Sam Barkley
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1889)
Sam Barkley was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889 for 5 teams, including the Toledo Blue Stockings, a span of 6 seasons. In 582 career games, he hit .258 with 602 hits, 10 home runs, and 231 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,654.
- 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
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/20/1912 in Wheeling, WV, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-05-01
- Last Game
- 1889-07-12
Full name: Samuel W. Barkley
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 582 | 2,329 | 362 | 602 | 125 | 39 | 10 | 231 | 51 | 176 | 95 | .258 | .314 | .359 | .672 | 2,654 |
Career AVG .258 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .314 vs. league average .303 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .359 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — +5.8% above league average.
Career OPS .672 vs. league average .642 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | TL1 | AA | 104 | 435 | 71 | 133 | 39 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | .306 | .243 (+26%) | .278 (+23%) | .327 (+36%) | .606 (+30%) | 2024.4 |
| 1885 | SL4 | AA | 106 | 418 | 67 | 112 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 53 | 0 | 25 | 0 | .268 | .244 (+10%) | .287 (+9%) | .325 (+17%) | .613 (+13%) | 858.4 |
| 1886 | PT1 | AA | 122 | 478 | 77 | 127 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 69 | 22 | 58 | 0 | .266 | .246 (+8%) | .302 (+14%) | .331 (+12%) | .634 (+13%) | 1205.8 |
| 1887 | PIT | NL | 89 | 340 | 44 | 76 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 6 | 30 | 24 | .224 | .270 (-17%) | .331 (-11%) | .373 (-24%) | .705 (-18%) | -905.7 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 116 | 482 | 67 | 104 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 51 | 15 | 26 | 51 | .216 | .238 (-10%) | .290 (-10%) | .319 (-3%) | .610 (-7%) | -489.4 |
| 1889 | KC2 | AA | 45 | 176 | 36 | 50 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 8 | 15 | 20 | .284 | .263 (+8%) | .334 (+2%) | .357 (-5%) | .691 (-2%) | -39.3 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 582 | 2,329 | 362 | 602 | 125 | 39 | 10 | 231 | 51 | 176 | 95 | .258 | — | — | — | — | 2,654 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 70 | 0 | 723 | 20 | 15 | 34 |
| 2B | 504 | 0 | 1509 | 1545 | 235 | 214 |
| C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | TL1 | 2B | 103 | 0 | 318 | 358 | 51 | 46 |
| 1884 | TL1 | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1885 | SL4 | 1B | 11 | 0 | 125 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 1885 | SL4 | 2B | 96 | 0 | 286 | 328 | 53 | 38 |
| 1886 | PT1 | 1B | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1886 | PT1 | 2B | 112 | 0 | 362 | 328 | 47 | 52 |
| 1886 | PT1 | OF | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1887 | PIT | 1B | 53 | 0 | 552 | 15 | 12 | 24 |
| 1887 | PIT | 2B | 36 | 0 | 112 | 114 | 25 | 14 |
| 1888 | KC2 | 2B | 116 | 0 | 341 | 314 | 43 | 44 |
| 1889 | KC2 | 1B | 4 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1889 | KC2 | 2B | 41 | 0 | 90 | 103 | 16 | 20 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 2 |
| First Base | 70 |
| Second Base | 504 |
| Left Field | 8 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Sam Barkley (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Sam Barkley: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 1, 1884 and the final game on July 12, 1889, Sam Barkley built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Toledo Blue Stockings (1884), the St. Louis Browns (1885), the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1886 through 1887), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1888 to 1889). Barkley played primarily as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on May 24, 1858, in Wheeling, WV, USA and a listed size of 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. The bio records the death on April 20, 1912, in Wheeling, WV, USA. On the record, Sam Barkley was born Samuel W. Barkley.
Barkley finished with 602 hits from 2,329 at bats in 582 games, which works out to .258, adding 10 home runs, 231 runs batted in, and 51 stolen bases. Barkley got on base at a .314 rate and slugged .359 (.672 OPS). The .258 career average is close to the .251 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sam Barkley
- What years did Sam Barkley play?
- Sam Barkley played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889.
- Was Sam Barkley a pitcher?
- No. Sam Barkley was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Sam Barkley hit?
- Sam Barkley hit 10 career home runs with 602 hits.
- What was Sam Barkley's career batting average?
- Sam Barkley batted .258 over his career, with 602 hits in 2,329 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sam Barkley have?
- Sam Barkley drove in 231 runs in his career.
- Is Sam Barkley in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Sam Barkley has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.