Marvin Barker

Center Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Marvin Barker was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Newark Dodgers. In 432 career games, he hit .253 with 386 hits, 13 home runs, and 149 RBI. He also pitched in 15 games, going 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA. Marvin Barker was a 4-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 446.6.

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

AVG .253
HR 13
RBI 149
H 386
OPS .646
PIV -2,125
Position
Center Fielder
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'8" / 170 lb
Born
2/13/1912 in Joplin, MO, USA
Died
1964 in Newark, NJ, USA
Awards
4× All-Star

Full name: Marvin Vincent Barker

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Marvin Barker — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1601.0 1484.0 193.0 409.0 71.0 12.0 15.0 99.0 90.0 12.0 17.0 .276 .318 .370 .688

Pitching

Marvin Barker — Pitching
W L GS CG GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP
1 7 9 7 11 0 76.0 92 58 4 2 14 7 0.47 1.40

Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Marvin Barker — Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
Season W L GS CG GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP
1944 1 0 1 1 0 0 9.0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.33
Listed seasons · 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 9.0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.33

Career Batting Statistics

Marvin Barker — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
432 1,524 191 386 73 13 13 149 20 101 9 .253 .302 .344 .646 -2,125

Career AVG .253 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .302 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 10.0% below league average.

Career SLG .344 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 8.7% below league average.

Career OPS .646 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — 9.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Marvin Barker Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1935 ND NN2 30 114 14 31 4 1 1 14 1 4 1 .272 .279 (-3%) .342 (-13%) .399 (-12%) .742 (-13%) -253.8
1936 NBY NN2 32 121 18 25 4 1 3 19 2 5 0 .207 .283 (-27%) .349 (-30%) .404 (-18%) .753 (-24%) -507.4
1937 NBY NN2 35 130 20 40 6 3 1 11 1 11 1 .308 .276 (+11%) .342 (+6%) .398 (+6%) .740 (+6%) 124.3
1938 NBY NN2 31 124 19 38 6 2 0 6 2 9 0 .306 .272 (+12%) .341 (+3%) .392 (-1%) .734 (+1%) 9.3
1939 NBY NN2 15 46 6 11 3 0 1 7 1 7 1 .239 — — — — -17.8
1940 NBY NN2 23 81 13 18 2 1 0 6 1 8 0 .222 .267 (-17%) .335 (-11%) .387 (-30%) .722 (-21%) -258.6
1941 NBY NN2 37 128 10 23 3 1 3 10 1 5 2 .180 .262 (-31%) .332 (-37%) .373 (-23%) .705 (-29%) -622.2
1941 NE NN2 5 18 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 .056 — — — — -622.2
1942 PS NN2 49 148 17 34 5 1 0 11 1 11 2 .230 .253 (-9%) .323 (-12%) .349 (-21%) .672 (-17%) -379.2
1943 NBY NN2 32 125 17 39 13 1 2 21 2 7 0 .312 .255 (+22%) .324 (+9%) .346 (+39%) .671 (+24%) 419.8
1944 NBY NN2 22 76 7 15 2 0 0 6 1 7 0 .197 .261 (-25%) .325 (-19%) .357 (-37%) .683 (-28%) -319.0
1945 NBY NN2 31 128 18 37 11 1 1 17 4 3 0 .289 .260 (+11%) .328 (-4%) .354 (+17%) .683 (+7%) 81.4
1946 NBY NN2 42 128 10 27 6 0 0 6 1 8 1 .211 .256 (-18%) .328 (-22%) .358 (-28%) .687 (-25%) -504.2
1947 NBY NN2 25 76 13 23 4 0 0 6 0 12 0 .303 .262 (+15%) .336 (+18%) .376 (-6%) .712 (+6%) 114.7
1948 NBY NN2 23 81 9 24 4 1 1 9 1 3 0 .296 .263 (+12%) .340 (-5%) .379 (+7%) .719 (+1%) -11.9
Career · 15 seasons 432 1,524 191 386 73 13 13 149 20 101 9 .253 — — — — -2,747

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Pitching Statistics

Marvin Barker — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 2 15 4 4 0 0 59.2 66 29 1 20 14 4.37 446.6

Career ERA 4.37 vs. league average 3.79 across their career seasons — 15.5% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Marvin Barker — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1943 NBY NN2 0 0 4 1 1 0 0 16.1 20 9 3 3 4.96 3.50 (-42%) 273.6
1946 NBY NN2 0 1 4 1 1 0 0 15.0 14 6 3 5 3.60 3.59 (avg) 77.0
1947 NBY NN2 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 15.2 15 6 8 5 3.45 3.97 (+13%) 74.9
1948 NBY NN2 0 1 4 1 1 0 0 12.2 17 8 6 1 5.68 4.10 (-39%) 21.1
Career · 4 seasons 1 2 15 4 4 0 0 59.2 66 29 20 14 4.37 — 447

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (395 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Marvin Barker — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home13644546127332.285
Away2478331182241046.269

Pitching — Home / Away

Marvin Barker — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Away1239.05041340.92

Last 10 Games — Batting

Marvin Barker — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1948-09-05 NY5NW2L 300000000
1948-09-05 NY5NW2W 500000000
1948-08-08 NY5HOML 412000000
1948-07-27 NY5PH5L 511000000
1948-07-26 NY5NY6W 201000000
1948-07-25 NY5NY6W 422101100
1948-07-18 NY5BLGL 300000000
1948-07-18 NY5BLGL 400000000
1948-07-16 NY5NW2L 300000010
1948-07-10 NY5NY6L 502000100

