Bill Rariden | |
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Catcher | |
Born: February 4, 1888 Bedford, Indiana |
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Died: August 28, 1942 Bedford, Indiana |
(aged 54)|
Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
MLB debut | |
August 12, 1909 for the Boston Doves | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 2, 1920 for the Cincinnati Reds | |
Career statistics | |
Batting average | .237 |
Home runs | 7 |
Runs batted in | 272 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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William Angel Rariden (February 4, 1888 in Bedford, Indiana - August 28, 1942 in Bedford, Indiana), was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1909 to 1920 for the Boston Doves/Rustlers/Braves, Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper, New York Giants, and Cincinnati Reds.[1]
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A light-hitting defensive specialist, Rariden set the major league record for most assists by a catcher in a season with 238 while playing for the Newark Pepper of the Federal League in 1915.[2] Before Rariden's career, most catchers were large, slow-footed players.[3] Rariden's small size and agility helped him become one of the best catchers in major league baseball.[3] Major League status was retroactively applied to the Federal League in 1968. He also had the second highest total with 215 in 1914.[2] In the Deadball Era during which Rariden played, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number of bunts and stolen base attempts, therefore catchers of his era usually accumulated higher assist totals than did those of subsequent eras.[4]
Rariden had his best year offensively with the New York Giants in 1917 when he posted a .271 batting average in 101 games as, the Giants won the National League pennant before being defeated by the Chicago White Sox in the 1917 World Series.[5] Rariden was also a member of the 1919 Cincinnati Reds team that won the scandal-plagued 1919 World Series against the Chicago White Sox.[6]
In a 12 year career, Rariden played in 982 games, accumulating 682 hits in 2877 at bats for a .237 career batting average along with 7 home runs and 272 runs batted in.[1] He ended his career with a .972 fielding percentage.[1] Rariden led Federal League catchers twice in putouts, twice in assists and twice in baserunners caught stealing.[1] He led National League catchers once in putouts.[1]
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