Bill Rariden

Bill Rariden
Catcher
Born: (1888-02-04)February 4, 1888
Bedford, Indiana
Died: August 28, 1942(1942-08-28) (aged 54)
Bedford, Indiana
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 12, 1909, for the Boston Doves
Last MLB appearance
October 2, 1920, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Batting average .237
Home runs 7
Runs batted in 272
Teams
Career highlights and awards

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]

Major League career

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]

Career statistics

In a twelve-year major league career, Rariden played in 982 games, accumulating 682 hits in 2,877 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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bill Rariden at Baseball Reference
  2. 1 2 Single-Season Leaders & Records for Assists as Catcher at Baseball Reference
  3. 1 2 "Slim Catchers Replace Big Men In Majors". The Pittsburgh Gazette Times. 6 August 1916. p. 8. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  4. ↑ Vass, George (May 2005). For Catchers, The Name of the Game is Defense. Baseball Digest. Books.Google.com. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  5. ↑ 1917 World Series at Baseball Reference
  6. ↑ 1919 World Series at Baseball Reference
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