Any guy that played second base without a glove deserves his own tribute page!

The following is taken from the Baseball Hall of Fame Website.  Visit the hall at:

www.baseballhalloffame.org

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Bid McPhee

Born: November 1, 1859, at Massena, New York. Died: January 3, 1943, at San Diego, California. Height: 5'8", Weight: 152 lbs. Batted right, threw right.

Bid McPhee, who stubbornly played the infield without a glove for 14 major league seasons before reluctantly adopting the leather, is generally considered to be the greatest second baseman of the 19th century.

John Alexander McPhee was born in northern New York state in 1859, but grew up in the Mississippi River town of Keithsburg, Illinois, during the bustling heyday of Mark Twain. In 1877 — the year after Twain published Tom Sawyer — McPhee left home for Davenport, Iowa, to pursue a career in professional baseball. After four seasons in the minors, McPhee signed with the Cincinnati Reds of the American Association, a new major league. The 22-year-old rookie (nicknamed "Biddy" and later "Bid" for his diminutive size) immediately won the second base job as the Reds coasted to the pennant. It was the only pennant winner for which McPhee would ever play.

Although the turbulent American Association quickly became known as the "Beer and Whiskey League," McPhee was noted for his gentlemanly qualities. He developed a reputation as a superb fielder and consistently ranked atop the league in important defensive categories. But his defense slipped during the 1890s when he refused, unlike most of his peers, to begin using a glove to field his position. "I have never seen the necessity of wearing one, and besides, I cannot hold a thrown ball if there is anything on my hands," he told a reporter in 1890. "This glove business has gone a little too far.… True, hot-hit balls do sting a little at the opening of the season, but after you get used to it there is no trouble on that score." But McPhee eventually gave in and, in 1896 (his first full season using a glove) he fielded .978, surpassing the previous record for second basemen by a whopping 19 points.

Though noted for his defense, McPhee could handle the bat too. He led his league in homers and triples once each, while scoring more than 100 runs 10 times. His ability to draw walks gave him a career on-base percentage of .355. In 1899, after 18 seasons with the Reds (who had moved to the National League in 1890), McPhee retired with more hits and games played than any second baseman in history. After brief stints managing and scouting for the Reds, Bid McPhee retired to California, where he died on January 3, 1943.