Orator Shaffer
Encyclopedia
George W. Shafer [sometimes spelled Shaffer or Schaefer] (October 1851 – January 21, 1922) was an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
. Nicknamed "Orator" because he talked a lot, Shafer played for 10 teams in four different major leagues between 1874 and 1890. Though he was a good hitter who batted over .300 three times, Shafer was best known for his defensive abilities. He led the National League
's outfielders in assists four times. In 1879, he set an MLB single-season record with 50 outfield assists
, which is a mark that has stood for over 130 years. He was considered by some to be the greatest right fielder
of his era.
Shafer was 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (74.8 kg).
. That year, he played in nine games for the Hartford Dark Blues
and in one game for the New York Mutuals
, with a cumulative batting average
of .225. His fielding percentage
was a career-low .710. The following season, he played 19 games for the Philadelphia Whites
and batted .243.
Shafer was known during his playing career by the nickname "Orator". According to Alfred Henry Spink, founder of The Sporting News, he received the nickname because he "was a great stickler for his rights and talked to himself when not talking to the Umpire." Another player of the era, future Baseball Hall of Fame
inductee Orator Jim O'Rourke, shared the same nickname.
in 1877. He earned a job as the team's starting right fielder, and he led the league in games played
(61), outfield assists (21), and outfield errors
(28). He also batted .285 and had the second-most home run
s in the league with three. (Lip Pike
had four homers.) In 1878, Shafer had one of his best seasons at the plate for the Indianapolis Blues
. He batted .338 to finish sixth in the batting race and also ranked among the league leaders in on-base percentage (third), slugging percentage (third), and total bases (fourth). His OPS+ total of 186 led the league, and his 3.8 wins above replacement was the highest among all position players. Shafer also had 28 assists in the outfield.
In 1879, Shafer signed with Cap Anson
's Chicago White Stockings
. However, he had left Indianapolis the previous year with some unpaid debts. The White Stockings traveled to Indianapolis to play an exhibition game in June, and the local sheriff was waiting for both him and teammate Silver Flint
. After the game, Shafer and Flint escaped the ballpark in a horse-drawn carriage to avoid arrest, and only their manager, Anson, was taken to jail.
Shafer batted .304 for Chicago in 1879 and also set a career high by getting 50 assists. The 50 outfield assists was 20 more than any other NL player and established a major league record that has never been broken.
In 1880, Shafer joined the Cleveland Blues
and was their regular right fielder for the next three seasons. He continued his good hitting and fielding during his first year with the club, batting .266 with an OPS+ of 125 and leading the league again with 35 assists. However, his batting average dropped to .257 the following season and then to .214 in 1882. His fielding percentage dropped as well, from .901 in 1880 (fourth in the league) to .805 in 1882.
Shafer played for the Buffalo Bisons in 1883. He batted .292 and led the NL in outfield assists for the fourth and final time, with 41. He then signed with the St. Louis Maroons
in the new Union Association
for the 1884 season. Playing in a career-high 106 games in 1884, Shafer also batted a career-high .360 and was one of the best hitters in the UA. He led the league with 40 doubles
, and he finished second only to teammate Fred Dunlap
in several other offensive categories, including batting average, on-base percentage (.398), slugging percentage (.501), runs scored
(130), hits
(168), and total bases (234). The Maroons went 94–19 and finished first in the Union Association.
's Philadelphia Athletics
, hit .268, and then spent the next few years in the minor leagues. In 1887, he played for Lincoln of the Western League until he was suspended in September for punching an umpire in the face. Shafer moved on to the Western Association
's Des Moines team in 1888, and he played well, batting .338 and leading the league in hits. In 1889, he was the captain of the Detroit Wolverines, which won the International League championship.
Shafer then rejoined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1890. In his final major league season, he played in 100 games, batted .282, and led the AA's outfielders with a .958 fielding percentage. He was the second-oldest player in the league, at 38 years old. Shafer's younger brother, Taylor
, also played for the 1890 Athletics.
s, a .282 batting average, 11 home runs, 601 runs scored, and 317 runs batted in
. He also had 290 career outfield assists, which is the 10th highest total in MLB history.
