Fournier was notorious for having outstanding batting abilities, but subpar fielding abilities.\n', '

When purchased by the White Sox from the Boston Red Sox in 1912, Fournier presented Clarence "Pants" Rowland and a half-dozen other managers with the dilemma of what to do with his pure hitting, but poor fielding abilities. Rowland solved that problem in 1916, a year after Fournier had led the AL in slugging, by replacing him at first base with the marginal Jack Ness. Before 1920, a first baseman was one of the key fielding positions because of the constant threat of the bunt; Fournier could not field the bunt with any degree of competence.\n', '

Fournier hit .350 for the Yankees in limited duty in 1918 before they passed him off to the Cardinals. In 1921 he finished 3rd in the league with a .343 batting average while scoring a career-best 103 runs. After three productive years in St. Louis, Fournier was dealt to Brooklyn on February 15, 1923. Fournier said he would quit the game rather than leave St. Louis, but he eventually ended his holdout and reported to the Dodgers. Fournier had found his spot, among an offensive unit that included Zack Wheat, Milt Stock, and Zack Taylor. He turned in a six-for-six performance on June 29 of that year, hit .351, though committing a league-high 21 errors. In 1924, Fournier led the NL with 27 home runs and was second in the league with 116 runs batted in. He led the National League with 86 walks in 1925, batting .350 and finishing second in the league to Rogers Hornsby in both RBIs (130) as well as on-base percentage (.446, still the third-highest total in Dodgers history).\n', '

Return to Jack Fournier Autograph Profile