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Marvin Barker — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1948-06-27 NY5BLG L 8.014110400
1948-06-15 NY5HOM L 8.01080001
1948-05-15 NY5HOM — 0.0000000
1948-05-11 NY5NY6 — 0.1430200
1947-08-29 NY5BLG — 0.0000000
1947-06-21 NY5PH5 — 4.0200000
1947-05-20 NY5PH5 — 2.0000100
1946-07-14 NY5BLG — 3.0410030
1946-06-30 NY5HOM — 1.0100100
1946-06-28 NY5BLG L 6.0540211

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Marvin Barker — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 19 16 161 6 4 9
2B 51 34 85 106 9 9
3B 117 98 117 175 22 16
OF 261 237 444 28 23 6
P 15 4 4 14 2 1
SS 4 3 7 3 3 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Marvin Barker — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1935 ND 2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1935 ND 3B 1 1 3 0 1 0
1935 ND OF 29 28 54 2 3 1
1935 ND SS 1 1 2 1 1 0
1936 NBY 2B 1 1 0 1 0 0
1936 NBY OF 31 30 77 4 2 2
1937 NBY 2B 1 1 1 6 0 0
1937 NBY 3B 13 12 12 16 3 2
1937 NBY OF 21 21 33 0 2 0
1938 NBY 2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
1938 NBY 3B 10 8 8 12 1 1
1938 NBY OF 23 23 36 1 4 1
1938 NBY SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1939 NBY 3B 4 4 4 7 0 0
1939 NBY OF 10 9 11 0 0 0
1940 NBY 2B 8 7 27 19 2 1
1940 NBY OF 16 15 21 3 1 1
1941 NBY 2B 3 0 1 2 0 0
1941 NBY 3B 10 5 11 12 3 1
1941 NBY OF 31 30 52 3 3 0
1941 NE OF 7 5 9 0 1 0
1942 PS 2B 1 1 1 4 0 0
1942 PS 3B 6 5 10 8 0 0
1942 PS OF 42 29 60 1 0 0
1943 NBY 2B 10 10 22 25 4 2
1943 NBY 3B 5 5 8 8 0 0
1943 NBY OF 15 14 33 6 4 0
1943 NBY P 4 1 2 2 1 1
1943 NBY SS 2 2 5 2 2 1
1944 NBY 2B 4 3 5 9 1 1
1944 NBY 3B 5 5 5 10 2 1
1944 NBY OF 14 14 26 2 3 0
1945 NBY 1B 8 7 76 3 2 3
1945 NBY 2B 4 2 8 9 0 1
1945 NBY 3B 24 21 18 45 3 5
1945 NBY OF 2 1 1 0 0 0
1946 NBY 1B 7 5 44 2 2 2
1946 NBY 2B 7 3 4 11 1 2
1946 NBY 3B 17 16 14 25 5 3
1946 NBY OF 11 9 14 2 0 0
1946 NBY P 4 1 0 4 1 0
1947 NBY 1B 4 4 41 1 0 4
1947 NBY 2B 5 3 5 12 0 1
1947 NBY 3B 4 2 4 7 2 0
1947 NBY OF 9 9 17 4 0 1
1947 NBY P 3 1 1 5 0 0
1948 NBY 2B 5 3 10 6 1 1
1948 NBY 3B 18 14 20 25 2 3
1948 NBY P 4 1 1 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Marvin Barker Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 15
First Base 19
Second Base 51
Third Base 117
Shortstop 4
Left Field 73
Center Field 143
Right Field 45

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

  1. 98
    George Binks
    .253 avg, 8 HR
  2. 95
    Bill Sharp
    .255 avg, 9 HR
  3. 89
    Bob Borkowski
    .251 avg, 16 HR
  4. 81
    Wayne Kirby
    .252 avg, 14 HR
  5. 80
    Marv Rickert
    .247 avg, 19 HR
  6. 79
    Jack O'Brien
    .259 avg, 9 HR

Marvin Barker: the record in brief

The season rows for Marvin Barker begin in 1935. By club, Barker's seasons break down as the Newark Dodgers (1935), the New York Black Yankees (1936 through 1948), the Newark Eagles (1941), and the Philadelphia Stars (1942). Barker played primarily as a center fielder and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on February 13, 1912, in Joplin, MO, USA and a listed size of 170 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. Barker's death is recorded in 1964, in Newark, NJ, USA. The given name on file is Marvin Vincent Barker.

Barker collected 386 hits in 1,524 at bats across 432 games, good for a .253 batting average, along with 13 home runs, 149 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .302 and the slugging percentage .344, for an OPS of .646. Against a .266 league average for those years, Barker's .253 average was near the norm. In OPS terms, Barker's .646 stands 9.3% below the league's .712.

Frequently Asked Questions about Marvin Barker

Was Marvin Barker a pitcher?
Both. Marvin Barker pitched in 15 games, going 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Center Fielder.
How many home runs did Marvin Barker hit?
Marvin Barker hit 13 career home runs with 386 hits.
What was Marvin Barker's career batting average?
Marvin Barker batted .253 over his career, with 386 hits in 1,524 at bats.
How many RBI did Marvin Barker have?
Marvin Barker drove in 149 runs in his career.
What was Marvin Barker's career ERA?
Marvin Barker finished with a 4.37 career ERA, going 1-2 with 14 strikeouts.
Is Marvin Barker in the Hall of Fame?
No. Marvin Barker has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.