Shafer was an outstanding fielder. Fellow major league right fielder Paul Radford
, when writing about how to play the position, said: "I always considered 'Orator' Shaffer a splendid right fielder, because of his skill in throwing out men at the initial bag. I know he threw me out thus in two successive games at Buffalo." According to The Sporting Life, Shafer "was for years considered the best man in his position." In 2001, statistician Bill James
ranked Shafer as the 99th greatest right fielder of all-time.
After his baseball career ended, Shafer worked at a race track as a book-writer. He died in Philadelphia in 1922 and was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery
in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Nicknamed "Orator" because he talked a lot, Shafer played for 10 teams in four different major leagues between 1874 and 1890. Though he was a good hitter who batted over .300 three times, Shafer was best known for his defensive abilities. He led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's outfielders in assists four times. In 1879, he set an MLB single-season record with 50 outfield assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
, which is a mark that has stood for over 130 years. He was considered by some to be the greatest right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
of his era.
Shafer was 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (74.8 kg).
Background
Shafer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1851. He was a "promising young Philadelphia amateur" before starting his professional baseball career in 1874 in the National AssociationNational Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
. That year, he played in nine games for the Hartford Dark Blues
Hartford Dark Blues
The Hartford Dark Blues were a 19th century baseball team. The team was based in Hartford, Connecticut.-History:They were a member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in 1874 and 1875 and the National League in 1876 and 1877...
and in one game for the New York Mutuals
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
, with a cumulative batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .225. His fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
was a career-low .710. The following season, he played 19 games for the Philadelphia Whites
Philadelphia White Stockings
The Philadelphia White Stockings were an early professional baseball team. They were a member of the National Association from 1873 to 1875. Their home games were played at the Jefferson Street Grounds...
and batted .243.
Shafer was known during his playing career by the nickname "Orator". According to Alfred Henry Spink, founder of The Sporting News, he received the nickname because he "was a great stickler for his rights and talked to himself when not talking to the Umpire." Another player of the era, future Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
inductee Orator Jim O'Rourke, shared the same nickname.
Major league regular
Shafer joined the National League's Louisville GraysLouisville Grays
The Louisville Grays were a 19th century U.S. baseball team and charter member of the National League, based in Louisville, Kentucky. They played two seasons, 1876 and 1877, and compiled a record of 65–61. Their home games were at the Louisville Baseball Park. The Grays were owned by...
in 1877. He earned a job as the team's starting right fielder, and he led the league in games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(61), outfield assists (21), and outfield errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
(28). He also batted .285 and had the second-most home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in the league with three. (Lip Pike
Lip Pike
Lipman Emanuel "Lip" Pike the "Iron Batter", was one of the stars of 19th century baseball in the United States. He was the first player to be revealed as a professional , as well as the first Jewish player...
had four homers.) In 1878, Shafer had one of his best seasons at the plate for the Indianapolis Blues
Indianapolis Blues
The Indianapolis Blues were a baseball team in the National League only during the 1878 season and finished fifth in the six-team league with a 24-36 record. They were managed by outfielder/first baseman/catcher John Clapp, and played their home games at South Street Park.Their top-hitting regular...
. He batted .338 to finish sixth in the batting race and also ranked among the league leaders in on-base percentage (third), slugging percentage (third), and total bases (fourth). His OPS+ total of 186 led the league, and his 3.8 wins above replacement was the highest among all position players. Shafer also had 28 assists in the outfield.
In 1879, Shafer signed with Cap Anson
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
's Chicago White Stockings
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. However, he had left Indianapolis the previous year with some unpaid debts. The White Stockings traveled to Indianapolis to play an exhibition game in June, and the local sheriff was waiting for both him and teammate Silver Flint
Silver Flint
Frank Sylvester Flint was a Major League catcher in the 19th century. He began his career at age 19 with the St...
