Jack Glasscock
From BR Bullpen
John Wesley Glasscock (Pebbly Jack)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 8", Weight 160 lb.
- Debut May 1, 1879
- Final Game July 13, 1895
- Born July 22, 1857 in Wheeling, WV USA
- Died February 24, 1947 in Wheeling, WV USA
[edit] Biographical Information
". . . one of the great infielders when baseball was young . . ." - from Jack Glasscock's New York Times obituary
Pebbly Jack Glasscock was one of the major stars of the 19th Century. His 7,000+ major league at-bats in that century were exceeded by only a handful of players. Primarily a shortstop, he was an above-average hitter and fielder who led the National League in batting average in 1890.
According to the similarity scores method, the most similar player is another 19th Century perennial, Deacon White. There are two Hall of Famers on Glasscock's list of most similar players, those being Dave Bancroft and John Ward, although Glasscock was clearly a stronger hitter than either of them.
He spent part of 1884 in the Union Association, hitting .419. If he had had enough at-bats, he would have led the league. As it was, his .419 average was far above the team average of the 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds, who hit .271. On the other hand, he spent most of the season in the National League, where his .249 average was just ordinary.
He was player-manager in the National League in both 1889 and 1892. As manager in 1889, he is given credit for finding Amos Rusie pitching in semi-pro ball locally, and signing him for the 1889 Indianapolis Hoosiers.
He worked in construction after his playing days and died at age 89.
". . . one of the greatest players from a fielding standpoint the game has ever known. . ." - from The National Game
| Preceded by Charlie Comiskey | St. Louis Browns Manager 1892 | Succeeded by Cub Stricker |
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2-time NL Hits Leader (1889 & 1890)
- NL Batting Average Leader (1890)
- NL Singles Leader (1889)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1893)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1889)
- 50 Stolen Bases Seasons: 3 (1887 & 1889-1890)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1889)
