The Great Cub Double Play Combination, “Tinker to Evers to Chance.” But What About Harry Steinfeldt??

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The Great Cub Double Play Combination, “Tinker to Evers to Chance.” But What About Harry Steinfeldt??

September 13, 1902 marked the 116th anniversary of Johnny Evers taking the field for the first time with legendary Cub infielders, shortstop Joe Tinker, and first baseman Frank Chance. Evers had recently been acquired to replace Bobby Lowe who had suffered a broken ankle. The Hall-of-Fame trio was soon immortalized in Franklin Pierce Adams’ baseball poem, “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.”

Whenever I think about the fabled Cubs’ infield, I also wonder about third baseman, Harry Steinfeldt, baseball’s version of “odd man out,” the only member of the Cubs’ infield left out of the famous poem. Harry was a fine ball player in his own right, but he’s been largely forgotten over the passage of time. Was he upset that history overlooked him, while immortalizing his infield teammates? Was it because his name didn’t quite fit neatly into Mr. Adams’ poem? “Steinfeldt to Tinker to Evers to Chance” somehow didn’t have quite the same poetic ring to it!

Maybe it’s time to give him his due…

Harry Steinfeldt played 14 seasons in the major leagues (1899-1911) for the Reds (1898-1905), Cubs (1906-1910), and Boston Rustlers (1911). Over his career, he hit .267 with 1576 hits, 762 RBIs, and 759 runs.

On October 24, 1905, the Reds traded Steinfeldt to the Cubs. His addition, along with star Jimmy Sheckard, made the Cubs “the greatest baseball machine in the country,” as one sportswriter at the time put it. He was the third baseman on the Cubs’ three consecutive pennant winners of 1906, ’07, and ’08, and again in 1910, including the World Series championships of ’07 and ’08.

Steinfeldt’s best season was his first with the Cubs, 1906, as he led the National League in hits (176), tied for most RBIs (83), and was second in batting average (.327). He also led all National League third basemen in fielding percentage (.954) in 1906, and did so again in three of his five seasons with the Cubs, earning a reputation as the best defensive third baseman of his era. Steinfeldt followed up the next year with a stellar performance in the 1907 World Series, batting .471, leading the Cubs to a swept over the Tigers in the Fall Classic.

Steinfeldt’s career statistics compare favorably to his Hall-of-Fame teammate, Joe Tinker, who played for 15 seasons, hitting .262, with 1690 hits, 774 runs, and 785 RBIs.

Harry Steinfeldt passed away on August 17, 1917 at the age of 36. Maybe if his name had more of a poetic ring to it, he’d also be in the Hall of Fame!

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from the Harry Steinfeldt Wikipedia page.

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