Sam Crawford vs Elmer Flick: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 as a hitter; Elmer Flick played 1898–1910 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Sam Crawford (1899–1917) and Elmer Flick (1898–1910) — both debuted in the 1890s. Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs; Elmer Flick finished with 1,752 hits and 48 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Sam Crawford, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Elmer Flick's 48.
- Who had the higher OPS? Elmer Flick, with .834 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Elmer Flick, with .313 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Elmer Flick's 1,752.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Elmer Flick's 756.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Elmer Flick's 29,192.
Sam Crawford
Elmer Flick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sam Crawford and Elmer Flick. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sam Crawford | Elmer Flick |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,517 | 1,483 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,570 | 5,597 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,391 | 950 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,961 | 1,752 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 268 |
| Triples | Leads: 309 | 164 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 97 | 48 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,519 | 756 |
| Walks | Leads: 760 | 597 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 580 | 567 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 366 | 330 |
| Batting Avg | .309 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .389 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .452 | .445 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .834 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford outpaces Elmer Flick 41,381 to 29,192 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Sam Crawford played 19 seasons to Elmer Flick's 13, while Elmer Flick carries the higher per-season figure (2,246 to 2,178). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Elmer Flick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Sam Crawford leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Elmer Flick leads 3: batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Crawford. PIV agrees: Sam Crawford grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sam Crawford and Elmer Flick careers compare
From 1899 through 1910, Sam Crawford and Elmer Flick were in the majors together. Sam Crawford has the far longer record, 2,517 games against 1,483 across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Elmer Flick comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.313 to .309), on-base percentage (.389 to .362), and OPS (.834 to .814). At the plate, Sam Crawford walked more often than struck out (760 walks, 580 strikeouts), and Elmer Flick walked more often than struck out (597 walks, 567 strikeouts). On the bases, Elmer Flick stole more often per game played (366 steals in 2,517 games for Sam Crawford, 330 in 1,483 for Elmer Flick).
Sam Crawford vs Elmer Flick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sam Crawford or Elmer Flick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Elmer Flick in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Sam Crawford or Elmer Flick hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Elmer Flick's 48.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Elmer Flick, with .834 to Sam Crawford's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Elmer Flick, with .313 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Elmer Flick's 1,752.