A hustling defensive outfield ballhawk and an aggressive base runner Jimmy McAleer was one of the big-names among Cleveland fans early baseball during the late 1890s and early 1900s. While batting, he used a heavy, thick bat, and hit the ball where it was pitched – mostly line-drives … and the 6-foot, 175-pounder was also a hard-nosed base stealer. McAleer played 11 full seasons as an outfielder – drew 365 base-on-balls, struck out only 290 times and stole 262 lifetime bases. He hit over 15 doubles five times, including a career-best 26 in 1892, and a career-high 10 triples in 1891. He managed 11 seasons for various major league teams - his most successful team was the Browns of 1902, who finished in second place in the American League. In his rookie year with Cleveland in 1899, the native of Youngstown, Ohio, hit .235, stole 37 bases… and swiped a career-high 51 bases two seasons later, 1891. James McAleer career stats: .255 BA, 112 Ds, 42 Ts, 15 HRs, 1015 hits in 3980 at bats, 619 Runs, 469 RBIs in 1,021 Games. baseballhistorian.com |