Bid McPhee
McPhee played his entire 18-year career without a glove, becoming the last bare-handed fielder in major league history. This wasn't stubbornness — it was brilliance. His hands were so sure that he led National League second basemen in fielding percentage eight times, revolutionizing the position through pure skill rather than equipment.
The Cincinnati star's .272 career average seems modest until you consider the dead-ball era context. He scored 100 runs eight times and stole 568 bases when speed ruled the game. McPhee's 2,138 games at second base stood as a record for decades, testament to both his durability and his team's faith in those leather-tough hands.
His Veterans Committee induction in 2000 finally recognized what 19th-century fans knew: McPhee redefined middle infield defense through artistry alone. Modern players can barely fathom fielding grounders bare-handed, yet he made it look effortless for nearly two decades.
Career · Batting
18 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | CN2 | 78 | 311 | 1 | 31 | .228 | — | — |
| 1883 | CN2 | 96 | 367 | 2 | 42 | .245 | — | — |
| 1884 | CN2 | 112 | 450 | 5 | 64 | .278 | — | — |
| 1885 | CN2 | 110 | 431 | 0 | 46 | .265 | — | — |
| 1886 | CN2 | 140 | 560 | 8 | 70 | .268 | — | — |
| 1887 | CN2 | 129 | 540 | 2 | 87 | .289 | — | — |
| 1888 | CN2 | 111 | 458 | 4 | 51 | .240 | — | — |
| 1889 | CN2 | 135 | 540 | 5 | 57 | .269 | — | — |
| 1890 | CIN | 132 | 528 | 3 | 39 | .256 | — | — |
| 1891 | CIN | 138 | 562 | 6 | 38 | .256 | — | — |
| 1892 | CIN | 144 | 573 | 4 | 60 | .274 | — | — |
| 1893 | CIN | 127 | 491 | 3 | 68 | .281 | — | — |
| 1894 | CIN | 128 | 483 | 5 | 93 | .313 | — | — |
| 1895 | CIN | 115 | 432 | 1 | 75 | .299 | — | — |
| 1896 | CIN | 117 | 433 | 1 | 87 | .305 | — | — |
| 1897 | CIN | 81 | 282 | 1 | 39 | .301 | — | — |
| 1898 | CIN | 133 | 486 | 1 | 60 | .249 | — | — |
| 1899 | CIN | 112 | 377 | 1 | 65 | .279 | — | — |
| Career | 2138 | 8304 | 53 | 1072 | .272 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.