Uncle Ezra, as admiring Boston fans called him, was a power hitter in the bare-handed
days. He once hit three consecutive triples in a single game and had respectable
numbers for slugging average and total bases. Originally a cross-handed batter (from
the righthander's side of the plate), he adopted the normal grip to enhance his effectiveness
against pitchers' ever-increasing speed.
Essentially a third baseman, he played
all infield positions as needed, had a strong throwing arm and unflinching courage
facing "fair-foul" hits down the line. Except for a league-leading .908 in 1884,
however, his fielding percentages were usually in the .800s. While with the
Athletics
he made the first error in the first National League game ever played.
A solid
contributor to Boston's 1877, 1878, and 1883 champions, he came to a sad end, dying
crippled and impoverished.
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