Solly Hofman

Arthur Frederick "Solly" Hofman (October 29, 1882 – March 10, 1956) was an American Major League Baseball player from 1903 to 1916. He played the majority of his 1,194 games in the outfield.

Solly Hofman
Solly Hofman (right) with the Chicago Cubs in 1907. The player on the left is his teammate Jack Pfiester.
Outfielder
Born: (1882-10-29)October 29, 1882
St. Louis, Missouri
Died: March 10, 1956(1956-03-10) (aged 73)
St. Louis, Missouri
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 28, 1903, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
August 25, 1916, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Batting average.269
Home runs19
Runs batted in498
Teams

His nickname was "Circus Solly". Some attribute this name to a comic strip of the era, while others attribute it to spectacular catches while fielding.[1] He is considered by some to be the first great utility player in baseball due to his versatility.

In the 1906 World Series, Hofman batted leadoff and played center field for the Chicago Cubs against their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox. He had seven hits and three walks during the Series, batting .304. Hofman was the Cubs' center fielder on October 14, 1908 when they defeated the Detroit Tigers 2-0 to win the 1908 World Series. He hit .316 for the Series. It was the Cubs' last championship until 2016.

In 1,194 games over 14 seasons, Hofman compiled a .269 batting average (1095-for-4072) with 554 runs, 162 doubles, 60 triples, 19 home runs, 498 RBI, 208 stolen bases, 421 base on balls, 323 strikeouts, .340 on-base percentage and .352 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .966 fielding percentage at all positions except catcher. In three World Series covering 16 games (1906, 1908, 1910), he batted .298 (17-for-57) with 7 runs, 8 RBI and 3 stolen bases.

He was the uncle of Bobby Hofman of the New York Giants.

References
  1. Dickson, Paul (1989). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary. United States: Facts on File. p. 99. ISBN 0816017417.


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