Charlie Babb
Shortstop
1903 New York NL
“The playing of Babb won golden opinions in this city. He is certainly a find.”
— New York Journal, August 28, 1903
Bill Bailey
Pitcher
1908 St. Louis AL
“Bill Bailey had all the fans praising his speed and control and cool headedness.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 16, 1908
Frank Baker
Third base
1909 Philadelphia AL
Baker was “there with the pepper sauce, making a corking stop of a scorching liner on the third base line.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 1909
Baker was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.
Jim Ball
Catcher
1907 Boston NL
Jim Ball “seems to be a fine pegger and a workman with plenty of ginger in his make-up.”
— Lynn (Massachusetts) Item, August 13, 1907
Neal Ball
Shortstop
1908 New York AL
“Neal Ball is as promising a shortstop as has broken into the big leagues in ten years.”
— New York Sun, June 1, 1908
George Barclay
Left field
1903 St. Louis NL
“Deerfoot Barclay is a speedy left gardener.”
— St. Louis Republic, May 3, 1903
Jimmy Barrett
Center field
1902 Detroit AL
“Two great running catches by Barrett, both in the fourth inning, were pretty fielding features.”
— Detroit Free Press, May 14, 1902
Bill Bartley
Pitcher
1907 Philadelphia AL
Against the New York Highlanders, “the youngster Bartley worked successfully through a full game.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer, September 6, 1907
Harry Barton
Catcher
1905 Philadelphia AL
Barton has a “gentlemanly bearing and fine ability as a ball player.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer, January 1, 1905
Johnny Bates
Center field
1906 Boston NL
“Boston sent up young Bates. Bang went the stick against the ball.” It was a “skyrocket display,” a game-winning home run.
— Boston Globe, July 3, 1906
Harry Bay
Center field
1902 Cleveland AL
“There are few outfielders who can cover more ground than Harry Bay.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 20, 1902
Ginger Beaumont
Center field
1903 Pittsburgh NL
“All hail Ginger Beaumont, the red-headed, athletic-looking, Piratical champion batsman of the National League.”
— Pittsburgh Press, July 17, 1903
Erve Beck
First base
1902 Detroit AL
Beck sent “the slow offering to the other side of the left field fence, and four runs jangled across the rubber.”
— Detroit Free Press, August 26, 1902
Jake Beckley
First base
1904 St. Louis NL
Beckley “shot a hook into one of Mathewson’s curves that sent the ball staggering across the ring for three bases.”
— St. Louis Republic, May 11, 1904
Beckley was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971.
Fred Beebe
Pitcher
1906 St. Louis NL
Beebe’s “speed was almost as burning as the afternoon’s sun, while he had a curve working as large and winding as a barrel stave.”
— St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 23, 1906
George Bell
Pitcher
1908 Brooklyn NL
“This pitcher George Bell is a worker for fair. He invariably wears a smile and works it just as effectively as he does his curves.”
— Brooklyn Eagle, August 11, 1908
Harry Bemis
Catcher
1902 Cleveland AL
Bemis “can throw to second like a shot, fights for a game until the last man is out and can catch seven days of the week if necessary.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 21, 1902
Charles Bender
Pitcher
1903 Philadelphia AL
Bender is “one of the most promising of the new pitchers uncovered by Connie Mack.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer, March 9, 1903
Bender was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953.
Bill Bergen
Catcher
1903 Cincinnati NL
The umpire declared the runner safe, and catcher “Bergen led in a loud recitative from the Book of Sporting Lamentations.”
— Cincinnati Enquirer, July 26, 1903
Heinie Berger
Pitcher
1907 Cleveland AL
Berger “spotted them one tally in the opening round and then screwed down the lid and stalled them away from the plate throughout the contest.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 22, 1907
Bill Bernhard
Pitcher
1902 Cleveland AL
“Boston was presented with nine goose eggs by Bernhard.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 1, 1902
Bob Bescher
Left field
1908 Cincinnati NL
Bescher “dove for the ball, reached it with outstretched hands as he slid along the ground on his stomach, turned a somersault and came up with it in his hands.”
