Cleveland Forest Citys all-time roster
Players
Table:
Player
Position
Seasons
Notes
Ref.

Art Allison
CF
1871–1872

[2]

John Bass
SS
1871

[3]

Joe Battin
SS
1871

[4]

Jim Carleton
1B
1871–1872

[5]

George Ewell
RF
1871

[6]

Scott Hastings*
UT
1872

[7]

Jim Holdsworth
SS
1872

[8]

William Johnson
2B / RF
1871

[9]

Gene Kimball
UT
1871

[10]

Martin Mullen
RF
1872

[11]

Charlie Pabor*
LF
1871–1872

[12]

Al Pratt
SP
1871–1872

[13]

Joe Quest
UT
1871

[14]

Joe Simmons
1B / OF
1872

[15]

Ezra Sutton
3B
1871–1872

[16]

Charlie Sweasy
2B
1872

[17]

Deacon White§
C
1871–1872

[18]

Elmer White
RF
1871

[19]

Rynie Wolters
SP / RP
1872

[20]

Considering the tabular data together with the passages below.

Solve the question: What was the best year that the centerfielder had playing baseball ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

Arthur Algernon Art Allison ( January 29 , 1849 - February 25 , 1916 ) was a Major League Baseball player from 1871 to 1876 . He played both as an outfielder and first baseman . He played with many teams , but his best year was with the 1873 Elizabeth Resolutes , when he had a career-high batting average of .323 . Despite his performance , his team still ended up in last place .
A center fielder , abbreviated CF , is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the center fielder is assigned the number 8 .
The Cleveland Forest Citys played their first season in 1871 as a charter member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players . They finished eighth in the league with a record of 10-19 . Pitcher Al Pratt led the NA in strikeouts , with 34 .
The Cleveland Forest Citys played their second and final season in 1872 as a member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players . They finished seventh in the league with a record of 6-16 . The team folded at the conclusion of the season .
John Elias Bass ( 1848 - September 25 , 1888 ) was an American professional baseball player who played shortstop in the major leagues from 1871-1877 . He played for the Cleveland Forest Citys , Brooklyn Atlantics , and Hartford Dark Blues . In 1871 , he led the National Association in triples with ten . He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Denver , CO .
Shortstop , abbreviated SS , is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base , which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions . Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order . Today shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup . In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays , the shortstop is assigned the number 6 . More hit balls go to the shortstop than to any other position , as there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters , and most hitters have a tendency to pull the ball slightly . Like a second baseman , a shortstop must be agile , for example when performing a 4-6-3 double play . Also , like a third baseman , the shortstop fields balls hit to the left side of the infield , where a strong arm is needed to throw out a batter-runner before they reach the safety of first base .
Joseph V. Battin ( November 11 , 1853 - December 10 , 1937 ) was a 19th-century Major League Baseball player . He was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Battin played major league baseball from 1871 to 1884 and then returned for one season in 1890 , after several years in various minor leagues . Battin primarily played at second base and third base , although he occasionally filled in at other roles as well . His best year was in 1876 for the St. Louis Brown Stockings , when he batted .300 and scored 34 runs . In 1936 the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum listed Battin on the ballot . He received one vote . Battin died at the age of 84 in Akron , Ohio , where he was buried at the Glendale Cemetery .
James Leslie Carleton ( August 20 , 1848 - April 25 , 1910 ) was a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Forest Citys from 1871 to 1872 .
First base , or 1B , is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner to score a run for that player 's team . A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base , and is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the first baseman is assigned the number 3 . Also called first sacker or cornerman , the first baseman is ideally a tall player who throws left-handed and possesses good flexibility and quick reflexes . Flexibility is needed because the first baseman receives throws from the other infielders , the catcher and the pitcher after they have fielded ground balls . In order for the runner to be called out , the first baseman must be able to stretch towards the throw and catch it before the runner reaches first base . First base is often referred to as the other hot corner - the hot corner being third base - and therefore , like the third baseman , he must have quick reflexes to field the hardest hit balls down the foul line , mainly by left-handed pull hitters and right-handed hitters hitting to the opposite field . They often are power hitters who have a substantial number of home runs and extra base hits while maintaining a .270 plus batting average . [ citation needed ]
