Player #39J: J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.
Deveaux takes us through Milan's time as Washington manager: After McBride's terrible accident (manager McBride was struck in the face and partially paralyzed by a thrown ball while hitting infield practice) in August (1921), 34-year-old Clyde Milan, who batted .288 in 112 games in his player's role, took over. Milan now in his 15th year with Washington, guided the club to its 80-73 finish. . . .
(Aside to loyal readers: You may have noticed that yesterday saw an unplanned failure to post on my part. Because there is no excuse, I will simply explain that a series of entanglements with rabbit holes and confusions involved in preparing for an early morning departure conspired to distract me until I was beyond the conveniences of desk-top computing. I believe the medical term for what happened is "I forgot all about it." Oh, well . . .)
. . . They (the Nationals) fell to 69-85 (in 1922) and, after just one year at the helm, Deerfoot Milan gave up his managing job, having found the work decidedly unsatisfying. He'd been beset by stomach problems all year, brought on by nonstop worry about his sixth-place charges. In Walter Johnson's opinion, his best friend was too nice a guy, and some of the players had taken advantage of him. Milan's batting average, as an occasional insert in the lineup, had plunged from .288 to .230. He would never play again in the big leagues, although he would hit over .300 in the following two years as a player-manager in the minors. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)
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