— Cincinnati Enquirer, September 26, 1908
Monte Beville
Catcher
1903 New York AL
“Beville supported his pitcher in the highest style of the backstops, pulling down six high and difficult foul flies.”
— New York Press, April 21, 1903
Joe Birmingham
Center field
1907 Cleveland AL
Birmingham “chased back into the extreme center field corner of the battle field to pull down Hickman’s tremendous drive.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 30, 1907
Walter Blair
Catcher
1908 New York AL
Blair “is perhaps as fine a thrower as anything in the league. He gets the ball away in a hurry and is accurate.”
— New York American, March 26, 1908
Cliff Blankenship
First base
1905 Cincinnati NL
“Blankenship pasted the label in the eye, his hit striking the left-field fence.”
— Cincinnati Enquirer, April 25, 1905
Frank Bowerman
Catcher
1903 New York NL
Bowerman’s “strenuous efforts at foul flies captivates the audience. The more terrible his contortions the louder the applause.”
— New York World, June 6, 1903
Bill Bradley
Third base
1902 Cleveland AL
Bradley “is without an equal at third base.”
— Cleveland Leader, July 31, 1902
Dave Brain
Shortstop
1903 St. Louis NL
Brain “put up a first-class exhibition of baseball, the speedy shortstop knocking down a couple of raps that looked good for extra bases.”
— St. Louis Republic, September 21, 1903
Kitty Bransfield
First base
1903 Pittsburgh NL
Honus Wagner “and Bransfield worked the hit and run game to perfection.”
— Pittsburgh Post, July 30, 1903
Roger Bresnahan
Center field
1903 New York NL
“When Bresnahan’s home run in the fifth added 4 runs to the home team’s score, the [fans’] enthusiasm was unbounded.”
— New York Times, April 29, 1903
Bresnahan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945.
Al Bridwell
Utility
1905 Cincinnati NL
“Kid Bridwell is as handy a young utility man as ever wore spikes.”
— Cincinnati Enquirer, June 6, 1905
Mordecai Brown
Pitcher
1903 St. Louis NL
“Just what sort of a pitcher Brown really is remains to be seen. He failed to deliver the goods here last season.”
— St. Louis Republic, December 13, 1903
Brown was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1949.
George Browne
Right field
1903 New York NL
“Browne distinguished himself by a wonderfully accurate throw to third base from deep right field, which completed a double play.”
— New York Times, July 30, 1903
Fritz Buelow
Catcher
1902 Detroit AL
“Buelow is doing some great work, hitting the ball hard and pulling down some difficult foul flies.”
— Detroit Free Press, July 4, 1902
Al Burch
Outfield
1908 Brooklyn NL
“Burch stepped to the plate and hammered the sphere for a clean homer.”
— Brooklyn Times, July 2, 1908
Fred Burchell
Pitcher
1903 Philadelphia NL
“The crowd showed no mercy to the youngster Burchell. As soon as Dexter made his double they began yelling ‘Take him out.’”
— Philadelphia Inquirer, April 18, 1903
Jesse Burkett
Left field
1903 St. Louis AL
“Burkett raced after the ball and hauled it down sideways, while the Philadelphians were chasing each other across the plate, only to find that their sprinting was of no avail.”
— St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 25, 1903
Burkett was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946.
Ike Butler
Pitcher
1902 Baltimore AL
“Butler failed to fool the batsmen. They had high carnival with him from the start, everyone hitting him successfully.”
— Baltimore Sun, September 18, 1902
Bobby Byrne
Third base
1908 St. Louis NL
Honus Wagner’s drive “carried Byrne half off his feet, knocking him clear out from under his cap, but he steadied and got Wagner at first by one of the prettiest throws ever sent across the diamond.”
— St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 23, 1908
Jim Byrnes
Catcher
1906 Philadelphia AL
“After being taken in by the Philadelphia team, Byrnes caught half of one game, and since then has been barnstorming through some of the minor leagues.”
— Los Angeles Times, September 14, 1906