Earl Blackburn

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1912-1917)

Earl Blackburn was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1917 for 4 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 6 seasons. In 71 career games, he hit .262 with 38 hits and 10 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 153.

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 .262
HR 0
RBI 10
H 38
OPS .672
PIV 153
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 180 lb
Born
11/1/1892 in Leesville, OH, USA
Died
8/3/1966 in Mansfield, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1912-09-17
Last Game
1917-07-02

Full name: Earl Stuart Blackburn

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Batting Statistics

Earl Blackburn — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
71 145 13 38 4 4 0 10 4 14 27 .262 .327 .345 .672 153

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .327 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .345 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .672 vs. league average .658 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Earl Blackburn — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1912 PIT NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1912 CIN NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1913 CIN NL 17 27 1 7 0 0 0 3 2 2 5 .259 — — — — 0.0
1915 BSN NL 3 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 .167 — — — — 0.0
1916 BSN NL 47 110 12 30 4 4 0 7 2 9 21 .273 .248 (+10%) .314 (+4%) .326 (+17%) .640 (+11%) 152.6
1917 CHN NL 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 6 seasons 71 145 13 38 4 4 0 10 4 14 27 .262 — — — — 153

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 (71 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Earl Blackburn — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home408382408.289
Away316351402.222

Last 10 Games — Batting

Earl Blackburn — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1917-07-02 CHCCINL 100000000
1917-04-15 CHCSTLL 100000000
1916-10-05 BSNPHIW 101000000
1916-10-04 BSNPHIL 311000001
1916-10-03 BSNPHIW 301000001
1916-10-03 BSNPHIW 100000001
1916-10-02 BSNPHIL 000000000
1916-09-30 BSNNY1W 421000001
1916-09-30 BSNNY1L 100000000
1916-09-28 BSNNY1L 100000010

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Earl Blackburn — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 61 0 210 57 13 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Earl Blackburn — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1912 PIT C 1 0 2 0 0 0
1912 CIN C 1 0 4 0 0 0
1913 CIN C 12 0 30 9 7 1
1915 BSN C 3 0 8 3 0 1
1916 BSN C 44 0 166 45 6 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Earl Blackburn — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 61

Earl Blackburn: the record in brief

Between the debut on September 17, 1912 and the final game on July 2, 1917, Earl Blackburn built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Pittsburgh Pirates (1912), the Cincinnati Reds (1912 through 1913), the Boston Braves (1915 to 1916), and the Chicago Cubs (1917). Blackburn played primarily as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. Born on November 1, 1892, in Leesville, OH, USA, Blackburn was listed at 180 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Blackburn's death is recorded on August 3, 1966, in Mansfield, OH, USA. The given name on file is Earl Stuart Blackburn.

In 71 games and 145 at bats, Blackburn batted .262 with 38 hits; the totals also include 10 RBI. Blackburn's career OPS of .672 combines a .327 on-base mark with .345 slugging. Blackburn hit .262 while the league hit .255 over the same span, a figure close to average. No season topped the 30 hits of 1916. 1916 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .273 against a league .248, a 10% edge.

Frequently Asked Questions about Earl Blackburn

What years did Earl Blackburn play?
Earl Blackburn played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1917.
Was Earl Blackburn a pitcher?
No. Earl Blackburn was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Earl Blackburn hit?
Earl Blackburn hit 0 career home runs with 38 hits.
What teams did Earl Blackburn play for?
Earl Blackburn played for 4 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1912), the Cincinnati Reds (1912–1913), the Boston Braves (1915–1916), and the Chicago Cubs (1917).
What were Earl Blackburn's career stats?
In 71 games, Earl Blackburn had 38 hits, 10 RBI, 13 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .262 batting average.
What position did Earl Blackburn play?
Earl Blackburn played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Earl Blackburn and how much did he weigh?
Earl Blackburn was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
What was Earl Blackburn's career batting average?
Earl Blackburn batted .262 over his career, with 38 hits in 145 at bats.
How many RBI did Earl Blackburn have?
Earl Blackburn drove in 10 runs in his career.
Is Earl Blackburn in the Hall of Fame?
No. Earl Blackburn has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.