George W. Ewell ( October 29 , 1850 - October 20 , 1910 ) was an American professional baseball player . He appeared in one game for the Cleveland Forest Citys in 1871 . Ewell was born and died in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and is interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery .
A right fielder , abbreviated RF , is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field . Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher 's mound . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the right fielder is assigned the number 9 .
Winfield Scott Hastings ( August 10 , 1847 - August 14 , 1907 ) was a major league baseball player and manager in the late 19th century . Primarily a catcher and outfielder , Hastings also appeared as a first baseman , second baseman , and shortstop over the course of his career .
In sports , a utility player is one who can play several positions competently . Sports in which the term is often used include association football , gridiron football , baseball , rugby union , rugby league , softball , and water polo . The term has gained prominence in all sports due to its use in fantasy leagues , but in rugby union and rugby league , it is commonly used by commentators to recognize a player 's versatility . The use of this term to describe a player may in some circumstances be a backhanded compliment , as it suggests the player is n't good enough to be considered a specialist in one position .
James Holdsworth ( July 14 , 1850 - March 22 , 1918 ) , nicknamed Long Jim , was a professional baseball player who played shortstop in Major League Baseball for seven different teams during his nine-season career from 1872 to 1884 . Holdsworth died in his hometown of New York City , and is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery .
William Penn Johnson ( June 1 , 1848 - September 25 , 1909 ) was an American professional baseball player for the Cleveland Forest Citys during the 1871 season . Long identified as Caleb Johnson , the player 's true identity was uncovered in 2015 by Society for American Baseball Research member Peter Morris .
In baseball and softball , second baseman is a fielding position in the infield , between second and first base . The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet , needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly , and must be able to make the pivot on a double play . In addition , second basemen are usually right-handed ; only four left-handed throwing players have ever played second base in Major League Baseball since 1950 . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the second baseman is assigned the number 4 . Good second basemen need to have very good range since they have to field balls closer to the first baseman who is often holding runners on , or moving towards the base to cover . On a batted ball to right field , the second baseman goes out towards the ball for the relay . Due to these requirements , second base is sometimes a primarily defensive position in the modern game , but there are hitting stars as well .
Eugene Boynton Kimball ( August 31 , 1850 - August 2 , 1882 ) was an American professional baseball player for the Cleveland Forest Citys during the 1871 season . He was the original slap hitter , posting a .008 ISO in 1871 . He only had one extra-base hit , a double .
Martin Mullen ( August 22 , 1852 - October 27 , 1915 ) was an American professional baseball player for the Cleveland Forest Citys . He played in one game on August 17 , 1872 and was hitless in four at-bats , scoring one run . He played in right field for the game . His one appearance in the professional leagues was due to an accident . Rynie Wolters , the regular outfielder for the Forest Citys , swallowed his chaw of tobacco and could not play so Mullen , a local amateur player made his professional debut .
Charles Henry Charlie Pabor ( September 24 , 1846 - April 23 , 1913 ) , also spelled Charley , nicknamed The Old Woman in the Red Cap , was an American Major League Baseball left fielder and manager throughout the existence of the National Association , 1871-1875 .
In baseball , a left fielder ( LF ) is an outfielder who plays defense in left field . Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher 's mound . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the left fielder is assigned the number 7 .
