Heinie Stafford
Encyclopedia
Henry Alexander "Heinie" Stafford (November 1, 1891 – January 29, 1972) was an American
Major League Baseball
player who played a single game for the New York Giants
in .
, Stafford played in the hotel leagues with Oneonta in 1911 and Saranac Lake in 1912. In 1912, Stafford received a scholarship from Tufts University
where he was chosen as the senior class president. Stafford was a star sprinter and captain of the school's baseball team. In 1916, the Tufts baseball team went 18–1 but lost to Harvard for the college championship of the East. An article in the Boston Herald
said the following of Stafford: "He has well earned the right to be called the fastest base runner in college baseball, as his record of 22 stolen bases shows. His work at second base
is no less notable, for he has taken everything that has come his way, and out of 83 chances
he has made five slipups
." Stafford ended up batting
.404 and leading the nation with 30 runs scored and 24 stolen base
s.
. After a short stint in the minors, where he played as a left fielder
and shortstop
, the Giants called Stafford up to the big leagues at the end of the 1916 season. Stafford sat on the bench for the Giants until October 5 – the last day of the season. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Giants trailing by two runs, and the bases empty, the rookie from Vermont was sent in as a pinch hitter
for the Giants' pitcher. Stafford hit into a game- and season-ending out for the Giants, as the Brooklyn Dodgers
won the pennant.
. Stafford was offered a job as a research chemist with a textile company and opted for business rather than baseball. In February 1917, Giants manager John McGraw
tried to persuade Stafford to give baseball another try. Stafford saved a letter McGraw sent offering "to take you south with me and give you a thorough spring schooling in base ball." McGraw opined that there was "enough promise to you to make me positive that it is worth your while" and cautioned Stafford against "wasting a first class opportunity." Despite McGraw's personal plea, Stafford decided to pursue his work in the textile business.
Stafford returned to baseball briefly during World War I
, playing in the industrial leagues where his wartime teammates included Chief Bender
and Home Run Baker.
from Bethel, Vermont
. Stafford died at age 80 in 1972 while spending the winter in Lake Worth, Florida
.
" was a popular nickname for German baseball players in the early part of the 20th century. Stafford was one of 22 major league Heinies in the first half of the century. Others include: Heinie Beckendorf
(1909–1910); Heinie Berger
(1907–1910); Heinie Groh
(1912–1927); Heinie Manush
(1923–1939) (the only Hall of Fame "Heinie"); Heinie Meine
(1922–1934); Heinie Mueller (1920–1935); Heinie Mueller (1938–1941); Heinie Peitz
(1892–1913); Heinie Reitz (1893–1899); Heinie Sand
(1923–1928); Heinie Schuble
(1927–1936); Heinie Smith
(1897–1903); Heinie Wagner
(1902–1918); and Heinie Zimmerman
(1907–1919). No player since World War II has been identified by the nickname Heinie.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played a single game for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in .
Tufts University (1912–1916)
Born in Orleans, VermontOrleans, Vermont
Orleans is a village in the northwestern corner of Barton, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 826 at the 2000 census, making it the largest village in Orleans County.-Government:...
, Stafford played in the hotel leagues with Oneonta in 1911 and Saranac Lake in 1912. In 1912, Stafford received a scholarship from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
where he was chosen as the senior class president. Stafford was a star sprinter and captain of the school's baseball team. In 1916, the Tufts baseball team went 18–1 but lost to Harvard for the college championship of the East. An article in the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
said the following of Stafford: "He has well earned the right to be called the fastest base runner in college baseball, as his record of 22 stolen bases shows. His work at second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
is no less notable, for he has taken everything that has come his way, and out of 83 chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
he has made five slipups
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
." Stafford ended up batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.404 and leading the nation with 30 runs scored and 24 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
New York Giants (1916)
Stafford graduated from Tufts in June 1916 and signed a contract with the New York GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. After a short stint in the minors, where he played as a left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, the Giants called Stafford up to the big leagues at the end of the 1916 season. Stafford sat on the bench for the Giants until October 5 – the last day of the season. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Giants trailing by two runs, and the bases empty, the rookie from Vermont was sent in as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for the Giants' pitcher. Stafford hit into a game- and season-ending out for the Giants, as the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
won the pennant.
