All-Time Indians: Pete Hotaling

Pete Hotaling was one of the first baseball players in history joining the Syracuse Stars the year after the Cincinnati Reds became the first professional baseball team. A few years later, he would make his Major League debut with those Reds in 1879. After batting .279 that season with 20 doubles and nine triples, Hotaling traveled North and joined the Cleveland Blues in the second season of their franchise.

In the first year of the Blues, 1879, the team was found largely lacking in offense and to fix the matter, major changes were made going into 1880. Almost the entire offense was replaced with only first baseman Bill Phillips, second baseman Jack Glasscock and catcher Doc Kennedy maintaining their starting roles. Of the changes included a completely new outfield now featuring Orator Shafer in left, Ned Hanlon in center and Pete Hotaling in right field. The changes worked as the group improved from a .212 joint average to a .251 and Hotaling was the biggest part of that, knocking in 41 with 17 doubles, eight triples and scoring 40 runs. While steals were not yet tallied in 1880, considering that he stole 78 bases after the age of 30, he must have been a terror on the base paths as well.

After his brief season with the Blues, Hotaling continued on to play for the Worcestor Ruby Legs in 1881 and the Boston Red Stocking in 1882 before coming back to the Blues in 1883 (he was apparently a big fan of colorful teams). While this would be his fifth season in the National League, it would be his first with at least 100 games. Unlike the last time he joined the squad, almost the entire team was the same as the 1880 version, including Glasscock and Phillips who stuck around from day one. Again, Hotaling was a top offensive performer with 28 extra base hits and 54 runs scored. The Blues were never a very successful franchise, but this year was their best as they went 55-42, their only finish with at least 50 wins and one of two seasons with a winning percent above .500.

Hotaling stuck around for one more year this time, but although he played in 100 games again, he batted just .243 and hit just 25 extra base hits. This would be the final year of the Cleveland Blues and when the players were available for grabs, Hotaling was one of six players (including Phillips) who were signed by the Brooklyn Grays (who ultimately became the Bridegrooms, Superbas, Robins and Dodgers) in their second season in existence. After another sub-par season in Brooklyn, Hotaling took a year off before coming back home to Cleveland in 1887.

That season was the first for a new franchise, also called the Cleveland Blues, but now in the American Association instead of the National League. This was an entirely new organization and only Hotaling returned from the previous incarnation. In addition, at 30 years old, Hotaling was the star of the team, smashing three home runs (he had six to this point in his career), 28 doubles, 13 triples and knocking in 94. This combined production line was by far the greatest by any Cleveland hitter to that point in any of the three professional franchises (the AA Blues, NL Blues and Forest City’s). In addition, Hotaling scored 108 runs (second on the team to Cub Stricker) and third on the team with 43 steals (Stricker had an incredible 86 steals while Ed McKean had 76). Unfortunately, despite the offensive explosion, the Blues finished last in the league with a 39-92 record as the great pitchers of the future was yet to appear.

The second season of the Blues was similar to the first incarnation as new players came in at first, third, right and center field. Hotaling remained as the starting left fielder and played 98 games in what would be his final season. He batted just .251 after an outlying .299 in 1887 and knocked in just 55 although he did steal another 35 bases. This was a severe down turn after his career best season the year before and he was no longer the valuable player he had once been. In his final two seasons, Hotaling committed an extraordinary 56 errors in the outfield (he would have most certainly been more efficient if he had used a glove) part of 246 in his career (.869 fielding percent). In his career, he remains 21st in baseball history in most errors committed by an outfielder.

What he should be remembered for, however, is his bat. In pre-American League Cleveland baseball history, Hotaling ranks in the top ten in games, at bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, RBI and total bases. While he had limited power even for the age, he batted .261 over his Cleveland career and stole 78 bases in just two seasons. Had steals been recorded prior to 1887, even if he had just twenty a year, which seems low for a player who stole 78 after the age of 30, he would have finished his Cleveland career with more than 130. Following his Major League career, Hotaling stuck around for the 1889 season with St. Joseph in the Western Association and Chattanooga in the Southern League before retiring prior to 1890. Pete Hotaling died in 1928 at the age of 71, but he should be remembered as bring one of the original professional baseball players, a great hitter and a member of each of the early Cleveland franchises.