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Adrian "Cap" Anson
Adrian Cap Anson was a Baseball Hall of Famer who played and coached in the major leagues in the late 1800s. As a player, he was considered the leagues first superstar and was the first player to hit 3000 hits. As a manager, he was an inovator of many plays used in baseball today and that is where he earned the name Cap, or Captain as he was called in the papers.
Anson was signed by the Rockford Forest Citys at the age of 19 in 1871. He would play one season there before be traded to the Philadelphia Athletics where he would become a star. He would lead the league, or be towards the top of the league in almost every batting category. This includes hits, runs batted in, on base percentage, and walks.
During his 4th season with Philadelphia, he began talks with William Hulbert who owned the Chicago White Stockings. This was against baseball poicy since the season wasnt over so Hulbert started a different baseball league called the National League and his Chicago team was the first team to join. Anson would join the team the next season.
He was already becoming a star but had not yet hit his peak. Anson would help the team win the league tital his first year in 1876. He wouldnt hit his peak until the 1880s where he would hold all the top hitting records for the Chicago team during that decade. During the 1880s, Anson won the league batting tital 2 times and finished 2nd 4 times. He would lead the league in RBIs 7 times. His best season of his career was in 1881 where he would lead the league in batting percentage (.399), on base percentage (.442), hits (137), and total bases (175). After batting statistics dropped in the 1890s, Anson would retire in 1897 after 27 years of playing.
As a player, Anson would do alot of first in the league. He was the first player to hit 3 straight homeruns, 5 homeruns in 2 games, 4 doubles in a game, score 6 runs in a game, and have 2 unassisted double plays in a game. He was also the first player to have 3000 hits in his career. His 27 years as a player is still a record.
During his time as a player, he was also a coach. He was a player for Chicago from 1876 to 1897 but was named the player manager in 1879. He would retire as a manger the same year he retired as a player. As player and manager, the papers named Anson Captain Anson. This is where the name Cap came from.
As a mangaer, he was an innovator. He taught his players how to be aggresive and help out more when the game was simple.
He is beleived the first to start spring training. He would send his team to southern area during the spring to practice and escape the cold area of Chicago. He was the first to teach his players to back up other players in the outfield. He also would be the first to use a 3rd base coach. He was also the first to use signals to communicate. He also would use the speed of his player to cause problems for the other teams outfielders. He would have them steal while the batter hit the ball. This would be called the hit and run. From 1880 to 1886, Anson would lead Chicago White Stockings to 5 league championships. Anson retired in 1897. 6 years after Anson retired, the White Stockings would change their name to the Chicago Cubs.
Anson would die in 1922 and is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Il. He would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame 17 years later in 1939. He still holds many of Chicago Cubs records. He holds the record for RBI, hits, doubles, and singles.
Adrian "Cap" Anson
Adrian Cap Anson was a Baseball Hall of Famer who played and coached in the major leagues in the late 1800s. As a player, he was considered the leagues first superstar and was the first player to hit 3000 hits. As a manager, he was an inovator of many plays used in baseball today and that is where he earned the name Cap, or Captain as he was called in the papers.
Anson was signed by the Rockford Forest Citys at the age of 19 in 1871. He would play one season there before be traded to the Philadelphia Athletics where he would become a star. He would lead the league, or be towards the top of the league in almost every batting category. This includes hits, runs batted in, on base percentage, and walks.
During his 4th season with Philadelphia, he began talks with William Hulbert who owned the Chicago White Stockings. This was against baseball poicy since the season wasnt over so Hulbert started a different baseball league called the National League and his Chicago team was the first team to join. Anson would join the team the next season.
He was already becoming a star but had not yet hit his peak. Anson would help the team win the league tital his first year in 1876. He wouldnt hit his peak until the 1880s where he would hold all the top hitting records for the Chicago team during that decade. During the 1880s, Anson won the league batting tital 2 times and finished 2nd 4 times. He would lead the league in RBIs 7 times. His best season of his career was in 1881 where he would lead the league in batting percentage (.399), on base percentage (.442), hits (137), and total bases (175). After batting statistics dropped in the 1890s, Anson would retire in 1897 after 27 years of playing.
As a player, Anson would do alot of first in the league. He was the first player to hit 3 straight homeruns, 5 homeruns in 2 games, 4 doubles in a game, score 6 runs in a game, and have 2 unassisted double plays in a game. He was also the first player to have 3000 hits in his career. His 27 years as a player is still a record.
During his time as a player, he was also a coach. He was a player for Chicago from 1876 to 1897 but was named the player manager in 1879. He would retire as a manger the same year he retired as a player. As player and manager, the papers named Anson Captain Anson. This is where the name Cap came from.
As a mangaer, he was an innovator. He taught his players how to be aggresive and help out more when the game was simple.
He is beleived the first to start spring training. He would send his team to southern area during the spring to practice and escape the cold area of Chicago. He was the first to teach his players to back up other players in the outfield. He also would be the first to use a 3rd base coach. He was also the first to use signals to communicate. He also would use the speed of his player to cause problems for the other teams outfielders. He would have them steal while the batter hit the ball. This would be called the hit and run. From 1880 to 1886, Anson would lead Chicago White Stockings to 5 league championships. Anson retired in 1897. 6 years after Anson retired, the White Stockings would change their name to the Chicago Cubs.
Anson would die in 1922 and is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Il. He would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame 17 years later in 1939. He still holds many of Chicago Cubs records. He holds the record for RBI, hits, doubles, and singles.