Nap Rucker: Dead Ball Era Lefty

If you go to the Dodgers baseball reference page, you will see photos of the top 24 Dodger players, according to WAR. Of those 24, nine played only in LA, and six played in Brooklyn and LA. The rest played exclusively in Brooklyn. Number 12 on the list with a career WAR of 47.2 is George Napoleon Rucker. Better known as Nat. For ten seasons, he was one of the best in the league. His won-lost record is 134-134. Brooklyn, in those days, was not a very good team.

Rucker was born in Crabapple, Georgia, on September 30, 1884. His father was John Rucker, a Confederate veteran. His mother was Sarah Hembree. Rucker left school at an early age and worked as an apprentice in a printing shop. An…