1903 BC Snapshots     

Hal Chase

Hal Chase, whose big league career lasted from 1905 to 1919, was the most notoriously corrupt player in baseball history.

He was also, according to many of those who saw him play, the greatest defensive first baseman ever.

A cocky, easygoing Californian, Chase was the first homegrown star of the New York Highlanders (later the Yankees), but he wore out his welcome with them, as he did with just about every other team he played for during his fifteen years in the major leagues.

(Martin Kohout, profile of Hal Chase at SABR)

In 1903, Chase was a star on a semi-pro team in Victoria, BC. He was a versatile player who (even as a lefty) saw considerable time at catcher.  After his major league career, Chase continued in semi-pro circles