Hal Chase facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hal Chase
Chase with the Cincinnati Reds in 1917.
First baseman / Manager
Born: (1883-02-13)February 13, 1883 Los Gatos, California, U.S.
Died: May 18, 1947(1947-05-18) (aged 64) Colusa, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Left
debut
April 26, 1905, for the New York Highlanders
Last appearance
September 25, 1919, for the New York Giants
MLB statistics
Batting average	.291
Hits	2,158
Home runs	57
Runs batted in	941
Stolen bases	363
Managerial record	86–80
Winning %	.518
Teams
As player New York Highlanders / Yankees (1905–1913) Chicago White Sox (1913–1914) Buffalo Buffeds (1914–1915) Cincinnati Reds (1916–1918) New York Giants (1919) As manager New York Highlanders (1910–1911)
Career highlights and awards
NL batting champion (1916) Federal League home run champion (1915)

Harold Homer Chase (born February 13, 1883 – died May 18, 1947) was a famous American professional baseball player. People often called him "Prince Hal". He played as a first baseman and also worked as a manager in Major League Baseball. Many people thought he was the best fielder at his position.

During his career, he played for several teams. These included the New York Highlanders (who later became the New York Yankees), Chicago White Sox, Buffalo Blues, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Giants.

Baseball legends like Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson said Chase was the best first baseman ever. People at the time described his fielding as amazing. He is sometimes seen as the first real star for the team that became the New York Yankees. Even many years after he stopped playing, baseball historians included him in a book about the greatest players.

Even though he was a great hitter and an amazing defensive player, Chase's career faced many problems. He was accused of not always playing his best or trying to influence games. He was also connected to the famous 1919 Black Sox scandal, but he was found not guilty. He was later not allowed to play in the major leagues.

Baseball Career Highlights

Starting Out in Baseball

Hal Chase went to Santa Clara College where he played baseball. In 1904, he signed his first professional contract. He joined the Los Angeles Angels in a league called the Pacific Coast League.

The New York Highlanders chose Chase from Los Angeles in a special draft in October 1904. He joined the Highlanders in 1905.

Playing for the Highlanders

Chase sometimes had disagreements about his salary. In 1907, he wanted more money to play for the Highlanders. He also loved playing in California during the winter. He would often try to stay there instead of joining his major league team.

Baseball officials ruled that players who kept playing in the California league would be suspended. Chase even played under a different name, Hal Schultz, for a while. But he usually returned to his major league team.

In 1908, he left the team again. He was reportedly upset that someone else was chosen to manage the team instead of him. He played the rest of the season in California. He then paid a fine to play for the Highlanders again in 1909.

Becoming a Player-Manager

Late in the 1910 season, Chase became the player-manager for the Highlanders. This meant he played and managed the team at the same time. The previous manager had accused Chase of not trying his best to take over his job.

In September, the Highlanders fired their manager and gave the job to Chase. In 1911, he led the team to an even record of 76 wins and 76 losses. He then decided to quit as manager after that season.

Moving to New Teams

Before the 1913 season, Chase signed a three-year contract with the Yankees. However, his hitting became weaker that year. He also had some injuries that affected his play. The team decided to trade him.

On June 1, 1913, the Yankees traded Chase to the Chicago White Sox. He was traded for two other players, Babe Borton and Rollie Zeider.

Before the 1914 season, Chase left the White Sox to join the Buffalo Blues. This team was part of a new league called the Federal League. The White Sox owner tried to stop Chase from playing for Buffalo. He said Chase was breaking a rule called the reserve clause.

Chase fought this rule in court and won. He was one of the few players to successfully challenge the reserve clause. This disagreement meant he would not play in the American League again.

Later Career and Challenges

Success with the Reds

After playing in the short-lived Federal League, Hal Chase joined the Cincinnati Reds. In 1916, he was a top player. He led the National League with a .339 batting average. This was a great achievement for him.

Accusations and Suspensions

In 1918, Chase's time with the Reds ended. His manager, Christy Mathewson, accused him of "indifferent playing." This meant Mathewson thought Chase was not trying his best or was involved in unfair play. Mathewson suspended him from the team.

A pitcher named Jimmy Ring said Chase tried to give him money to not play well in a game. Ring refused, but the team still lost. Ring said Chase still paid him the money. Another player, Greasy Neale, also accused Chase of talking about winning money when the Reds lost.

Before the 1919 season, the National League president held a meeting about Chase. He decided that Chase "did not take baseball or anything else seriously." However, he found Chase not guilty of the specific charges. He noted that in one game where Chase was accused of unfair play, he hit a home run that helped his team win.

Even after being found not guilty, the Reds did not want Chase to play for them. They traded him to the New York Giants.

Leaving Major League Baseball

In 1920, a former player named Lee Magee made accusations against several players. He said they had not played fairly in games. Hal Chase was one of the players Magee named. Magee claimed he and Chase had made a wager on a game where Cincinnati won. The National League president dismissed Magee's claims.

In September 1919, Chase and another player were removed from the Giants' lineup. Later, it was revealed that the Giants had let Chase go because of Magee's accusations. Since no American League team would sign him, Chase effectively stopped playing in the major leagues.

After Major League Baseball

Playing in Minor Leagues

In 1920, while playing in a minor league, Chase faced more accusations. He was accused of trying to influence a game. After an investigation, he was banned from that league and another minor league.

Later in 1920, a pitcher named Rube Benton accused Chase of trying to get him to not play well in a game. Benton also claimed that Chase knew about the 1919 World Series being unfairly played. He said Chase had won a lot of money from betting on the series.

In October 1920, a grand jury in Chicago accused Chase of being involved in the Black Sox Scandal. This was a huge scandal where players were accused of purposely losing the World Series. However, Chase and the other accused players were found not guilty in August 1921.

Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis later said that any players involved in unfair play would be banned from baseball. While Landis never formally banned Chase, his career was already over. Because of Chase's history of accusations, Landis's decision after the Black Sox trial made his ban official.

Later Life and Legacy

After leaving organized baseball, Chase played for a team in Mexico. He also played for an unofficial team in Arizona that included other banned players. He later had a car accident where he injured his legs.

For a time, some people thought Hal Chase should be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1936, he received more votes than many future Hall of Famers. However, he never received enough votes to be inducted. This was likely because of an unofficial rule that players banned from baseball should not be considered.

Chase spent the rest of his life in Arizona and California. He worked many different jobs. Later in life, he expressed sadness about his past actions related to baseball. He passed away in California at the age of 64.

Hal Chase's Fielding Skills

Hal Chase was widely considered one of the best fielders in baseball during his time. People thought he was amazing not just at first base, but compared to players at any position.

Many stories describe his spectacular plays. He was known as a "glove wizard." However, he also made many errors during his career. It's hard to know how many of these errors were accidental or if they were part of the accusations against him.

Some modern baseball experts have looked at his defensive statistics. They suggest that he might have been an average or even below-average defensive player. This is different from what people thought during his playing days.

Managerial Record

See also

• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
• List of Major League Baseball player-managers