Wearing the small, rounded mitt of his day, Stuffy McInnis set still-standing fielding records for first basemen: in 1921, playing for the Red Sox, he made only one error in 152 games for a .9993 fielding average; with the Red Sox and Indians over the course of 163 games in 1921-22, he accepted 1,700 chances without an error; his 1,300 errorless chances in 1921 set the record for a season. His reputation for skillful defensive play developed with the Athletics, with whom he first appeared as a shortstop in 1909. In 1911 he replaced Harry Davis at first base in the “$100,000 Infield,” hooking up with Frank Baker, Eddie Collins, and Jack Barry for three pennant winners (1911, 1913, and 1914). He appeared with six league champions altogether; the Red Sox were AL champs his first year with them in 1918, and, when the Pirates picked him up in 1925 as an extra, they won the championship. McInnis batted over .300 in 12 of his 19 seasons, and in each year from 1910 to 1915. A righthanded line-drive pull hitter, he could punch the ball to the opposite field as well. He gained his nickname as a youngster in the Boston suburban leagues, where his spectacular playing brought shouts of “that’s the stuff, kid.” He quit as manager of the Phillies after one last-place season in 1927, and coached at Harvard for five years.
