Tim Murnane, a former player-turned-baseball writer, wrote in 1894, "Long is the most brilliant ball player on the field at the present time." In 1903, (future Hall of Fame) pitcher Kid Nichols said of Long, "Herman Long is the greatest shortstop of them all. You can speak of your Jennings, and write of your [Jack Glasscocks all you want, but this man Long at his best had them beat by a city block. Jennings was a brilliant ball player, and without doubt one of the leading players of the age, but this talk of his being better than Herman Long is all rot."