 Lajoie ended his career with a lifetime .338 batting average . His career total of 3 @,@ 242 hits was the second @-@ most in MLB history at the time of his retirement , behind only Honus Wagner 's total ( 3 @,@ 420 ) . Lajoie 's 2 @,@ 521 hits in the American League was that league 's record until Cobb surpassed his mark . He was among the second group of players elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937 and was later inducted on June 12 , 1939 , when the Hall opened that same year . Lajoie obtained the greatest number of votes as he led induction mates Tris Speaker ( 165 votes ) and Cy Young ( 153 ) with 168 votes ( 83 @.@ 6 percent of ballots ) from the Baseball Writers ' Association of America . Lajoie led all second basemen in the NL in putouts ( 1898 ) and the AL four times in his career ( 1901 , 1903 , 1906 , and 1908 ) . From 1906 – 1908 he led the AL in assists ( amongst second basemen ) . He also led the league in double plays six times in his career . Baseball historian William McNeil rates Lajoie as the game 's greatest second baseman , when combining both offensive and defensive impact . Bill James argues , " In the last 20 years several statistical analysts ... have credited Lajoie with immense defensive value ... this analysis is incorrect . He was a competent fielder , even a good fielder . He was not a defensive superstar . " 