Albert G. Pratt ( November 19 , 1847 - November 21 , 1937 ) , nicknamed Uncle Al , was an American right-handed pitcher and outfielder in the National Association for the Cleveland Forest Citys , and was a manager in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association . A native of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , Pratt was a Civil War veteran and baseball player . Pratt was 5 ' 7 , 140 lbs. , and compiled a 12-26 record in 43 professional games as a hurler . In successive years with Cleveland , 1871-1872 , Pratt hit .262 and .277 in 45 games with a total of 52 hits . He managed the Portsmouth , Ohio baseball team in 1868 . Afterward he was a member of the Forest City Club of Cleveland in the Professional League of Baseball Players . This was the first professional league in America . In 1880 Pratt founded the first major league club in Pittsburgh , the Alleghenys ( later renamed the Pittsburgh Pirates ) , which joined the American Association . Pratt celebrated his 90th birthday two days before his death in Pittsburgh on November 21 , 1937 . He was buried , according to his request , attired in his Grand Army of the Republic uniform .
In baseball ( hardball or softball ) , a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team . A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent 's first batter of a game . Starting pitchers are expected to pitch for a significant portion of the game , although their ability to do this depends on many factors , including effectiveness , stamina , health , and strategy . A starting pitcher in professional baseball usually rests three , four , or five days after pitching a game before pitching another . Therefore , most professional baseball teams have four , five or six starting pitchers on their rosters . These pitchers , and the sequence in which they pitch , is known as the rotation . In modern baseball , a five-man rotation is most common . In contrast , a pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher . Occasionally , an opening pitcher is used for only a few innings , and is replaced by a long reliever or a pitcher who would typically be a starting pitcher .
Joseph L. Quest ( November 16 , 1852 - November 14 , 1924 ) was an American professional baseball player from 1871 to 1892 . He played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball ( principally as a second baseman ) for seven different major league clubs . His longest time with one team was with the Chicago White Stockings from 1879 to 1882 , a stretch that included National League pennants in 1880 , 1881 , and 1882 . He also appeared in parts of the 1883 and 1884 seasons with the St. Louis Browns and with the Detroit Wolverines in 1883 and 1885 . Although accounts vary as to the phrase 's origin , Quest is perhaps most remembered for reportedly coining the phrase Charley horse to describe a sudden leg cramp or sprain . Quest appeared in 596 major league games and compiled a .217 batting average with 499 hits and 161 runs batted in . In 1878 , he led the National League in errors at all positions , though he also led the league 's second basemen in fielding percentage in both 1879 and 1881 . He also led all position players with 331 assists in 1879 .
Joseph S. Simmons , born as Joseph S. Chabriel , ( June 13 , 1845 - July 24 , 1901 ) was an American Major League Baseball player and manager from New York City . Joe played three seasons in the National Association , the last year he was player-manager for the Keokuk Westerns , a team that would win just one game of the 13 that they played . He later became the manager for the Wilmington Quicksteps of the Eastern League . Late in the 1884 season , after winning the Eastern League title , the Quicksteps joined the Union Association as a replacement team , but won only 2 of their 18 games . Joe died in Jersey City , New Jersey at the age of 56 , and was buried at the Bayview - New York Bay Cemetery in Jersey City under his birth name of Chabriel .
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball , farthest from the batter . These defenders are the left fielder , the center fielder , and the right fielder . As an outfielder , their duty is to catch fly balls and/ ground balls then to return them to the infield for the out or before the runner advances , if there is any runners on the bases . As an outfielder , they normally play behind the six players located in the field . By convention , each of the nine defensive positions in baseball is numbered . The outfield positions are 7 ( left field ) , 8 ( center field ) and 9 ( right field ) . These numbers are shorthand designations useful in baseball scorekeeping and are not necessarily the same as the squad numbers worn on player uniforms . Outfielders named to the MLB All-Century Team are Hank Aaron , Ty Cobb , Joe DiMaggio , Mickey Mantle , Willie Mays , Stan Musial , Pete Rose , Babe Ruth , Ted Williams and Ken Griffey Jr .
