Heinie Zimmerman
Late in the 1919 season, looking for an extra payday, Giants third baseman Heinie Zimmerman, along with teammate Hal Chase, attempted to convince two teammates to throw games. When it came to the attention of manager John McGraw, Zimmerman and Chase were both released. The following year, Zimmerman was banned from organized baseball by Commissioner Landis. His faulty character was unfortunate, because Zimmerman was a very good ballplayer. With the Cubs in 1912, he led the National league in batting, home runs, slugging, hits, doubles, and total bases. He was however, one of the most mediocre defensive infielders of the Deadball Era.
Played For
Chicago Cubs (1907-1916)
New York Giants (1916-1917)
Best Season: 1912
Want an indictment of Zimmerman's defensive play and character? When he led the NL in practically every offensive category in 1912 (including batting average and homers), he finished a distant sixth in MVP balloting.
Born
Henry Zimmerman was born on February 9, 1887, in New York, NY.
Died
March 14, 1969, New York, NY
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 3B
Primary Team: CHN
Major League Debut
September 8, 1907
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1907
Tris Speaker
Ed Konetchy
Clyde Milan
Larry Doyle
Dode Paskert
Fred Merkle
Heinie Zimmerman
Walter Johnson
Bill McKechnie
Post-Season Appearances
1907 World Series
1910 World Series
1917 World Series
Batting Feats
Hitting Streaks
23 games (1912)
Transactions
August 28, 1916: Traded by the Chicago Cubs with Mickey Doolan to the New York Giants for Larry Doyle, Herb Hunter, and Merwin Jacobson.
McGraw had a gaping hole at third base, which he tried to fill with journeyman Bill McKechnie and jack-of-all-trades Buck Herzog early in 1916. Despite what eventually happened in 1919 with the fixing scandal, Zimmerman was a good acquisition, driving in 102 runs in 1917 as McGraw guided the club back to the winner's circle.
Replaced
Zimmerman spelled Tinker, Evers, and Steinfeldt in the Chicago infield in 1910. The following season, he took over for Johnny Evers at second.
Replaced By
"The Fordham Flash" — Frankie Frisch
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting for power.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Integrity and his hands in the infield.
Learn More about Heinie Zimmerman
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