Max Carey
Little Max Carey had every intention of being a Lutheran minister, but he ended up as a thief. The finest defensive center fielder in the National League during his prime, "Scoops" led his circuit in stolen bases ten times and retired as the most prolific base swiper in league history. His career with the Pittsburgh Pirates bridged the days of Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke to the dawn of Pie Traynor and Paul Waner.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 2476 |
9363 |
2665 |
1545 |
70 |
800 |
738 |
.285 |
.386 |
.361 |
.747 |
106.6 |
|
Teams Max Carey Managed
Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1933)
Where does Max Carey rank among baseball greats?
Max Carey ranks #30 among the Top 50 all-time at CF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1922
At age 32, Carey set career high's in OBP (.408) and runs (140) on his way to a 207-hit season (also a career-best). He hit 28 doubles, 12 triples, and ten homers, driving in 70 runs and walking 80 times. He led the NL in steals with 51 and was only caught twice! In the outfield he led NL flychasers in putouts.
Factoids
Max Carey led the National League in stolen bases a record ten times.
On July 15, 1913, Max Carey scored five runs without collecting a single hit. He reached base on four walks and an error in the Pirates 12-2 victory. He also swiped four bases in the game.
In the first game of a doubleheader between the Pirates and Cardinals on September 5, 1913, the umpires awarded Max Carey a triple when St. Louis third baseman Mike Mowrey threw his glove over his head and hit the ball that Carey had hit down the left field line in the fith inning.
Description
Carey first saw Ty Cobb play in a 1924 exhibition game. He immediately adopted Cobb's hands-apart batting grip and the next season, at the age of 35, he batted a career-high .343. He hit that way the rest of his career, a constant reminder of the "deadball era" style of play.
Where He Played
Center field, though he played left field from 1912-1915.
As a Manager
The New York Times reported on August 25, 1933 that Carey's contract had been renewed to manage the Dodgers in 1934. The contract was reportedly for $10,000 less than he made in 1933. For some reason, prior to the '34 campaign, Carey was dismissed.
Born
Max George Carey was born on January 11, 1890, in Terre Haute, IN.
Died
May 30, 1976, Miami, FL
Batted: Both
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
10 3,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1910
Max Carey
Jake Daubert
Roger Peckinpaugh
Shano Collins
Duffy Lewis
Eddie Foster
Chick Gandil
Ray Caldwell
Hank Gowdy
Nicknames
Scoops
Similar Players
Richie Ashburn, Doc Cramer, Brett Butler
Related Players
Fred Clarke, Babe Adams, Lou Brock, Willie Mays
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1937 |
BBWAA |
6 |
3.0% |
1938 |
BBWAA |
6 |
2.3% |
1939 |
BBWAA |
7 |
2.6% |
1945 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1948 |
BBWAA |
9 |
7.4% |
1949 |
BBWAA |
12 |
7.8% |
1950 |
BBWAA |
14 |
8.3% |
1951 |
BBWAA |
27 |
11.9% |
1952 |
BBWAA |
36 |
15.4% |
1953 |
BBWAA |
55 |
20.8% |
1954 |
BBWAA |
55 |
21.8% |
1955 |
BBWAA |
119 |
47.4% |
1958 |
BBWAA |
136 |
51.1% |
1961 |
Veterans |
|
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1925 World Series
Post-Season Notes
After falling behind by four runs in the finale of the 1925 World Series, Max Carey helped the Bucs off the floor. He slashed three doubles and a single, and stole a base as the Pirates rallied to win the title. Had there been a World Series MVP Award, he probably would have won it. Carey hit .458 with 11 hits and three steals in the Series win over Washington.
Batting Feats
- July 7, 1922: 6 Hits...
- August 18, 1923: Steal 2nd, 3rd, Home...
- June 20, 1925: Cycle...
- August 26, 1925: Steal 2nd, 3rd, Home...
Transactions
August 13, 1926: Selected off waivers by the Brooklyn Robins from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Carey was released by the Pirates after he had a run-in with Fred Clarke, his former teammate and manager who was serving as a coach in 1926.
After being unceremoniously released by the Pirates after 17 years of service, Carey returned to Pittsburgh's Forbes Field in a Brooklyn uniform on July 26, 1927. He stoled home against his former team, giving him 33 swipes of home in his career, a National League record that still stands.
Replaced
In 1911, Carey won the starting center field job with Pittsburgh, supplanting popular veteran Tommy Leach.
Replaced By
Late in 1926, when Carey was waived by the Bucs, left fielder Kiki Cuyler moved to center field to fill the void. In 1927, 21-year old rookie Lloyd Waner was in center for Pittsburgh, giving the Pirates three Hall of Fame center fielders from 1916-1939.
Best Strength as a Player
Quickness
Largest Weakness as a Player
Power
Learn More about Max Carey
Search Amazon.com for Books about Max Carey ⇒
Search for Max Carey at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
Sources used for the Max Carey Player Page:
Greg Beston, SABR member.