Ezra Ballou Sutton ( September 17 , 1849 - June 20 , 1907 ) was an American third baseman in the National Association and Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1888 . Sutton collected 1,574 hits during this time period ; he had a lifetime batting average of .294 . Like many players in an era when walks were more rare , Sutton did not walk a lot , only drawing 169 walks in more than 5,500 plate appearances . By almost all measures , Sutton had his 2 best seasons in 1883 and 1884 - he collected 203 runs and 296 hits during those 2 seasons . On May 8 , 1871 , Sutton hit the first home run in professional baseball history for the Cleveland Forest Citys against the Chicago White Stockings . He would go on to hit another home run later in the game but Cleveland still lost the game 14-12 . The Seneca Falls , New York born Sutton came to the Cleveland Forest Citys in 1870 from the Alert club of Rochester , New York ( who had played the Forest Citys twice in 1869 ) , and then joined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1873 after the Cleveland club failed . As third baseman for each he had the unique distinction of playing in both the first National Association game on May 4 , 1871 and the first National League game on April 22 , 1876 . But his main team was the Boston Red Caps ( later redubbed the Beaneaters ) where he won pennants in 1877 , 1878 , and 1883 . After the National League 's formation in 1876 , he was one of the first several players to collect 1,000 hits in the major leagues . Sutton died at a private hospital in Braintree , Massachusetts .
A third baseman , abbreviated 3B , is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base - the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run . In the scoring system used to record defensive plays , the third baseman is assigned the number ' 5 ' . The third baseman requires good reflexes in reacting to batted balls , as he is often the closest infielder ( roughly 90-120 feet ) to the batter . The third base position requires a strong and accurate arm , as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base . The third baseman sometimes must throw quickly to second base in time to start a double play . The third baseman must also field fly balls in fair and foul territory . Third base is known as the hot corner , because the third baseman is relatively close to the batter and most right-handed hitters tend to hit the ball hard in this direction . A third baseman must possess good hand-eye coordination and quick reactions in order to catch hard line drives sometimes in excess of 125 miles per hour ( 201 km/h ) . Third basemen often must begin in a position even closer to the batter if a bunt is expected , creating a hazard if the ball is instead hit sharply . As with middle infielders , right-handed throwing players are standard at the position because they do not need to turn their body before throwing across the infield to first base . Mike Squires , who played fourteen games at third base in 1982 and 1983 , is a very rare example of a third baseman who threw lefty . Some third basemen have been converted from middle infielders or outfielders because the position does not require them to run as fast .
Charles James Sweasy ( November 2 , 1847 - March 30 , 1908 ) , born Swasey , played second base for the original Cincinnati Red Stockings , the first fully professional baseball team . He returned to Cincinnati in 1876 , hired by the new club that was a charter member of the National League . In the meantime he played for six teams during the five seasons of the National Association , so he may be considered one of the first journeyman ballplayers . A right-handed thrower and batter , he almost exclusively played second base . Born 1847 in Newark , New Jersey , Sweasy 's debut with a major team was in 1866 with the New Jersey Irvingtons that hailed from Irvington , New Jersey about 20 miles inland . Irvington was a new member of the National Association of Base Ball Players , with many other clubs as the association tripled in size to more than 90 in its first post-war season . The Irvingtons frightened the champion Brooklyn Atlantics by winning their first meeting on June 14 and losing their third one only in extra innings on October 29 . Several team members would later play professionally including Sweasy and Andy Leonard , also of Newark .
James Laurie Deacon White ( December 2 , 1847 - July 7 , 1939 ) was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport 's professional era . The outstanding catcher of the 1870s during baseball 's barehanded period , he caught more games than any other player during the decade , and was a major figure on five consecutive championship teams from 1873 to 1877 - three in the National Association ( NA ) , in which he played throughout its five-year existence from 1871 to 1875 , and two in the National League ( NL ) , which was formed as the first fully recognized major league in 1876 , partially as a result of White and three other stars moving from the powerhouse Boston Red Stockings to the Chicago White Stockings . Although he was already 28 when the NL was established , White played 15 seasons in the major leagues , completing a 23-year career at the top levels of the sport . In 1871 , White was the first batter to come to the plate in the National Association , the first professional baseball league . After compiling a .347 batting average over five NA seasons , he led the NL in runs batted in ( RBI ) in its first two seasons of