Roy Hartzell

Roy Allen Hartzell

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8½", Weight 155 lb.

• High School Golden High School

• Debut April 17, 1906
• Final Game July 25, 1916
• Born July 6, 1881 in Golden, CO USA
• Died November 6, 1961 in Golden, CO USA

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Biographical Information

"The handiest utility man the Yankees ever had . . . he has played every position on the club except battery positions. . . Hartzell was a steady, reliable player, and versatile enough to be shifted from position to position." - from a Jan. 5, 1914 article in the New York Times about Hartzell being in demand to manage Denver, something he did not do until three years later

Roy Hartzell was a major leaguer for 11 seasons during the dead-ball era, playing significant numbers of games in both the outfield and the infield.

Hartzell was born in Golden, CO and was one of the earliest Colorado-born players to come to the majors. He was not the first born in Golden, however, as Cowboy Jones had been born there in 1874, seven years before Roy was born there.

Roy attended Golden High School and played in the Western League from 1902-05. He made his major league debut in April with the 1906 St. Louis Browns and became their regular third baseman. He hit only .213, though, and the following year, when he hit .236, he spent part of the season at St. Paul.

In 1908 he was back in the majors for good, however, hitting .265 for the 1908 Browns (the team average was .245). He played two more seasons for the Browns, 1909-10, leading the league in at-bats in 1909. Hartzell had become primarily an outfielder in 1908, split his time between outfield and shortstop in 1909, and was a third baseman in 1910 although he played a lot of both shortstop and outfield as well.

After the 1910 season he was traded to the New York Highlanders and spent the rest of his major league career with them. He was a third baseman in 1911, split equally between third and outfield in 1912, mostly a second baseman in 1913, and an outfielder in 1914-16.

As a hitter his batting average shot up in 1911, going from .218 with the Browns in 1910 to .296 with the Highlanders in 1911. He began to be among the leaders in walks in 1911-14, and was sixth in the league in RBI in 1911.

At age 34 in 1916 he slipped with the bat, and spent part of the season with Baltimore in the minors, where he hit .322. In 1917 he played part of a season for Toledo and also managed part of the season with the Denver Bears.