Germany Schaefer
Born: 2/4/1876 in Chicago, IL, USA
Died: 5/16/1919 in Saranac Lake, NY, USA
MLB Debut: 1901-10-05 | Final Game: 1918-04-25
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: William Herman Schaefer
Biography
Germany Schaefer, born in 1876, was a notable position player in Major League Baseball who played from 1901 to 1918. Over the course of his career, he participated in 1,150 games, where he showcased his skills as a versatile infielder and outfielder. Schaefer recorded a total of 972 hits, contributing to a career batting average of .257. Known for his speed on the basepaths, he amassed 201 stolen bases and drove in 309 runs, establishing himself as a key contributor to his teams.
Schaefer's playing style embodied the competitive spirit of early 20th-century baseball, an era characterized by its focus on speed and strategic play rather than the power hitting that would later define the game. With a career that spanned the years leading up to and including World War I, he played for several teams, including the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Senators. His legacy remains significant, not only for his on-field achievements but also for his embodiment of the evolving role of players in baseball during a transformative period in the sport's history.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1150 | 3784 | 496 | 972 | 117 | 48 | 9 | 309 | 201 | 333 | 438 | 0.257 | 0.319 | 0.320 | 0.639 | 450.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | CHC | NL | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.600 | 0.0 |
| 1902 | CHC | NL | 81 | 291 | 32 | 57 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 12 | 19 | 47 | 0.196 | -1435.5 |
| 1905 | DET | AL | 153 | 554 | 64 | 135 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 47 | 19 | 45 | 91 | 0.244 | -198.9 |
| 1906 | DET | AL | 124 | 446 | 48 | 106 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 43 | 31 | 32 | 57 | 0.238 | -454.2 |
| 1907 | DET | AL | 109 | 372 | 44 | 96 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 21 | 30 | 34 | 0.258 | 149.6 |
| 1908 | DET | AL | 153 | 584 | 96 | 151 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 52 | 40 | 37 | 75 | 0.259 | 617.8 |
| 1909 | DET | AL | 87 | 280 | 26 | 70 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 12 | 14 | 48 | 0.250 | -336.3 |
| 1909 | WSN | AL | 37 | 128 | 13 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 0.242 | -336.3 |
| 1910 | WSN | AL | 74 | 229 | 27 | 63 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 17 | 25 | 44 | 0.275 | 351.1 |
| 1911 | WSN | AL | 125 | 440 | 74 | 147 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 22 | 57 | 0 | 0.334 | 1643.6 |
| 1912 | WSN | AL | 60 | 166 | 21 | 41 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 0.247 | -74.6 |
| 1913 | WSN | AL | 54 | 100 | 17 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 0.320 | 343.8 |
| 1914 | WSN | AL | 30 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0.241 | 0.0 |
| 1915 | NEW | FL | 59 | 154 | 26 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 25 | 11 | 0.214 | -75.4 |
| 1916 | NYY | AL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1918 | CLE | AL | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18.00 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | WSN | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | - |
| 1913 | WSN | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 54.00 | - |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 37 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.135 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | WS | DET | 5 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.125 |
| 1907 | WS | DET | 5 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.143 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 145 | 0 | 1364 | 81 | 29 | 71 |
| 2B | 588 | 549 | 1419 | 1623 | 147 | 189 |
| 3B | 133 | 46 | 186 | 276 | 54 | 16 |
| OF | 78 | 25 | 81 | 13 | 6 | 2 |
| P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 97 | 90 | 226 | 333 | 49 | 38 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | CHN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901 | CHN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1902 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1902 | CHN | 3B | 75 | 0 | 103 | 152 | 40 | 11 |
| 1902 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1902 | CHN | OF | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1905 | DET | 2B | 151 | 151 | 403 | 389 | 37 | 35 |
| 1905 | DET | SS | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1906 | DET | 2B | 114 | 112 | 348 | 328 | 37 | 42 |
| 1906 | DET | SS | 7 | 7 | 20 | 24 | 6 | 3 |
| 1907 | DET | 2B | 74 | 76 | 188 | 206 | 16 | 23 |
| 1907 | DET | 3B | 14 | 14 | 21 | 32 | 3 | 0 |
| 1907 | DET | SS | 18 | 15 | 36 | 48 | 4 | 0 |
| 1907 | DET | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908 | DET | 2B | 58 | 60 | 122 | 160 | 15 | 22 |
| 1908 | DET | 3B | 29 | 27 | 35 | 65 | 5 | 1 |
| 1908 | DET | SS | 68 | 66 | 162 | 254 | 37 | 35 |
| 1909 | DET | 2B | 86 | 84 | 180 | 273 | 16 | 26 |
| 1909 | DET | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | WS1 | 2B | 32 | 32 | 52 | 91 | 9 | 16 |
| 1909 | WS1 | 3B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1910 | WS1 | 2B | 35 | 34 | 60 | 104 | 8 | 15 |
| 1910 | WS1 | 3B | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910 | WS1 | OF | 26 | 24 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 1911 | WS1 | 1B | 108 | 0 | 1038 | 71 | 23 | 57 |
| 1911 | WS1 | OF | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912 | WS1 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912 | WS1 | 1B | 15 | 0 | 125 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 1912 | WS1 | 2B | 15 | 0 | 30 | 24 | 4 | 2 |
| 1912 | WS1 | OF | 19 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1913 | WS1 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913 | WS1 | 1B | 6 | 0 | 57 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1913 | WS1 | 2B | 16 | 0 | 26 | 37 | 5 | 5 |
| 1913 | WS1 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913 | WS1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | 2B | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | NEW | 1B | 13 | 0 | 109 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 1915 | NEW | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1915 | NEW | 3B | 9 | 0 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 4 |
| 1915 | NEW | OF | 17 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916 | NYA | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | CLE | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
| First Base | 144 |
| Second Base | 590 |
| Third Base | 136 |
| Shortstop | 95 |
| Left Field | 18 |
| Center Field | 15 |
| Right Field | 47 |