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)
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.