GAVVY CRAVATH

Gavvy "Cactus" Cravath was the pre-Babe Ruth home run champ. Some cynics snicker that he had a career high of 24, once led the NL with 8 and had a lifetime total of 119. Critics also say that he played in the Baker Bowl, with its short left field porch. True, but he was right-handed and thus was going to the opposite field. 24 homers was a phenomenal number back then, it stood as the record for five years until Babe Ruth hit 29 in 1919. And Gavvy was the top home run hitter of the 1910's with 116. He led the NL in homers six times. Anyone who leads in any major category for a decade, and who leads the league half a dozen times, is a star in my book

Furthermore, when the 27-year old California-bred outfield first came up to the Red Sox in 1908, he faced some pretty stiff competition, in a couple of young men named Harry Hooper and Tris Speaker. Returning to Triple A ball for a half-decade, in the days when many fine ballplayers spent their entire careers in the bushes, Cravath starred for the mighty Minneapolis Millers. By the time he made his way back to The Show, he was already 31. When he was leading the NL in homers he was already in his mid-30s. Had he played in his prime, he may well be in Cooperstown.

He was a genuine slugger. He had 100 rbis, 1914-16, peeking at 128 in '14. In 1915 he had his career year, leading the NL in runs, homers, rbis, walks, OBP, and slugging. With the help of a long-forgotten hurler named Mayer, and two future Hall of Famers (Grover Alexander and Eppa Rixey), he led the Pheeble Phils to their Phirst Pennant.

Patient for a slugger, he twice led the league in OBP, once in walks, as well as twice in slugging. That patient streak helped him deal with the wild antics of one Casey Stengel, when be was the Cravath endured a year as Phillie player-manger in 1920. Actually, the popular Cravath was known as a practical joker who kept his teams loose. After retiring, he became a Justice of the Peace in California.