Top Fielders of the National League, 1949: Key Players and Stats
The page from the 1950 Who's Who in the Major Leagues outlines key fielding statistics of top players in the National League during the 1949 season. Red Schoendienst of the St. Louis Cardinals, primarily a second baseman, posted a remarkable fielding record with a high fielding average of .987 over 104 games, achieving a new record for consecutive games without an error—285. Gil Hodges, also a standout first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, led the league's front-running fielders, boasting a fielding average of .995 with only 7 errors across 139 chances. Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers’ shortstop, participated in the team’s strong defensive lineup, completing 778 chances while committing just 18 errors. Grady Hatton, third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, accumulated 441 chances and made 61 errors over 136 games. Don Newcombe, the Dodgers’ pitcher, contributed with a success rate of 1.000 in 21 fielding chances, while Roy Campanella, their catcher, displayed proficiency with a fielding rate of .985.