A supremely talented multi-positional star, Hardy Richardson was among the most versatile athletes of the nineteenth-century. A 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound dynamo with a rifle-arm and blazing speed, Richardson was a steady, sometimes spectacular hitter who enjoyed several noteworthy seasons. Following an 1886 campaign that saw him slash .351/.402/.504 with 125 runs scored, 42 steals, and a league-leading 11 home runs, a writer with The Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan) called Richardson "one of the best general players in the country," adding that "[a]s a batter, he has few superiors." This wasn't just one man's opinion—it was the prevailing view among fans, fellow players, and sportswriters alike. For example, in 1887 Richardson finished fourth in a "Who is the best base-ball player?" poll conducted by The Boston Globe—John Morrill, Cap Anson, and King Kelly took the top three spots. Among those to vote for Hardy were pitcher Ed Cushman, National League President Nicholas Young, and Anson himself. While impressive at the plate, it was Richardson's defensive wizardry at three positions that really made him stand out. Originally a third baseman, Hardy paced the NL in double plays while ranking second in assists, putouts, and fielding percentage as a rookie with the 1879 Buffalo Bisons; he moved to left field in 1881, amassing an all-time record 45 outfield assists while pacing MLB's gaggle of fleet-footed fly shaggers in range factor. Chiefly a second baseman, Richardson's career 6.40 range factor-per-game at the position is the second-best mark in major league history.
A .292 hitter during seven seasons (1879-85) with Buffalo, Richardson came into his own in Detroit, teaming up with Dan Brouthers, Jack Rowe, and Deacon White to form the Wolverines' famed "Big Four." Richardson followed his epic 1886 campaign by hitting .328 with 18 triples, 94 RBI, and 135 runs scored with the pennant-winning 1887 club. His best offensive showing, an epic one at that, came with the 1891 Boston Reds of the upstart Players' League: he hit .328 with 14 triples, 44 steals, and league-leading totals in home runs (16) and RBI (152). The sublime performance led The New York Herald to gush: "Richardson is beyond a shadow of a doubt the best all-around ball player in America."
Richardson finished out his career with the 1892 Giants; though he posted a paltry .200 average, the 37-year-old was still an excellent defender. Hardy's last hurrah came that July when he was asked to fill in at shortstop; The New York Sun opined that he "put up one of the greatest games yet seen at short." Reporting on the same contest, The Washington Evening Star wrote that "Old True Blue" is "the kind of man who is worth a dozen addle-pated youngsters." Years later, Grantland Rice chose Richardson, who appeared in only 21 career games at the position, as one of the top five shortstops of all-time. (Hardy was a pitcher as well, posting a 3.94 ERA in five relief appearances; he won three games and preserved the lead in the others.)
All told, Richardson hit .299 with 207 stolen bases, and 1,127 runs scored over a 14-year career. The bodacious basher's .435 slugging percentage (19th), 1,688 hits (11th), 73 home runs (9th), 2,453 total bases (9th), 303 doubles (8th), 126 triples (8th), and 822 RBI (6th) each ranked among MLB's top-20 performers during the 1871 to 1892 era. Though largely forgotten today, Richardson's reputation endured for decades; as late as 1956, Baseball Digest cited Hardy as having been among "the most redoubtable sluggers" of the nineteenth century.
According to baseball-reference.com's similarity scores, Richardson's skill-set and statistics most resemble those of Heinie Zimmerman, Home Run Baker, and Buck Ewing. In 1936, the Veterans Committee considered Richardson for Cooperstown enshrinement; he received a single vote—as did future Hall of Famers Bobby Wallace, Jesse Burkett, Tim Keefe, Deacon White, and Jake Beckley. Despite his once lofty status as one of the nineteenth century's most celebrated all-around players, "Old True Blue" has yet to garner another vote.
👑Sources: https://www.baseball-reference.com + https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov + https://en.wikipedia.org + Nemec, David, and Pete Palmer. "1001 Fascinating Baseball Facts." Stamford, CT: Longmeadow, 1994.
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