Claude R. Rossman (June 17, 1881 – January 16, 1928) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball for 12 years from 1903 to 1914, principally as first baseman, including five years in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Naps (1904, 1906), Detroit Tigers (1907–1909) and St. Louis Browns (1909). He appeared in 511 major league games and compiled a .283 batting average and a .318 on-base percentage. Early years Rossman was born in Philmont, New York, in 1881. Professional baseball Rossman began playing professional baseball in 1903 in the Connecticut League and was with Holyoke in 1903 and 1904. He was drafted by the Cleveland Naps but was sent to the Naps' minor league team in Des Moines in 1905. Rossman finally made it to the major leagues in September 1904, playing 16 games in right field for the Naps in the closing weeks of the season. Rossman did not play in the majors in 1905 but won a spot as the Naps' starting first baseman in 1906. He hit .308 in 118 games with 53 RBIs. Rossman's .308 average in was 8th best in the American League and third highest among the Cleveland regulars—trailing two Hall of Famers, Nap Lajoie and Elmer Flick. In December 1906, the Naps sold Rossman to the Detroit Tigers. With Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford already in the Detroit lineup, the addition of manager Hughie Jennings and Rossman in 1907 gave the Tigers the spark they needed to win three straight American League pennants from 1907 to 1909. Rossman had a good season for the Tigers in 1907, playing 153 games at first base. He was among the 1907 American League leaders in RBIs (69), hits (158), total bases (195) and runs created (62). Rossman also excelled in the 1907 World Series, batting .474 with a .579 slugging percentage, 9 hits, 2 RBIs and a run. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their two biggest hitting stars, Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford, did not come through, hitting .200 and .238 respectively. Rossman had as many hits and triples in the 1907 World Series as Cobb and Crawford combined. In , Rossman had the best year of his career. Rossman was among the American League leaders in most batting categories: 2nd in doubles with 33 (trailing only Ty Cobb); 3rd in total bases with 219 and extra base hits with 48 (trailing teammates Cobb and