Bobby Wallace (baseball)

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Bobby Wallace (baseball) bigraphy, stories - American baseball player, coach, manager

Bobby Wallace (baseball) : biography

November 4, 1873 – November 3, 1960

Rhoderick John "Bobby" Wallace (November 4, 1873 – November 3, 1960) was a Major League Baseball infielder, pitcher, manager, umpire and scout.

Career

Wallace was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He made his major league debut in as a starting pitcher with the Cleveland Spiders. After a 12–14 record in , Wallace played outfield and pitcher in . In Wallace was an everyday player as he became the team’s full-time third baseman, batted .335 and drove in 112 runs.

In , Wallace moved to the St. Louis Perfectos (renamed the Cardinals in ) and changed position to shortstop. He hit .295 with 108 RBI and 12 home runs (second in the league behind Buck Freeman’s 25). Wallace changed teams again in , when he joined the St. Louis Browns.

His playing time began decreasing a decade later, with his last season as a regular coming in . Wallace played in just 55 games in , and never played that much again for the rest of his career. In July , he returned to the National League and the Cardinals, and played in just eight games that season. After batting .153 in 32 games in , Wallace retired with a .268 career batting average, 1059 runs, 34 home runs, 1121 RBI and 201 stolen bases. He played his last game on September 2, 1918 at the age of 44 years and 312 days, making him the oldest shortstop to play in a regular-season game. The record was broken by Omar Vizquel on May 7, 2012.

Wallace was generally recognized as the AL’s best shortstop from 1902 to 1911, when he served briefly as Browns player-manager.

He played for 24 seasons, and holds the record for the longest career by a player who never played in a World Series.

When his playing time diminished, Wallace managed and umpired. He managed the and St. Louis Browns and part of the Cincinnati Reds season, compiling 62 wins and 154 losses for a .287 winning percentage. He also managed the minor league Wichita Witches in . Upon retiring, he also became a scout.

Wallace was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in .