Bill Carrigan, on the verge of leading the Boston Red Sox to a second straight World Championship, had an unusual nominee for the best clutch hitter in baseball:
Bill Carrigan, (right)
“With all due respect to (Ty) Cobb, (Tris) Speaker, (Joe) Jackson and all the other sluggers, I would rather see Dick Hoblitzell up there with men on the bases than anybody else in the country. He almost always hits the ball hard and on a line, and while he doesn’t get them all safe by a long shot, his record for advancing base runners is a wonder.
“You can feel reasonably sure, with Dick up there, that he will not strike out, anyhow. He seems to have a happy faculty of making many safeties with men on bases than at any other time, which is something I can’t say for a lot of the fellows who are in the front rank every year.
Hoblitzell
“Jack Barry is another fellow who is more dangerous in the pinches. He isn’t a heavy hitter, but one of the most valuable.”
Hoblitzell hit .259 for the Red Sox in 1916, striking out 28 times in 489 at bats, and driving in 39 runs for the champions.
Baseball History Daily 
Leave a Reply