A Century at the Top of the Dodgers Record Book
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The Dodgers have had Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, and Pee Wee Reese. They moved across the country, won titles in two cities, and filled the record book with names everyone knows. And somehow, the man at the top of the franchise hit list still played his home games at Ebbets Field when it was brand new.
Zack Wheat spent 18 seasons in Brooklyn, from 1909 to 1926, back when the club was still called the Superbas and then the Robins. He was a line-drive hitter with a smooth glove in left field, and he got better as he got older. He won the 1918 batting title without hitting a single home run. He hit .375 in back-to-back seasons in 1923 and 1924, in his mid-thirties.
★ For the record ★
A century later, still the Dodgers' all-time leader in hits, doubles, triples, and total bases
Zack Wheat, Brooklyn, 1909-1926
This year marks a full century since his last season in Brooklyn. In that time, generations of great Dodgers have chased his numbers and come up short. He still holds the franchise records for hits, doubles, triples, and total bases.
Cooperstown took its time with him, waiting until 1959. The Dodgers record book never needed convincing.
