Samuel Blair Mertes (August 6, 1872 – March 12, 1945) was a professional baseball player. He was an outfielder over parts of 10 seasons (1896–1906) with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Orphans, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals. Mertes led the National League in doubles and RBIs in 1903 while playing for New York. He was born in San Francisco, California, and died in Villa Grande, California, at the age of 72.
Sam Mertes | |
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Outfielder | |
Born: (1872-08-06)August 6, 1872 San Francisco, California | |
Died: March 12, 1945(1945-03-12) (aged 72) Villa Grande, California | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 30, 1896, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 15, 1906, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .279 |
Home runs | 40 |
Runs batted in | 721 |
Stolen bases | 396 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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In 10 seasons, Mertes batted .279 (1227-4405) with 40 home runs and 721 RBI. He stole 396 bases in his career. Mertes' on-base percentage was .346 and his slugging percentage was .398. He had 100+ RBI seasons in 1903 and 1905.
Harpo Marx considered Mertes his favorite player, claiming he was the only member of the Giants he could see from his limited view outside the stadium on Coogan's Bluff.[1]
Achievements | ||
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Preceded by Duff Cooley |
Hitting for the cycle October 4, 1904 |
Succeeded by |
Chicago White Stockings 1901 American League Champion inaugural roster | |
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Regular season |
New York Giants 1904 National League champions | |
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New York Giants 1905 World Series champions | |
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National League season runs batted in leaders | |
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