Fred Carroll

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Fred Carroll baseball card
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Fred Carroll baseball card

Frederick Herbert (Fred) Carroll (July 2, 1864 - November 7, 1904) was a catcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1884 through 1891, he played with the Columbus Buckeyes (1884) and for the Pittsburgh teams Alleghenys (1885-89), Burghers (1890) and Pirates (1891). Carroll batted and threw right handed. He was born in Sacramento, California.

In an eight-season career, Carroll posted a .284 batting average with 27 home runs and 366 RBI in 754 games played.

According Bill James in his book Baseball Abstract, Carroll has been the best "young" catcher before Johnny Bench. A victim of the 1890's Brotherhood, he also was a competent outfielder and played shortstop, first base, and third as well.

In 1886 Carroll compiled career-high numbers in hits (140) and doubles (28) while batting .288 with 92 runs and 64 RBI. The next season he went .328, 71, 54, and had a career-high 15 triples.

Carroll holds a major league catchers record for age 24 in OPS with a .970 mark, set in 1889. The same season, he posted a career-high .330 BA and a .930 fielding percentage as catching. An above-average runner with good instincts, he compiled 137 stolen bases in his career.

Carroll died in San Rafael, California, at age 40.

[edit] Highlights

  • Led NL in on base percentage (1889, .486)
  • Led NL in OPS (1889, .970)
  • Became the first Pittsburgh player to hit for the cycle (May 2, 1887)
  • Set a major league record with nine hits in a doubleheader (July 5, 1886)

[edit] Sources