Shortstop,abbreviated SS,is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base,which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically,the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order. Today,shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup. In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays,the shortstop is assigned the number 6.
Michael Jack Schmidt is an American former professional baseball third baseman. Schmidt played his entire 18-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB),from 1972 to 1989,for the Philadelphia Phillies,earning a total of $17 million. Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player award (MVP),and he was known for his combination of power hitting and strong defense. As a hitter,he compiled 548 home runs and 1,595 runs batted in (RBIs),and led the NL in home runs eight times and in RBIs four times. As a fielder,Schmidt won the National League Gold Glove Award for third basemen ten times. Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest third basemen in baseball history.
Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor was an American third baseman,manager,scout and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career between 1920 and 1937 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Traynor batted over .300 ten times,posting a career average of .320,and had seven seasons with over 100 runs batted in (RBI). With home runs limited by playing in Forbes Field,the most difficult park for power hitting in the National League (NL),he compensated by reaching double digits in triples eleven times,leading the league in 1923. He batted .346 in the 1925 World Series to help the Pirates take their first championship in 16 years.
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel,nicknamed "Little Louie",is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams,most prominently the Chicago White Sox. During his ten seasons with the team,he became known for his exceptional defensive and base-stealing skills. A 13-time All-Star,,he made an immediate impact with the team,winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1956 after leading the league in stolen bases and leading AL shortstops in putouts and assists;he was the first Latin American player to win the award.
Mark Henry Belanger,nicknamed "the Blade," was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1965 through 1982,most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won six American League East division titles,five American League pennants,and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1979.
William Stanley Mazeroski,nicknamed "Maz" and "the Glove",is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A seven-time All-Star known during his career primarily for his spectacular defensive play,he has come to be better known for perhaps the most memorable home run in baseball history,a dramatic ninth-inning drive in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series that beat the favored New York Yankees. It was the first time that the major league season ended with a home run,and remains the only walk-off home run to clinch a World Series championship in Game 7. ESPN ranked the World Series winner at the top of its list of the 100 Greatest Home Runs of All Time,while Sports Illustrated had it eighth in its compilation of the 100 Greatest Moments in Sports History. Mazeroski received the Babe Ruth Award for his play in the Series,during which he batted .320.
Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a shortstop and third baseman for the Boston Red Sox,where he established himself as a fan favorite for his powerful hitting and his solid defensive play. A two-time All-Star shortstop,Petrocelli appeared in two World Series with the Red Sox. He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.
David Ismael Concepción Benitez is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1970 and 1976.
Jay Stuart Bell is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and former manager of the Rocket City Trash Pandas of the Southern League. He played for the Cleveland Indians (1986–1988),Pittsburgh Pirates (1989–1996),Kansas City Royals (1997),Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2002) and New York Mets (2003). He was the bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds,and was the bench coach for the New Zealand national baseball team that competed in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Alan Stuart Trammell is an American former professional baseball shortstop,manager and coach and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player. His entire 20-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) was with the Detroit Tigers. Trammell has served as a special assistant to the General Manager of the Detroit Tigers since the 2014 season.
Louis Rodman Whitaker Jr.,nicknamed "Sweet Lou",is an American former professional baseball second baseman. Whitaker spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. From 1977 to 1995,he appeared in 2,390 games for the Tigers,third most in franchise history behind Ty Cobb and Al Kaline. He helped the Tigers win the 1984 World Series,was selected as an American League All-Star five consecutive years (1983–1987) and won four Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Glove Awards (1983–1985). The Tigers retired his No. 1 jersey in August 2022.
James Louis "Jim" Fregosi was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1978,primarily for the Los Angeles / California Angels. He also played for the New York Mets,Texas Rangers,and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Andrés JoséPadovani Galarraga is a Venezuelan former professional baseball first baseman,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos,St. Louis Cardinals (1992),Colorado Rockies (1993–1997),Atlanta Braves (1998–2000),Texas Rangers (2001),San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels (2004). He batted and threw right-handed. During his playing days,Galarraga stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall,weighing 235 pounds (107 kg).
Freddie Joseph Patek,nicknamed "the Flea" or "the Cricket",is an American former professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates,Kansas City Royals and California Angels. At 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall,he was the shortest MLB player of his time.
Donald Eulon Kessinger is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1964 to 1979,most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs,where he was a six-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He ended his career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox.
Roy David McMillan was an American professional baseball player,coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1951 to 1966,most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds,where he was the starting shortstop for nine seasons.
JoséManuel Oquendo Contreras,nicknamed "the Secret Weapon",is a Puerto Rican former infielder and current coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He currently serves as Minor League Infield Coordinator of the St. Louis Cardinals,an organization with whom he has been affiliated since 1985. He managed the Puerto Rico national team in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. During his playing career,Oquendo proved highly versatile defensively:he played primarily second base and shortstop,but also frequently in the outfield,and made at least one appearance at every position during his MLB playing career. Oquendo has the second-highest career fielding percentage for second basemen at .9919 (99.19%),behind only Plácido Polanco's career mark of .9927 (99.27%).
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played his entire Major League Baseball career for the Boston Red Sox,from 2006 to 2019. He was a four-time All-Star,and won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award in 2007 and the AL Most Valuable Player and Silver Slugger Award in 2008. He has also received four Gold Glove Awards and was named AL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.
Kevin Daniel Elster is an American former professional baseball shortstop. Known primarily for his glove,Elster broke a 42-year-old Major League Baseball record by playing 88 consecutive games at shortstop without committing an error.
Manuel Arturo Machado is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Very highly recruited from an early age,he was raised in Miami,where he attended Brito High School and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the third overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft. He bats and throws right-handed. He has played for the Dominican Republic national baseball team.