Personal plea from John McGraw
His pinch-hit out on the last day of the 1916 season turned out to be his only major league at batAt bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
. Stafford was offered a job as a research chemist with a textile company and opted for business rather than baseball. In February 1917, Giants manager John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
tried to persuade Stafford to give baseball another try. Stafford saved a letter McGraw sent offering "to take you south with me and give you a thorough spring schooling in base ball." McGraw opined that there was "enough promise to you to make me positive that it is worth your while" and cautioned Stafford against "wasting a first class opportunity." Despite McGraw's personal plea, Stafford decided to pursue his work in the textile business.
Stafford returned to baseball briefly during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, playing in the industrial leagues where his wartime teammates included Chief Bender
Chief Bender
Charles Albert "Chief" Bender was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century...
and Home Run Baker.
Life after baseball
After the war, Stafford returned to work in the textile business, working on the development of nylon. He retired from the textile business in 1941 and bought a 340 acres (1.4 km²) Vermont dairy farm with a house built in 1832. He gave up farming in the 1950s and went into the real estate business and was later elected to the Vermont General AssemblyVermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself...
from Bethel, Vermont
Bethel, Vermont
Bethel is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. The town includes the locations of Bethel-Gilead, East Bethel, Lilliesville, Lympus , and West Bethel...
. Stafford died at age 80 in 1972 while spending the winter in Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, which takes its name from the body of water along its eastern border, originally called "Lake Worth", and now generally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. The lake itself was named for General William J. Worth, who led U.S. forces during the last...
.
Nickname "Heinie"
"HeinieHeinie
Heinie may refer to:*A slang term for the buttocks *A derogatory term used for German soldiers that originated in World War I, short for Heinrich*A crewcut haircut...
" was a popular nickname for German baseball players in the early part of the 20th century. Stafford was one of 22 major league Heinies in the first half of the century. Others include: Heinie Beckendorf
Heinie Beckendorf
Henry Ward "Heinie" Beckendorf was a Major League Baseball catcher from 1909-1910. He was born in New York, New York, and died in Jackson Heights, New York.-Playing career:...
(1909–1910); Heinie Berger
Heinie Berger
Charles Carl "Heinie" Berger , was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Born in LaSalle, Illinois, Berger played for four seasons for the Cleveland Naps , making his debut May 6, 1907, and playing his final on July 22, 1910. His best years were 1908 and 1909, with Berger winning 13 games in each of...
(1907–1910); Heinie Groh
Heinie Groh
Henry Knight "Heinie" Groh was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who spent nearly his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants. He was the National League's top third baseman in the late 1910s and early 1920s, and captained championship teams with the Reds and ...
(1912–1927); Heinie Manush
Heinie Manush
Henry Emmett Manush , nicknamed "Heinie" due to his German heritage, was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964....
(1923–1939) (the only Hall of Fame "Heinie"); Heinie Meine
Heinie Meine
Henry William "Heinie" Meine was a professional baseball player. Meine was a right-handed pitcher who played for the St. Louis Browns in 1922 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1929 to 1934. He was given the nickname "The Count of Luxemburg" on account of his operating a speakeasy/tavern in the...
(1922–1934); Heinie Mueller (1920–1935); Heinie Mueller (1938–1941); Heinie Peitz
Heinie Peitz
Henry Clement "Heinie" Peitz was an American baseball catcher. He played for the St. Louis Browns , Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates , Louisville Colonels , and St. Louis Cardinals...
(1892–1913); Heinie Reitz (1893–1899); Heinie Sand
Heinie Sand
John Henry "Heinie" Sand was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1923 to 1928 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He debuted on April 17, and played his final game on September 30, . In 1925, he had a .364 on base percentage and 55 runs batted in and was 18th in the voting...
(1923–1928); Heinie Schuble
Heinie Schuble
Henry George "Heinie" Schuble was a Major League Baseball infielder who played seven seasons in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers .-Playing career:...
(1927–1936); Heinie Smith
Heinie Smith
George Henry "Heinie" Smith was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Louisville Colonels , Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Giants and Detroit Tigers . Smith batted and threw right-handed...
(1897–1903); Heinie Wagner
Heinie Wagner
Charles Francis "Heinie" Wagner was an American baseball player and manager. He played shortstop for the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox . He was also the manager of the Red Sox during the 1930 baseball season.Wagner was born in Harlem, New York, in September 1880...
(1902–1918); and Heinie Zimmerman
Heinie Zimmerman
Henry Zimmerman , known as "Heinie" or "The Great Zim," was a Major League Baseball player in the early 20th century. Zimmerman played for the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants...
(1907–1919). No player since World War II has been identified by the nickname Heinie.