Rollie Zeider - Playing Career

Playing Career

Zeider began his professional career in 1905, which he split between the Crookston Crooks and Winnipeg Maroons of the Northern League. In 1909, he played third base for the minor-league San Francisco Seals. On August 17 of that year, Zeider was acquired from the Seals by the White Sox for $5,500 and two players.

The right-handed Zeider was one of the fastest players in the game, even at the time. With the White Sox, as a rookie, Zeider accomplished what would end up being his career-high in stolen bases with 49. Not only that, but his 49 stolen bases stood as the record for stolen bases by a rookie until 76 years later, when John Cangelosi, another White Sox player, broke it in 1986 with 50.

He reached the top 5 in stolen bases twice (1910, his rookie season, and 1912). Besides those two season, Zeider's early career came as a utility player. Not until 1914 did he begin to play regularly every year. By that point, his speed had decreased, but he still came in eighth in the league in steals with 35 that year (tied with Tom Downey and Baldy Louden). It was also, arguably, his best full season.

In a nine-season career, he batted .240 with 5 home runs and 253 RBIs in 941 games. He stole 223 bases in his career and scored 393 runs. He had 769 hits in 3210 at bats. In his only World Series appearance (1918 with the Cubs), Zeider had two plate appearances and walked twice.

After the 1918 season, Zeider returned to the minor leagues. He played for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1919, and finished his career in 1924 with the Paris North Stars of the class-D East Texas League.