Maurice Archdeacon
One of the fastest players in baseball in the 1920s, Maurice Archdeacon was given just a few brief trials at the major league level with the Chicago White Sox, after that team paid $50,000 for him. In all, the speedy center fielder played only 127 games in the big leagues, but he scored 84 runs and batted .333 with a keen eye at the plate. He was famous for his drag-bunting skills, but equally infamous for his inability to judge fly balls. In just under 100 games in the outfield, he made eight errors. In a long career in the minors, mostly in the International League, he was frequently among league leaders in stolen bases, runs scored, walks, and batting average. At one point, he rounded the bases in 13.4 seconds, which was publicized as a world record.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 127 |
384 |
128 |
84 |
0 |
29 |
13 |
.333 |
.391 |
.413 |
.803 |
106.6 |
|
Maurice Archdeacon in Minor League Baseball
Where He Played
Center field
Born
Maurice John Archdeacon was born on December 14, 1897, in St. Louis, MO.
Died
September 5, 1954, St.Louis, MO
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Major League Debut
9 17,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1923
Lou Gehrig
Heinie Manush
Bill Terry
Hack Wilson
Willie Kamm
Ted Lyons
Moe Berg
Charley Root
Earl Whitehill
Nicknames
Flash,Comet
Feats
In 1923, Maurice Archdeacon had two five-hit games in his brief September stay with the White Sox.
Notes
A native of St. Louis, where he lived almost his entire life, Archdeacon served as a scout for the Browns in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s.
Transactions
September, 1920: Purchased by the Boston Braves from Charleston (South Atlantic).
April 16, 1921: Purchased by Rochester (International) from the Boston Braves.
The Braves gave Archdeacon a serious look in the spring of 1921, but first-year manager Fred Mitchell preferred to go with a veteran outfield, and Archdeacon was shipped to Rochester prior to opening day.
September 13, 1923: purchased for $50,000 by the Chicago White Sox from Rochester.
The Sox had a long history of speedy outfielders, and the $50,000 they paid for Archdeacon was a large sum for that time. Manager Kid Gleason really liked Maurice, but when Gleason was fired and he struggled in 1924 under three Chicago managers, Archdeacon was out of favor. He barely made the team out of spring training in 1925, and after lplaying little (mostly as a pinch-hitter), he was returned to the minors.
Best Strength as a Player
Speed. One source credits Archdeacon with 225 stolen bases in hisminor league seasons of 1919-1923.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Defense
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