A dominating pitcher for a few seasons in the early 1880s, Jim McCormick was a bruising Scotsman whose underhanded prowess netted him 265 wins in what was a relatively brief career.  Of course, he played in a time when teams essentially rode the same two pitchers.  It wasn’t like McCormick could blame his manager in those early seasons; he was the Player/Manager.

Had there been a Cy Young Award in 1880 and 1882, Jim McCormick may very well have won it.  In those two campaigns, he led the National League in every major Pitching Category.  The issue with McCormick is that, even though he was a dominant player, he was not for long, and no position on the mound has changed more; those early flame throwers are often too easily overlooked.  Had he won 300 Games, a milestone that ensured a Hall of Fame induction in the early days, McCormick would be inducted.

Considered by baseball historians to be the best Third Baseman of the Deadball Era, Heinie Groh quietly won two World Series Rings, one controversially with the Reds in 1919 and another with the Giants in 1922. It was in Cincinnati that Groh had his best seasons, where he twice led the National League in On Base Percentage and was a hit-and-run machine. He was also considered one of the best defensive players at his position in his era. This has garnered Heinie Groh a second look from a lot of modern baseball pundits, as though his traditional accumulative stats do not reflect a Hall of Fame baseball player, his Sabremetric ones paint a different possibility.

A slick hitting Second Baseman, who was pretty good on the field too, Cupid Childs was one of the top stars for the Cleveland Spiders and was one of the top leadoff hitters in the 1890’s

Childs showcased a keen batting eye and was often in the top ten in On Base Percentage.  His .416 OBP is actually number three all-time for Second Basemen.  Childs was a gifted athlete, but he never delivered power numbers even by 1890’s standards.  Had he been the type of batter who delivered more extra-base hits, it is very possible that he would have been a Cooperstown candidate.  As it stands now, we expect him to remain buried among other candidates on the Veterans Committee desktop.

Although Wilbur Cooper is considered one of the best pitchers in Pittsburgh Pirates history, his legacy is often forgotten because it was so long ago. From 1917 to 1924, Cooper was at his best and was in the top ten regularly in virtually every pitching category in the National League. He was the first left-hander in the NL to hit 200 wins, but his overall total in that department did not exceed much more than that. Advanced metrics have given Cooper a bit more of a look again, but at the very least, he should be remembered with greater fondness in the Steel City than he is currently. Had he played for a World Series team, he probably would be.