up to Deadball Era Resources

Games Played
MLB Leaders, 1901-1919

See also the Deadball Era leaders in Games Played by Fielding Position.

Here are the 1901 to 1919 leaders in games played --actually batting games, or games with at least one batting or baserunning appearance. The highest-ranked players achieved the right combination of regular play for many years in good health and coincidence with the time period. Many ballplayers enjoy long careers in good health but few of those play entirely within one of the traditionally recognized time periods, which are no longer than a long career.

The notations show, for example, that Ed Konetchy leads in major league games among players not on the Deadball Honor Roll (a "Top 50"); Clyde Milan is the AL leader and Frank Schulte the NL leader. Roy Hartzell leads in major league and AL games played among those not featured in the Deadball Stars books (about 270 people).

Key to notations
                              + Deadball Honor Roll, first ballot ("Top 24" players)
                              - Deadball Honor Roll, second ballot (26 more)
                    * not selected as a "Deadball Star" (about 270 people)

Leaders, Games Played during the Deadball Era (batting games)

    Major Leagues       Batting Games       American League                 National League

    Sam Crawford        2385  +             Sam Crawford        2114  +     Honus Wagner        2298  +
    Sherry Magee        2087  +             Ty Cobb             1929  +     Tommy Leach         1996  +
    Tommy Leach         1996  -             Eddie Collins       1716  +     Johnny Evers        1782  -
    Nap Lajoie          1988  +             Clyde Milan         1701        Jimmy Sheckard      1768  -
    Ty Cobb             1929  +             Terry Turner        1657        Frank Schulte       1713
    Hal Chase           1919  -             Donie Bush          1627        Ed Konetchy         1675
    Ed Konetchy         1827                Tris Speaker        1619  +     Joe Tinker          1647  -
    Frank Schulte       1806                Bobby Wallace       1569  +     Larry Doyle         1629  -
    Joe Tinker          1804  -             Harry Hooper        1508  -     Miller Huggins      1586

    Johnny Evers        1782  -             Jimmy Austin        1451        Dode Paskert        1550
    Jimmy Sheckard      1772                George McBride      1448        Fred Merkle         1538
    Bobby Wallace       1743  +             Harry Davis         1415        Heinie Zimmerman    1456
    Mickey Doolan       1728                Danny Murphy        1412        Mickey Doolan       1440
    Eddie Collins       1716  +             Frank Baker         1412  +     Dots Miller         1407
    Clyde Milan         1701                Larry Gardner       1389        Buck Herzog         1402
    Terry Turner        1659                Freddy Parent       1325        John Titus          1402
    George McBride      1646                Duffy Lewis         1325        Zack Wheat          1374  -
    Larry Doyle         1629  -             Roy Hartzell    *   1290        Fred Clarke         1373  +
    Donie Bush          1627                Hobe Ferris         1287        Jake Daubert        1353  -

    Tris Speaker        1619  +             Stuffy McInnis      1279        Fred Luderus        1330
    Miller Huggins      1586                Wid Conroy          1275        Kitty Bransfield    1325
    Dode Paskert        1550                Rube Oldring        1239        Fred Tenney         1319
    Fred Merkle         1538                Jack Graney         1235        Hans Lobert         1317
    Harry Hooper        1508  -             Patsy Dougherty     1233        Harry Steinfeldt    1317
    Danny Murphy        1474                Bill Bradley        1231        Art Devlin          1313
    Heinie Zimmerman    1456                Jack Barry          1223        Red Dooin           1290
    Jimmy Austin        1451                Hal Chase           1221  -     Roger Bresnahan     1287  +
    Roger Bresnahan     1438  +             Kid Elberfeld       1207        Bobby Byrne         1282
    Harry Davis         1415                Shano Collins   *   1202        Chief Wilson        1280

    George Stovall      1414
    Frank Baker         1412  +
    Dots Miller         1407
    John Titus          1402
    Buck Herzog         1402
    Larry Gardner       1389
    Wid Conroy          1374
    Zack Wheat          1374  -
    Fred Clarke         1373  +
    Jake Daubert        1353  -

    Fred Luderus        1330
    Freddy Parent       1325
    Kitty Bransfield    1325
    Duffy Lewis         1325
    Cy Seymour          1319  -
    Fred Tenney         1319
    Dick Hoblitzel      1318
    Hans Lobert         1317
    Harry Steinfeldt    1317
    Art Devlin          1313

    Bill Bradley        1304
    Roy Hartzell    *   1290
    Red Dooin           1290
    Hobe Ferris         1287
    Topsy Hartsel       1286
    Bobby Byrne         1283
    Art Fletcher        1280
    Chief Wilson        1280
    Stuffy McInnis      1279  -
    Otto Knabe      *   1278

others in the "Top 24": Joe Jackson 1186, Frank Chance 1114

others on the Honor Roll: Johnny Kling 1245, Max Carey 1232, Gavy Cravath 1174,
Elmer Flick 1084, Heinie Groh 1000, Chief Meyers 992, George Davis 990, Jimmy Collins 955

Player statistics by time-period or "Era". See Games Played by Fielding Position for an overview of eras in the statistical encyclopedias.

Acknowledgments. The data source is The Baseball Database version 5.2 (lahman_52), 2005.


2005-09-18
Paul Wendt
© Society for American Baseball Research, 2005