Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance, was the best double-play combination ever...who played 3rd base on that Cubs team?

Answer 1

Harry Steinfeldt did play third base for them up through 1910... However, they were not the best double play combination ever.

Joe Tinker (shortstop) took part in only 73 double plays in 1912, and that was his career high. He only had one other season in the 60s (1905 - 67 DPs). His totals would typically be in the 40s, maybe the 50s.

Johnny Evers (2nd baseman) had 3 seasons in which his total was in the 70s (1912, 13 and 14). He never had any other seasons in the 60s, and had seven seasons in which his total was in the 20s or 30s. (He was not a durable player, and was frequently injured).

Frank Chance played 997 games at first base, and and his record shows only 470 double plays, about 1 double play every two games...


During the (basically) ten years these guys played together, their major league rank in double plays was:

Note: There were 16 major league teams during these years, eight in each league:

1902 / 4th
1903 / 14th
1904 / 9th
1905 / 4th
1906 / 4th
1907 / 4th
1908 / 9th
1909 / 11th
1910 / 8th
1911 / 2nd

Cumulatively during these years, the Cubs ranked 5th overall in the major leagues in double plays.

Their totals were certainly low by today's standards, but they never led the majors in double plays during any of the ten years they played together. Of course, you really can't compare fielding stats among players playing decades apart...fielding certainly improved a lot overall during the 20th century.

The reason some people think they were the best ever (and they certainly were the most famous ever, without question) is because of their names being immortalized in the Franklin Adams poem.

The Cubs did have some good pitchers during that time, Hall of Famer Three Finger Brown, and Ed Ruelbach, who would have been in the HOF had the Old-Timers Committee's of the 1940s done their job properly. But they were never a league leading double play combination.

Answer 2

Harry Steinfeldt (September 29, 1877 - August 17, 1914) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1898-1905), Chicago Cubs (1906-10) and Boston Rustlers (1911). Steinfeldt batted and threw right handed. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

In a 14-season career, Steinfeldt was a .267 hitter with 27 home runs and 762 RBI in 1646 games played.

Answer 3

there was even a song about them!

Answer 4

harry steinfeldt!