Max Bishop

Max Frederick Bishop (September 5, 1899 – February 24, 1962) was an American professional baseball player, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1929 to 1931 and won the World Series in 1929 and 1930. He played his final two seasons for the Boston Red Sox.

Bishop was the leadoff hitter for one of the most feared batting orders in the history of baseball featuring three future Baseball Hall of Fame members (Al Simmons, Jimmie Foxx, and Mickey Cochrane). Nicknamed "Camera Eye" for his ability to draw bases on balls, his .423 career on-base percentage ranks as the 15th highest in Major League Baseball history. His career ratio of bases on balls to plate appearances (.1996) ranks 3rd all-time for players with 1,000 or more bases on balls, and his career ratio of bases on balls to hits is the highest of any player in Major League Baseball history.

After his playing career Bishop served as baseball head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1938 to 1962.

Professional baseball career Bishop was born in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania and his family moved to Baltimore when he was 14 years old. He became a starting player for six seasons during which time the Orioles won the International League championship five times.

In 1928, Bishop posted a career-high batting average of .316 and once again led American League second basemen in fielding percentage as the Athletics finished the season just 2½ games behind the vaunted New York Yankees of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. In 1929, he led the American League with 117 bases on balls and scored 102 runs to help the Athletics win their first American League pennant in 15 years with a substantial 18 game lead over the second-place Yankees. After two years in Boston, Bishop signed a contract with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League to be a player-manager but, was injured in his first game and was fired for being unable to play.

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