| 19th Century | Charlie Bennett | ||
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Full Name: Charles Wesley Bennett Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'11" Weight: 180 lbs. Born: Nov 21, 1854 in New Castle, PA Major League Debut: May 01, 1878 Died: Feb 24, 1927 in Detroit, MI |
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CAREER STATISTICS - BATTING
TOTALS
| BATTING | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YR 1878 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 |
TM Mil Wor Det Det Det Det Det Det Det Det Bos Bos Bos Bos Bos |
LG NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL |
POS C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C |
G 49 51 76 84 92 90 91 72 46 74 82 85 75 35 60 |
AB 184 193 299 342 371 341 349 235 160 258 247 281 256 114 191 |
R 16 20 44 43 56 37 49 37 26 32 42 59 35 19 34 |
H 45 44 90 103 113 90 94 57 39 68 57 60 55 23 40 |
2B 9 9 18 16 34 18 24 13 6 12 8 17 9 4 6 |
3B 0 3 7 10 7 6 13 5 5 4 2 2 3 0 0 |
HR 1 0 7 5 5 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 5 1 4 |
RBI 12 18 64 51 55 40 60 34 20 29 28 40 39 16 27 |
TB 57 59 143 154 176 129 159 92 64 103 81 90 85 30 58 |
BB 10 10 18 20 26 36 47 48 30 31 21 72 42 27 40 |
IBB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
| Totals | G 1062 |
AB 3821 |
R 549 |
H 978 |
2B 203 |
3B 67 |
HR 55 |
RBI 533 |
TB 1480 |
BB 478 |
IBB 0 |
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| BATTING | BASERUNNING | PERCENTAGES | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YR 1878 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 |
TM Mil Wor Det Det Det Det Det Det Det Det Bos Bos Bos Bos Bos |
LG NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL NL |
K 26 30 37 33 59 40 37 29 22 40 43 56 61 23 36 |
HBP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 0 2 |
SH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
SF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
GDP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
SB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 7 4 7 6 3 6 5 |
CS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
SB% -.--- -.--- -.--- -.--- -.--- -.--- -.--- 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 |
AVG .245 .228 .301 .301 .305 .264 .269 .243 .244 .264 .231 .214 .215 .202 .209 |
OBP .284 .266 .341 .340 .350 .334 .356 .371 .363 .347 .296 .377 .332 .355 .352 |
SLG .310 .306 .478 .450 .474 .378 .456 .391 .400 .399 .328 .320 .332 .263 .304 |
AB/HR 184.0 --.- 42.7 68.4 74.2 113.7 69.8 58.8 53.3 51.6 61.8 93.7 51.2 114.0 47.8 |
AB/K 7.1 6.4 8.1 10.4 6.3 8.5 9.4 8.1 7.3 6.5 5.7 5.0 4.2 5.0 5.3 |
| Totals | K 572 |
HBP 11 |
SH 0 |
SF 0 |
GDP 0 |
SB 42 |
CS 0 |
SB% 1.000 |
BAVG .256 |
OBP .340 |
SLG .387 |
AB/HR 69.5 |
AB/K 6.7 |
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19th CENT. WORLD SERIES
STATISTICS - BATTING TOTALS
| BATTING | PERCENTAGES | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YR 1887 1892 |
TM Det Bos |
LG NL NL |
G 11 2 |
AB 42 7 |
R 6 2 |
H 11 2 |
2B 2 0 |
3B 1 0 |
HR 0 1 |
RBI 9 1 |
TB 15 5 |
BB 3 0 |
K 5 2 |
SB 5 1 |
BAVG .262 .286 |
SLG .357 .714 |
AB/HR --.- 7.0 |
AB/K 8.4 3.5 |
| Totals | G 13 |
AB 49 |
R 8 |
H 13 |
2B 2 |
3B 1 |
HR 1 |
RBI 10 |
TB 20 |
BB 3 |
K 7 |
SB 6 |
AVG .265 |
SLG .408 |
AB/HR 49.0 |
AB/K 7.0 |
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| TEAM ABBREVIATION KEY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEARS 1878 1880 1881-1888 1889-1893 |
TM Mil Wor Det Bos |
LG NL NL NL NL |
TEAM NAME Milwaukee Cream Citys Worcester Ruby Legs Detroit Wolverines Boston Beaneaters |
LEAGUE NAME National League National League National League National League |
Charlie Bennett is regarded as the 19th Century's finest catcher. Charlie Bennett led National League catchers seven times in fielding percentages and claimed credit for inventing the chest protector. Compared to today's catchers, he performed under barbaric conditions. As reported in the Detroit Free Press, Bennett had been arrayed in nothing more than a base ball suit, a rubber cork between his teeth, and a thin kid glove on his left hand with the fingers cut out, no mask or protector.
Bennett began his baseball career with the semipro Neshannock club of New Castle, Pennsylvania, played briefly for the Milwaukee Grays of the National League and then Worcester. In 1881 he left Worcester to join the new National League entry in Detroit, the Wolverines, where he invented the chest protector. He had his wife rig up a cork-lined vest, which he wore under his uniform.
In 1887, his seventh year with Detroit, the Wolverines finally won the NL pennant and faced the American Association's St. Louis Browns in the World Series. Following the 1888 season the Detroit franchise collapsed and Bennett was sold to Boston. He played five years for the Beaneaters, and participated in their World Series victory in 1892.
After the 1893 season Bennett went hunting with pitcher John Clarkson. They were on their way from Kansas City to Williamsburgh when Bennett got off the train at Wellsville, Kansas, to speak to an acquaintance. Attempting to reboard the train, he slipped, fell under its wheels, and lost both legs. Fitted with artificial limbs but confined to a wheelchair, Bennett then earned his living running a cigar store.
Detroit fans arranged a day in his honor, and he was given a wheelbarrow full of silver dollars. Later, Detroit's ballpark was named Bennett Park. When it opened on APril 28, 1896, Charlie caught the ceremonial first pitch and repeated the feat for every home opener through 1926. [See 1915 opening day photo.]
