Tom Long (longto01)
From BR Bullpen
Thomas Augustus Long
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Weight 165 lb.
- Debut September 11, 1911
- Final Game September 30, 1917
- Born June 1, 1890 in Mitchum, AL USA
- Died June 15, 1972 in Mobile, AL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Tom Long had a short career but it included a remarkable accomplishment in 1915 when he led the league with 25 triples, eight ahead of 2nd place tripler Honus Wagner. Only one player since then (Kiki Cuyler) has hit as many triples in a season, and even before that only 3 players were able to do better than 25 in the period from 1900-1915.
Long, who was born in 1890, came up briefly with the Washington Senators in 1911 and 1912. In 1915, when the established major leagues were competing for talent with the Federal League, Long became a regular for the St. Louis Cardinals, and it was as a rookie that he hit his 25 triples. No one else on the Cardinals had more than 10 triples, and Long's .294 batting average was second on the team in a year when the league as a whole hit only .248.
In 1916 he appeared in fewer games (119), and while his batting average was almost the same (.293), he hit only 10 triples.
He slumped to .232 the next year, 1917, which was his last in the major leagues. However, his 14 triples were 4th in the league, and his 21 stolen bases were 10th in the league.
An outfielder, Long's range factors were not at all impressive, in spite of the speed he showed while hitting triples.
