Cap Anson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cap Anson |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: April 17, 1852 Marshalltown, Iowa, U.S. |
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| Died: April 14, 1922 (aged 69) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 6, 1871, for the Rockford Forest Citys | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1897, for the Chicago Colts | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .334 | ||
| Hits | 2,995–3,435 | ||
| Home runs | 97 | ||
| Runs batted in | 2,075 | ||
| Managerial record | 1,295–947 | ||
| Winning % | .578 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1939 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Adrian Constantine Anson (born April 17, 1852 – died April 14, 1922) was a famous American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. People called him "Cap" because he was often a team captain, and sometimes "Pop". He played for a record 27 seasons, which is a very long time in baseball!
Many people thought Cap Anson was one of the best players of his time. He was one of the first true superstars in baseball. He spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs team, which was known as the "White Stockings" and later the "Colts." He was their manager, played first base, and even owned a small part of the team. He helped his team win six championships in the 1880s.
Cap Anson was one of baseball's first great hitters. He was probably the first player to get over 3,000 hits in his career. Besides being a star player, he also came up with new ways to manage a team. For example, he used signals between players and rotated pitchers.
However, Cap Anson also played a big part in keeping professional baseball segregated. This meant that black players were not allowed to play in the major leagues until the late 1940s. He sometimes refused to play if the other team had black players. His actions may have influenced team owners to ban new contracts with black players in 1887.
After he stopped playing and managing the Colts, Anson briefly managed the New York Giants. He also started several businesses in Chicago, like a billiards and bowling hall. He even had his own semi-professional baseball team called "Anson's Colts." Anson also performed on stage, telling stories and singing. Many of his businesses didn't do well, and he lost his share of the Cubs team. Cap Anson was honored by being put into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
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Early Life and Education
Cap Anson was born in Marshalltown, Iowa. When he was about 14 years old, he went to a boarding school at the University of Notre Dame. His father sent him there hoping it would help him behave better.
After Notre Dame, he went to the University of Iowa. But he only stayed for one semester before the school asked him to leave.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the National Association
Cap Anson played on many good baseball teams when he was young. He started playing professionally in the National Association (NA) when he was 19. He mostly played third base for the Rockford Forest Citys, one of the first teams in that league.
Anson was a big and strong player. He was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed around 220 pounds.
After moving to the Philadelphia Athletics, Anson was one of the best players in the NA in 1872 and 1873. He was great at hitting and getting on base. In 1872, he led the NA in getting on base.
His performance was still good enough that the Chicago White Stockings wanted him for the 1876 season. The Chicago team's president, William Hulbert, broke league rules by talking to Anson and other star players while the 1875 season was still going on. Hulbert then started a new league, the National League, to avoid getting in trouble.
Anson wasn't sure about moving to Chicago because he was engaged to someone from Philadelphia. But Hulbert made him stick to his contract, and Anson eventually grew to like Chicago.
Playing for Chicago White Stockings/Colts
The White Stockings won the first league title in the new National League. Anson was a good hitter, but he became a superstar after he was named captain and manager in 1879.
His new job as captain led to his nickname "Cap." With Anson leading the way, the White Stockings won five championships between 1880 and 1886. They won by using new managing ideas. These included having a third-base coach, players helping each other in the field, giving signals to batters, and rotating two star pitchers.
In the early 1880s, Anson had his players run the bases very aggressively. This made the other team make mistakes. He also claimed to use some of the first "hit and run" plays.
Anson and the Chicago club president,