play , and also led the league in batting ( .387 ) , slugging average , hits , triples and total bases in a brief shift to first base in 1877 . For three years afterward , he joined his younger brother Will , a successful pitcher , with the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Stars . In his mid-30s he became an effective third baseman when the toil of catching had become too great , and was a major force on the championship Detroit Wolverines team of 1887 , batting .303 at age 39 . Over the 20-year period of his career , White batted .312 and had more RBI ( 988 ) than any player except Cap Anson . Upon his retirement , he was among baseball 's all-time leaders in career games , at bats , hits and total bases . He ranked fourth in career total chances at third base , fifth in assists , and sixth in putouts and double plays . White was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 .
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player . When a batter takes his/her turn to hit , the catcher crouches behind home plate , in front of the ( home ) umpire , and receives the ball from the pitcher . In addition to this primary duty , the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well . The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket , but in cricket , wicketkeepers are increasingly known for their batting abilities . Positioned behind home plate , the catcher can see the whole field , and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play . The catcher typically calls for pitches using hand signals . The calls are based on the pitcher 's mechanics and strengths , as well as the batter 's tendencies and weaknesses . Foul tips , bouncing balls in the dirt , and contact with runners during plays at the plate are all events to be handled by the catcher , necessitating the use of protective equipment . This includes a mask , chest and throat protectors , shin guards , and a heavily padded catcher 's mitt . Because the position requires a comprehensive understanding of the game 's strategies , the pool of former catchers yields a disproportionate number of managers in both Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball , including such prominent examples as Connie Mack , Steve O'Neill , Al López , Mike Scioscia , and Joe Torre . The physical and mental demands of being involved on every defensive play can wear catchers down over a long season , and can have a negative effect on their offensive output . Because of the strategic defensive importance of catching , if a catcher has exceptional defensive skills , teams are often willing to overlook their relative offensive weaknesses .
Willard Elmer White ( December 7 , 1849 - March 17 , 1872 ) was a Major League Baseball player in 1871 with the Cleveland Forest Citys . He was Forest City 's regular right fielder and back-up catcher until he broke his arm running into a fence on June 22 . White was the cousin of Deacon White and Will White . He batted .257 in 1871 and finished 5th in the National Association with 6 strikeouts , a high number for that era . White had the misfortune of becoming the first recorded professional league baseball player to die , succumbing to tuberculosis in Scio , New York at the age of 22 , shortly before the beginning of the 1872 season .
Reinder Albertus Wolters ( March 17 , 1842 - January 3 , 1917 ) was a professional baseball player from Nieuweschans , Netherlands . He played five seasons in the amateur National Association of Base Ball Players from 1866-70 , and three seasons in its professional successor , the National Association from 1871-73 . He was the first Dutch professional baseball player . While he was primarily a pitcher , he also played occasionally in the outfield . His first and best professional season was in 1871 with the New York Mutuals , when he pitched 283 innings and had a 3.43 earned run average . His second year was with the Cleveland Forest Citys , where he played much less and had a higher ERA . In his last year , he only pitched one game , with the Elizabeth Resolutes . He completed it , giving up 23 runs , but none were earned . Wolters died in Newark , New Jersey , at the age of 74 .
In baseball and softball , a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury , ineffectiveness , fatigue , ejection , or for other strategic reasons , such as inclement weather delays or pinch hitter substitutions . Relief pitchers are further divided informally into various roles , such as closers , setup men , middle relief pitchers , left/right-handed specialists , and long relievers . Whereas starting pitchers usually rest several days before pitching in a game again due to the number of pitches thrown , relief pitchers are expected to be more flexible and typically pitch more games but with fewer innings pitched . A team 's staff of relievers is normally referred to metonymically as a team 's bullpen , which refers to the area where the relievers sit during games , and where they warm-up prior to entering the game .