Rabbit Maranville
The shortstop they called Rabbit played 23 seasons and somehow hit just 28 home runs — fewer than many players manage in half a season today. But Walter "Rabbit" Maranville wasn't built for power; he was built to last, becoming one of baseball's most durable performers during the dead-ball era and beyond.
Maranville's .258 career average tells only part of his story. Playing shortstop from 1912 to 1935, he was a defensive wizard who helped anchor three different franchises across two distinct baseball eras. His 2,670 games played represented remarkable longevity in an age when careers were often cut short by injury or war.
The timing of his Hall of Fame induction in 1954 — the same year he died — adds poignancy to his legacy. Maranville bridged baseball's transformation from small-ball tactics to the emerging power game, proving that some skills transcend changing times.
Career · Batting
23 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | BSN | 26 | 86 | 0 | 8 | .209 | — | — |
| 1913 | BSN | 143 | 571 | 2 | 48 | .247 | — | — |
| 1914 | BSN | 156 | 586 | 4 | 78 | .246 | — | — |
| 1915 | BSN | 149 | 509 | 2 | 43 | .244 | — | — |
| 1916 | BSN | 155 | 604 | 4 | 38 | .235 | — | — |
| 1917 | BSN | 142 | 561 | 3 | 43 | .260 | — | — |
| 1918 | BSN | 11 | 38 | 0 | 3 | .316 | — | — |
| 1919 | BSN | 131 | 480 | 5 | 43 | .267 | — | — |
| 1920 | BSN | 134 | 493 | 1 | 43 | .266 | — | — |
| 1921 | PIT | 153 | 612 | 1 | 70 | .294 | — | — |
| 1922 | PIT | 155 | 672 | 0 | 63 | .295 | — | — |
| 1923 | PIT | 141 | 581 | 1 | 41 | .277 | — | — |
| 1924 | PIT | 152 | 594 | 2 | 71 | .266 | — | — |
| 1925 | CHC | 75 | 266 | 0 | 23 | .233 | — | — |
| 1926 | BRO | 78 | 234 | 0 | 24 | .235 | — | — |
| 1927 | STL | 9 | 29 | 0 | 0 | .241 | — | — |
| 1928 | STL | 112 | 366 | 1 | 34 | .240 | — | — |
| 1929 | BSN | 146 | 560 | 0 | 55 | .284 | — | — |
| 1930 | BSN | 142 | 558 | 2 | 43 | .281 | — | — |
| 1931 | BSN | 145 | 562 | 0 | 33 | .260 | — | — |
| 1932 | BSN | 149 | 571 | 0 | 37 | .235 | — | — |
| 1933 | BSN | 143 | 478 | 0 | 38 | .218 | — | — |
| 1935 | BSN | 23 | 67 | 0 | 5 | .149 | — | — |
| Career | 2670 | 10078 | 28 | 884 | .258 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.