162                 Dan Brouthers       205            
    Sam Thompson        159                 Joe Kelley          194            
    Ed McKean           158                 Bid McPhee          188            
    Ed Delahanty        154                 Ed Delahanty        185            
                                                                               
    Home Runs           
    HR                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Roger Connor        138                 Roger Connor        138            
    Sam Thompson        127                 Sam Thompson        127            
    Harry Stovey        122                 Harry Stovey        122            
    Mike Tiernan        106                 Gavy Cravath        118 (active)   
    Dan Brouthers       106                 Jimmy Ryan          118            
    Jimmy Ryan          105                 Hugh Duffy          106            
    Hugh Duffy          104                 Dan Brouthers       106            
    Cap Anson           97                  Mike Tiernan        106            
    Fred Pfeffer        94                  Ed Delahanty        101            
    Herman Long         86                  Honus Wagner        101            
                                                                               
    Bases on Balls      
    BB                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Billy Hamilton      1123                Billy Hamilton      1187           
    Roger Connor        1002                Jimmy Sheckard      1135           
    Cap Anson           983                 Bill Dahlen         1064           
    Bid McPhee          981                 Roy Thomas          1042           
    Cupid Childs        961                 Jesse Burkett       1029           
    Dummy Hoy           877                 Donie Bush          1007           
    Dan Brouthers       840                 Dummy Hoy           1004           
    Mike Griffin        809                 Miller Huggins      1003           
    Billy Nash          803                 Roger Connor        1002           
    Paul Radford        790                 Cupid Childs        991            
                                                                               
    Hit Batsmen         
    HB                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Tommy Tucker        272                 Hughie Jennings     287            
    Hughie Jennings     263                 Tommy Tucker        272            
    Curt Welch          173                 Dan McGann          230            
    Jake Beckley        150                 Jake Beckley        183            
    Steve Brodie        118                 Curt Welch          173            
    Dummy Hoy           116                 Kid Elberfeld       165            
    John McGraw         111                 Fred Clarke         153            
    Bill Joyce          108                 Bill Dahlen         140            
    Dan McGann          105                 Frank Chance        137            
    Dan Brouthers       105                 Nap Lajoie          134            
                                            Dummy Hoy           134            
                                            John McGraw         134            
                                                                               
    Runs Scored         
    R                   to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           1996                Cap Anson           1996           
    Jim O'Rourke        1728                Honus Wagner        1736           
    Bid McPhee          1678                Jim O'Rourke        1729           
    Roger Connor        1620                Jesse Burkett       1720           
    Billy Hamilton      1619                Willie Keeler       1719           
    Dan Brouthers       1523                Billy Hamilton      1690           
    Tom Brown           1521                Bid McPhee          1678           
    Jimmy Ryan          1508                Jimmy Ryan          1642           
    George Van Haltren  1501                George Van Haltren  1639           
    Hugh Duffy          1495                Roger Connor        1620           
                                                                               
    Runs Batted In      
    RBI                 to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           2076                Cap Anson           2076           
    Roger Connor        1322                Honus Wagner        1732           
    Dan Brouthers       1296                Nap Lajoie          1599           
    Sam Thompson        1296                Jake Beckley        1575           
    Hugh Duffy          1249                Sam Crawford        1525           
    Ed Delahanty        1242                Ed Delahanty        1464           
    Jim O'Rourke        1203                George Davis        1437           
    Jake Beckley        1171                Lave Cross          1371           
    Ed McKean           1124                Roger Connor        1322           
    Bid McPhee          1067                Hugh Duffy          1302           
                                                                               
    Sacrifice Hits      
    SH                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Herman Long         110                 Willie Keeler       350            
    Bones Ely           108                 Eddie Collins       332 (active)   
    Fred Tenney         98                  Ray Chapman         293 (active)   
    Dummy Hoy           93                  Jimmy Sheckard      286            
    Willie Keeler       91                  Joe Tinker          285            
    Tommy Corcoran      88                  Jack Barry          284            
    Hughie Jennings     86                  Frank Schulte       279            
    Cupid Childs        85                  Jake Daubert        276 (active)   
    Claude Ritchey      83                  Fred Tenney         275            
    Bobby Lowe          82                  Terry Turner        268            
                                                                               
    Stolen Bases        
    SB                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Billy Hamilton      892                 Billy Hamilton      912            
    Arlie Latham        738                 Ty Cobb             765 (active)   
    Tom Brown           657                 Arlie Latham        739            
    Bid McPhee          568                 Honus Wagner        722            
    Hugh Duffy          559                 Tom Brown           657            
    Dummy Hoy           556                 George Davis        616            
    John Ward           540                 Dummy Hoy           594            
    George Van Haltren  539                 George Van Haltren  583            
    Harry Stovey        509                 Hugh Duffy          574            
    Herman Long         476                 Bid McPhee          568            
                                                                               
    Extra-Base Hits     
    EBH                 to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           820                 Honus Wagner        993            
    Roger Connor        812                 Nap Lajoie          903            
    Dan Brouthers       771                 Sam Crawford        864            
    Jim O'Rourke        678                 Cap Anson           820            
    Ed Delahanty        666                 Roger Connor        812            
    Jimmy Ryan          646                 Ed Delahanty        808            
    Harry Stovey        643                 Jake Beckley        802            
    Sam Thompson        626                 Dan Brouthers       771            
    Jake Beckley        586                 Jimmy Ryan          726            
    Paul Hines          549                 Ty Cobb             708 (active)   
                                                                               
    Total Bases         
    TB                  to 1900                                 to 1919
                                                                               
    Cap Anson           4574                Honus Wagner        4862           
    Roger Connor        3788                Cap Anson           4574           
    Jim O'Rourke        3595                Nap Lajoie          4474           
    Dan Brouthers       3484                Sam Crawford        4328           
    Jimmy Ryan          3241                Jake Beckley        4147           
    Ed Delahanty        3158                Ed Delahanty        3791           
    Bid McPhee          3088                Roger Connor        3788           
    George Van Haltren  3018                Ty Cobb             3765 (active)  
    Sam Thompson        3011                Jesse Burkett       3759           
    Hugh Duffy          3006                Fred Clarke         3674   

Acknowledgments. The source of underlying season statistics is The Baseball Database version 5.2 (lahman_52), 2005.


2005-09-18
Last modified: 2005-10-09 (batting games, plate appearances)
Paul Wendt
© Society for American Baseball Research, 2005