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Cliff Carroll, Left Fielder
Iowa native Cliff Carroll was an unheralded young outfielder playing his first full season in 1884. He was the only switch-hitter on the 1884 Grays. He was one of the team's better hitters that year, finishing second in runs scored, hits and homers. The press accounts of the Grays' 1884 season suggest that Carroll was a speedy, smooth-fielding, aggressive player. In a day when the long ball was almost unknown, Carroll often "manufactured" runs from virtually nothing. In an August 21 game against Chicago, for example, he led off the ninth inning with a bunt single. He stole second, and took third on a ground out. Then, on a grounder to the shortstop, Carroll plowed into catcher Cap Anson and knocked the ball loose for an important run. In another game, he "ran like a deer in stealing third." Another account described a throw to home as "not in time to catch the fleet Cliff." He was also tough. In the July 2 game, "Carroll, at bat, was hit smartly on the right cheek by a swiftly pitched ball, but after some time resumed play." In those days, the batter did not take first when hit by a pitch. It was just a ball; Carroll presumably just kept hitting and stayed in the game. He played in every game of the year except July 31, leading the team in games played. He was an excellent left-fielder, finishing second in the league in outfield putouts, and fourth in outfield fielding average. The Journal frequently praised his brilliant leaping catches, sometimes made with just one hand, in the days before mitts. After the championship year, Carroll played eight more years in the National League. He never developed into a star hitter, but he stole bases and scored runs. In his best year, he scored 134 runs for the 1890 Chicago Cubs, good for second in the league. He was the starting right fielder for the pennant-winning 1893 Boston team, playing next to Hall of Famer Hugh Duffy in the outfield, but he actually had a very weak year, and disappeared from the majors the following season. He died in Portland, Oregon in 1923; the Providence Journal failed to take notice. copyright Rick Stattler 2002 |
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