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Fred Dunlap had one of the greatest seasons in MLB history. On what would have been his birthday, let us look back at his career, and that impressive season.
It did not take Fred Dunlap long to make an impact. In his rookie season, playing for the Cleveland Blues in 1880. Strangely, this was not his MLB debut, as Dunlap had appeared as an umpire for one game the season before he set foot on the field as a player, but he quickly proved that he belonged on the diamond. That season, he produced a solid .276/.289/.429 batting line, leading the league with 27 doubles.
He spent the next four seasons in Cleveland, producing solid numbers. A .300 hitter twice, Dunlap produced a .302/.333/.420 batting line with 105 doubles with the Blues, developing into one of the better young players in the game. It seemed that his star was in ascension.
Just as Dunlap appeared poised to become the best second baseman in the National League, along came the Union Association. The St. Louis Maroons made Dunlap the highest paid player in the game to join the newly created league, and he more than delivered on that contract. In one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, Dunlap produced an incredible .412/.448/.621 batting line, hitting 13 homers and 39 doubles. He led the league in hits, runs, homers, batting average, on base percentage, and slugging. Had RBI been tracked, chances are Dunlap would have led the league there as well.
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While there may be questions about the legitimacy of the Union Association as a major league, there are no questions about Dunlap's performance. He produced a 256 OPS+, a number that would not be surpassed until Barry Bonds had a 259 OPS+ in 2001, the year he hit 73 homers. In fact, Bonds is the only player to ever have a higher OPS+ in a season than Dunlap, doing so three times.
After the UA folded after that one season, Dunlap returned to the National League. He would remain a solid player, but would never again reach those lofty heights. It is even fair to say that Dunlap put together one of the greatest one hit wonder seasons in MLB history, as he would never come close to replicating that production again.
Strangely, Dunlap's fame as a second baseman did not come from his bat. He was considered to be the finest fielding second baseman of his time, with his nickname "Sure Shot" being an homage to his powerful throwing arm. Dunlap either led the league or finished second in assists six times, and was in the top two in double plays on six other occasions. Even if the bat did not translate, Dunlap's defense certainly did.
Fred Dunlap had one of the greatest seasons in MLB history. On his birthday, let us look back and remember one of the forgotten greats in the history of the game.
