El Paso Herald · El Paso, Texas · 1913

How Great Men Play the Game: Stuffy McInnes

Scar takes up Stuffy McInnes of the Athletics in July 1913: he puts out fast runners by taking the throw on a dead run, he pulls the ball to either side nine times out of ten, and did you ever notice that he's the smallest first baseman in the major leagues?

The banner on this installment of How Great Men Play the Game reads “‘Stuffy’ McInnes, First Base, Phila. Athletics,” which is how the El Paso Herald spelled the corner man of Connie Mack’s hundred-thousand-dollar infield. The world has since settled on McInnis, but the world was not on deadline in 1913.

Scar’s notes concern themselves with range and leverage. “On a deep-hit to short or second McInnes puts out fast runners at first by taking the throw on a dead run,” a play drawn at full gallop with the glove hand trailing behind like a kite. At the plate, “holding his bat at arm’s length he can pull the ball to either side of the diamond nine times out of ten.” And on the pivot, “by an unusual twist of his body he makes the greatest throws to second of any right hand first baseman in the business.”

Then the corner box delivers its observation with the timing of a vaudeville act: “And did you ever notice? That he’s the smallest first baseman in the major leagues.” All of the above, in other words, performed by the littlest man ever asked to play the big man’s position. McInnes hit .326 that season, took the throws on a dead run and let the tall fellows worry about looking the part.