. After the game, Shafer and Flint escaped the ballpark in a horse-drawn carriage to avoid arrest, and only their manager, Anson, was taken to jail.
Shafer batted .304 for Chicago in 1879 and also set a career high by getting 50 assists. The 50 outfield assists was 20 more than any other NL player and established a major league record that has never been broken.
In 1880, Shafer joined the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
and was their regular right fielder for the next three seasons. He continued his good hitting and fielding during his first year with the club, batting .266 with an OPS+ of 125 and leading the league again with 35 assists. However, his batting average dropped to .257 the following season and then to .214 in 1882. His fielding percentage dropped as well, from .901 in 1880 (fourth in the league) to .805 in 1882.
Shafer played for the Buffalo Bisons in 1883. He batted .292 and led the NL in outfield assists for the fourth and final time, with 41. He then signed with the St. Louis Maroons
St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers
300px|thumb|right|1888 Indianapolis HoosiersThe St. Louis Maroons were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1884-1886. The club, established by Henry Lucas, were the one near-major league quality entry in the Union Association, a league that lasted only one season, due...
in the new Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
for the 1884 season. Playing in a career-high 106 games in 1884, Shafer also batted a career-high .360 and was one of the best hitters in the UA. He led the league with 40 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and he finished second only to teammate Fred Dunlap
Fred Dunlap
Frederick C. "Sure Shot" Dunlap was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1891. He was the highest paid player in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889. He has also been rated by some contemporary and modern sources as the greatest overall second baseman of the...
in several other offensive categories, including batting average, on-base percentage (.398), slugging percentage (.501), runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(130), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(168), and total bases (234). The Maroons went 94–19 and finished first in the Union Association.
Later career
Shafer stayed with St. Louis as they moved to the National League in 1885; his batting average fell to .195. The following season, he played 21 games for the American AssociationAmerican Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
's Philadelphia Athletics
Philadelphia Athletics (American Association)
The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the American Association, a 19th-century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the National League. The other teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Eclipse of...
, hit .268, and then spent the next few years in the minor leagues. In 1887, he played for Lincoln of the Western League until he was suspended in September for punching an umpire in the face. Shafer moved on to the Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
's Des Moines team in 1888, and he played well, batting .338 and leading the league in hits. In 1889, he was the captain of the Detroit Wolverines, which won the International League championship.
Shafer then rejoined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1890. In his final major league season, he played in 100 games, batted .282, and led the AA's outfielders with a .958 fielding percentage. He was the second-oldest player in the league, at 38 years old. Shafer's younger brother, Taylor
Taylor Shafer
Zachary Taylor Shafer was a Major League Baseball player in the 19th century. He played parts of two seasons...
, also played for the 1890 Athletics.
Legacy
Over his 13-season Major League Baseball career, Orator Shafer played a total of 871 games. He had 1,000 hits in 3,552 at batAt bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, a .282 batting average, 11 home runs, 601 runs scored, and 317 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. He also had 290 career outfield assists, which is the 10th highest total in MLB history.
Shafer was an outstanding fielder. Fellow major league right fielder Paul Radford
Paul Radford
Paul Revere Radford was a Major League Baseball player in the late 19th century. Paul, nicknamed "Shorty", played with many teams over his 12-season career, but his best performance was with the Cleveland Infants, when he batted .292. His career batting average was .242. Radford died in Boston,...
, when writing about how to play the position, said: "I always considered 'Orator' Shaffer a splendid right fielder, because of his skill in throwing out men at the initial bag. I know he threw me out thus in two successive games at Buffalo." According to The Sporting Life, Shafer "was for years considered the best man in his position." In 2001, statistician Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
ranked Shafer as the 99th greatest right fielder of all-time.
After his baseball career ended, Shafer worked at a race track as a book-writer. He died in Philadelphia in 1922 and was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery
West Laurel Hill Cemetery
West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the site of many notable burials, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992...
in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
.