Sherry Magee
From BR Bullpen
Sherwood Robert Magee
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 179 lb.
- Debut June 29, 1904
- Final Game September 27, 1919
- Born August 6, 1884 in Clarendon, PA USA
- Died March 13, 1929 in Philadelphia, PA USA
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[edit] Introduction
Sherry Magee, a largely-forgotten player from early in the 20th Century, was one of the top players of his time. Both the Black Ink and Gray Ink Hall of Fame appraisal methods show him as better than the average Hall of Famer.
One of the most similar players, based on similarity scores, was his near-contemporary Bobby Veach, also a top player who is not well remembered.
[edit] Major Leagues
Magee spent his first eleven seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, from 1904-1914. It was the heart of the deadball era, and so Magee's numbers may not astound, but he was regularly dominating the league. He was in the top ten in batting average five times in that period (winning the title in 1910 while Honus Wagner was fifth). He was in the top ten in slugging percentage ten times in that eleven-year period, finishing first twice. He was in the top ten in runs scored seven times, leading the league once. He was in the top ten in doubles nine times, leading the league once and finishing second five times in a row. He was in the top ten in triples seven times, finishing second three times. He was in the top ten in homers seven times in that period. He led the league three times in RBI in that period.
He and Honus Wagner were the top hitters in the National League in the period 1904-1914.
In 1915, he went to the Boston Braves, playing in the same city as the young pitcher Babe Ruth. His production started to drop off, and partway through the 1916 season he was selected off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds, where he played well for the remainder of 1916, hitting .321. In 1918 with the Reds he again played well, hitting .298 with 13 triples.
His last season was 1919, when he hit only .215. His last appearances in the major leagues were in the tainted 1919 World Series, where he had two at-bats for the Reds, including a hit in game # 7 of the Series.
[edit] After the playing days in the majors
When he was done in the major leagues, he played in the minors for several years and became an umpire. He was a major league umpire in 1928. He died young in 1929.
[edit] Miscellaneous
A New York Times article in the winter of 1911 indicated that "Sherwood Magee, the star batsman of the National League, has signed to play basket ball with a Buffalo team." This was apparently in violation of a team rule.
[edit] Career analysis
Although he played at a very high level of ability for a long time, his career wasn't long enough to reach the Hall of Fame marks that are often required. He didn't get to 3,000 hits, although his 2,169 hits were achieved completely in the dead-ball era when hits were hard to get. He didn't have 500 doubles, although his 425 doubles and 166 triples and 83 home runs show substantial power at a time when few players displayed much power. His 441 stolen bases put him at # 52 of all time.
There are two Hall of Famers on his list of most similar players, one of whom is Edd Roush, his Cincinnati teammate. The two had similar power, although Roush had a higher batting average due to playing much of his career in the lively ball era. One can easily argue, however, that Magee was a better and more dominant player since he does much better on the Black Ink and Gray Ink tests.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL Batting Average Leader (1910)
- NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1910)
- 2-time NL Slugging Percentage Leader (1910 & 1914)
- NL OPS Leader (1910)
- NL Runs Scored Leader (1910)
- NL Hits Leader (1914)
- 2-time NL Total Bases Leader (1910 & 1914)
- NL Doubles Leader (1914)
- 4-time NL RBI Leader (1907, 1910, 1914 & 1918)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (1910 & 1914)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1905 & 1910)
- 50 Stolen Bases Seasons: 1 (1906)
- Won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1919
