He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins between 1915 and 1930.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Bancroft played in minor league baseball from 1909 through 1914, at which point he was bought by the Phillies.

Considered an excellent defensive shortstop and a smart ball player, Bancroft was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1971.

His election was not without controversy as the Committee included former teammates of Bancroft, resulting in charges of cronyism.

[1] In the summer after his junior year of high school, at the age of 18, Bancroft began his professional career in 1909 with the Duluth White Sox of the Class-D Minnesota–Wisconsin League.

Bancroft did not have immediate success, registering a .210 batting average and .917 fielding percentage in 111 games, but he developed a positive reputation in the league.

[1][3] Bancroft finished the 1911 season with a .273 batting average and 41 stolen bases,[1] and the Blues won the league championship.

[4] The Portland Beavers of the Class-AA Pacific Coast League (PCL) drafted Bancroft from Superior for the 1912 season.

[1][5] Before the 1915 season, the Philadelphia Phillies purchased Bancroft from Portland for $5,000 ($155,411 in current dollar terms).

[7] For his ability to hit with power from both sides of the plate, The Pittsburgh Press declared he was developing into "a second Honus Wagner".

[8] The Phillies won their first NL pennant in 1915,[1][9] but lost the 1915 World Series to the Boston Red Sox.

John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants, coveted Bancroft due to his intelligent and hard-nosed style of playing.

Upon McGraw's urging, the Giants traded Art Fletcher, Bill Hubbell and $100,000 ($1,569,601 in current dollar terms) to the Phillies for Bancroft on June 7, 1920.

He also tied teammate Frankie Frisch for second with 121 runs scored, behind only Hornsby, while his 193 hits were eighth-best and his .389 on-base percentage was ninth-best in the NL.

[45] The Robins released Bancroft after the 1929 season, and he returned to the Giants as assistant manager and coach, serving under McGraw.

[56] In the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Bancroft managed the Chicago Colleens in 1948 and South Bend Blue Sox in 1949 and 1950.

[63] Former Giants teammates Terry and Frankie Frisch, who joined the Veterans Committee in 1967, aided the elections of several of their former teammates; they shepherded the selections of Jesse Haines in 1970, Bancroft and Chick Hafey in 1971, Ross Youngs in 1972, George Kelly in 1973, Jim Bottomley in 1974, and Freddie Lindstrom in 1976.

[65] Despite the criticism of players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in this period, Bancroft grades well in terms of sabermetric statistics.

[69][70][71] Bancroft was also inducted in The Des Moines Register's Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.

[2] Bancroft married Edna Harriet Gisin while he played minor league baseball.

[1] After retiring from baseball, Bancroft worked as a warehouse supervisor with the Interprovincial Pipeline Company.