Remember these lol

I need to get over myself and actually commit to writing these regularly instead of doing it for a week every three months YIKES

“My task will not be too hard, either. Bill Dahlen left the foundation of a mighty strong team, and I hope to complete the task so ably started.” - Wilbert Robinson

Today’s Dodger of the Day is pitcher, shortstop, third baseman and manager Bill Dahlen.

Bill Dahlen is an important name in early Dodgers history. His short managerial career helped propel the Dodgers from mediocrity, although his temper and reputation prevented him from seeing it through. His playing career is also of note; Dahlen’s Hall of Fame candidacy has received a bit of a boost in recent decades. He and his 65 ejections deserve it.

William Fredrick Dahlen was born January 5, 1870 in Nelliston, New York. The street he was born on would later be renamed in his family’s honor. Dahlen played baseball for a local college before beginning his career in 1889 with a team in Cobbleskill, New York. He remained with the team throughout its two years of operation before getting his first major league action with the Chicago Colts in 1891.

He quickly proved himself to be an above average hitter. He never hit below .250 during his Chicago tenure and his 1894 season is one of the best in early baseball. That year saw Dahlen hit career highs in batting average, homers, hits, and RBI. His 42-game hitting streak remains the fourth-longest.

Dahlen initially struggled in the field and holds the record for most errors by an NL shortstop.. A Chicago Daily Tribune dispatch from his rookie season compared his fielding to “a horse with blind staggers.” His fielding quickly improved; Dahlen was in the top 6 by Defensive WAR for 10 straight seasons beginning in 1895.

By the latter half of his tenure in Chicago, Dahlen was one of the best players in baseball and he acted like it. The stories surrounding Dahlen are legion. He was a member of Chicago’s “Dawn Patrol,” a group of rowdy players who frequently clashed with Cap Anson. He was arrested in 1898 after killing a mule on a duck hunting trip. This came after an 1898 season in which Dahlen had 10 ejections.

Dahlen’s temper far overshadowed his considerable playing skill. Team president Jim Hart wanted him gone. On January 25, 1899, Hart got his wish; he traded Dahlen to Baltimore. The owners of the Baltimore club also owned the then-Brooklyn Superbas and sent Dahlen to the Big Apple.

His arrival in Brooklyn was not without personal strife. He separated from his wife in 1899 after allegations of domestic abuse. They divorced two years later. His marital struggles did not seem to affect Dahlen too much; although his 1899 numbers were below his production in Chicago, he still batted .283 in his first year in Brooklyn.

The Superbas won the championship in 1899 and again in 1900. 1900, however, proved that the 1899 slip in numbers was a trend and not an aberration for Dahlen. His stats would never reach the heights of his tenure in Chicago.

Dahlen was almost Khris Davis-like in his consistency during his first stint with the Superbas. Many of his statlines are nearly identical, headlined by batting averages of .266, .264 and .262 from 1901 to 1903. His consistency was still overshadowed by his temper. Charles Ebbets traded Dahlen to the Giants after the 1903 season.

The change in scenery proved fruitful for Dahlen. He was an important member of the Giants for the next four seasons, playing at least 140 games each season. The Giants won the pennant in 1904 and 1905; the latter year, they won the World Series, although Dahlen was a non-factor. He went 0-for-15 in the series. 1904 was the last year Dahlen hit above .250.

The Giants traded Dahlen to the Boston Doves after he hit .204 in 1907. Charles Ebbets came skulking around almost immediately, desiring Dahlen to manage his club. A .239 batting average in his age 38 season was good enough to convince Doves president George Dovey to keep Dahlen until the end of 1909.

1909 was the last year Dahlen saw serious action. He batted .234 in 69 games

Meanwhile, the Superbas had taken a dive since Dahlen’s departure. His replacement was out of the big leagues by 1906 and the Superbas had become cellar dwellers. Ebbets was desperate to get the firey Dahlen as his manager. Dahlen became the Superbas manager in 1910 and immediately set to work. Ebbets gave Dahlen full control over the rosters, essentially making him player, manager and general manager.

Dahlen proved to be a prudent manager. He created a team that was the complete opposite of his reputation, focusing on teamwork and mentorship rather than individualism. The Superbas' winning percentage improved during his four years as manager. However, they could never crack .500 or rise higher than 6th in the standings.

Ebbets fired Dahlen after the 1913 season. His praise was far more effusive than Dahlen’s first exit, saying “His judgment in handling the players under contract of the Brooklyn club has been wonderful. During his first three years as manager he dispensed with the services of many players who were either incompetent, misbehaving or troublesome, rarely misjudging as a player, as is evidenced by the fact that of all the men he passed up only one was of major league caliber.”

Wilbert Robinson took over from Dahlen and led the Superbas to two World Series.

Dahlen received one Hall of Fame in 1934 and 1936. He came two votes shy in his last attempt in 2013. He is consistently tagged as one of the most overlooked players of the 20th century and many other players with similar statlines have a plaque in Cooperstown.

Dahlen worked various odd jobs around New York City, including as an attendant at Yankee Stadium. He died December 5, 1950 in Brooklyn. His grave is unmarked, somewhere in the Cemetery of the Evergreens.