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Oscar Stanage

Detroit A.L.

1911: Set all-time assists record for catcher with 212

1911: Caught 141 games-the most by any AL catcher, that year.


OSCAR STANAGE
Stanage, Oscar Harland
b: 3/17/1883, Tulare, Cal.     d: 11/11/64, Detroit, Mich.
BR/TR, 5'11", 190 lbs.     Deb: 5/19/06     C
==============================================================================
YEAR   TM/L      G    AB     R     H     2B  3B   HR   RBI    BB    SO    AVG
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1906   Cin-N      1     1     0     0     0   0    0     0     0         .000
1909  *Det-A     77   252    17    66     8   6    0    21    11         .262
1910   Det-A     88   275    24    57     7   4    2    25    20         .207
1911   Det-A    141   503    45   133    13   7    3    51    20         .264
1912   Det-A    121   394    35   103     9   4    0    41    34         .261
1913   Det-A     80   241    19    54    13   2    0    21    21     35  .224
1914   Det-A    122   400    16    77     8   4    0    25    24     58  .192
1915   Det-A    100   300    27    67     9   2    1    31    20     41  .223
1916   Det-A     94   291    16    69    17   3    0    30    17     48  .237
1917   Det-A     99   297    19    61    14   1    0    30    20     35  .205
1918   Det-A     54   186     9    47     4   0    1    14    11     18  .253
1919   Det-A     38   120     9    29     4   1    1    15     7     12  .242
1920   Det-A     78   238    12    55    17   0    0    17    14     21  .231
1925   Det-A      3     5     0     1     0   0    0     0     0      0  .200
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Total  14      1096  3503   248   819   123  34    8   321   219   ?268  .234

Hall of Famer Ty Cobb and 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson both considered Oscar the AL's top backstop. Not a good hitter, Oscar was an excellent backstop and a student of the game with a 'cannon' for an arm. Oscar was the only catcher in the AL who prevented the Philadelphia Athletics from stealing signs. (The Athletics were notorious for that type of behavior during the 1911 season.) Detroit management kept Oscar on the 'hot seat' during his stay with the club. Each year, there always seemed to be some new catcher challenging Oscar for the starting job. Eddie Ainsmith won the challenge in 1919 but Oscar regained the starting role in 1920. Reaching the end of his productive career, manager Ty Cobb sent Oscar packing in 1921. Ty knew that Oscar would be a great coach someday and in 1925 hired Stanage to be his right-hand man. Oscar even got a few licks in at the plate that season.