Player Profile:
Ed Delahanty
| Name: | Edward James "Ed" Delahanty |
|
Outfielder, Right-handed batter | |
| Lived: | 1867 - 1903 |
| Career span: | 1888 - 1903 |
| Hall of Fame? | Yes |
| Primary teams: | Philadelphia (NL)(1888-1889, 1891-1901) |
| Best Year: | 1899 - .408, 9 HR, 137 RBI, 31 SB |
Player notes: Delahanty was one of the great hitters of the late-19th century. He batted .400 a record three times, and led his league in doubles five times. He was considered one of the hardest hitters of the dead ball era, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945.
Bill James, in his new Historical Baseball Abstract, ranks Delahanty as the 12th best left-fielder of all time. He also quotes Bill Dineen, a pitcher who had played against Delahanty, as having said of Joe Dimaggio, "(DiMaggio) is the closest replica to Del I have ever seen.... His every move is taken from the same baseball mold that cast Ed Delahanty."
Delahanty died under mysterious circumstances, plunging over Niagara Falls during the 1903 baseball season.