Dave Bancroft
From BR Bullpen
David James Bancroft (Beauty)
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Weight 160 lb.
- Debut April 14, 1915
- Final Game May 31, 1930
- Born April 20, 1891 in Sioux City, IA USA
- Died October 9, 1972 in Superior, WI USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1971
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[edit] Biographical Information
Dave Bancroft was born in Sioux City, IA in 1891. He broke into the major leagues in 1915 with the Philadelphia Phillies, the year they played in their first World Series, hitting .254 in 153 games as a rookie. Bancroft played shortstop for the Phillies until 1920 when he was traded to the New York Giants in mid-season. He played for the Giants until the end of the 1923 season, when he was traded to the Boston Braves. With the Giants, Bancroft was part of the 1921 and 1922 World Series-winning team, hitting .318 in 153 games in 1921 and .321 in 156 games in 1922 as the team's regular shortstop; those were his two best seasons in the majors. Bancroft was a player-manager for the Braves for four seasons from 1924 until 1927. He then went to play for the Brooklyn Robins in 1928 and 1929. He ended his career in 1930 back with the Giants and was a coach with the club from 1930 until 1932.
Bancroft was a career .279 hitter, and never hit more than seven home runs or drove in more than 67 runs in a season. His biggest accomplishments were his post-season success, as a member of the 1921 and 1922 World Series champion Giants teams. He set a major league single-season record in 1922 by handling 984 total chances at shortstop. He was in fact a very fine defensive player who led National League shortstops four times in putouts. He was also very durable, playing over 100 games in 13 seasons, including a league-leading 156 in 1922.
Dave managed the Chicago Colleens in the 1948 AAGPBL and the 1949-1950 South Bend Blue Sox.
Bancroft was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on February 2, 1971 by the Veterans' Committee. However, he is one of the most controversial players in the Hall, with many attributing his election to the presence of cronies on the Veterans' Committee, notably former Giants teammate Frankie Frisch, rather than his baseball achievements. Most players with similar statistics do not have much of a chance of being elected to the Hall of Fame.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1920-1922)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1922)
- Won two World Series with the New York Giants (1921 & 1922)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1971
| Preceded by Fred Mitchell | Boston Braves Manager 1924-1927 | Succeeded by Jack Slattery |
[edit] Records held
- most fielding chances by a shortstop, season: 984 (1922)
[edit] Related Sites
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