Earle Brucker
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1937-1943)
Earle Brucker was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1943 for the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 7 seasons. In 241 career games, he hit .290 with 205 hits, 12 home runs, and 105 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,502.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 5/8/1981 in San Diego, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1937-04-19
- Last Game
- 1943-05-23
Full name: Earle Francis Brucker
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 241 | 707 | 87 | 205 | 53 | 8 | 12 | 105 | 2 | 97 | 65 | .290 | .376 | .438 | .815 | 1,502 |
Career AVG .290 vs. league average .269 across their career seasons — +7.7% above league average.
Career OBP .376 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +11.6% above league average.
Career SLG .438 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +14.3% above league average.
Career OPS .815 vs. league average .721 across their career seasons — +13.1% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | PHA | AL | 102 | 317 | 40 | 82 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 1 | 48 | 30 | .259 | .276 (-6%) | .342 (+4%) | .398 (avg) | .740 (+2%) | 174.9 |
| 1938 | PHA | AL | 53 | 171 | 26 | 64 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 35 | 1 | 19 | 16 | .374 | .272 (+37%) | .341 (+28%) | .392 (+43%) | .734 (+36%) | 1094.9 |
| 1939 | PHA | AL | 62 | 172 | 18 | 50 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 24 | 16 | .291 | .274 (+6%) | .342 (+11%) | .393 (+12%) | .735 (+12%) | 404.9 |
| 1940 | PHA | AL | 23 | 46 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | .196 | — | — | — | — | -172.7 |
| 1943 | PHA | AL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 241 | 707 | 87 | 205 | 53 | 8 | 12 | 105 | 2 | 97 | 65 | .290 | — | — | — | — | 1,502 | ||
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 (241 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 119 | 331 | 36 | 93 | 4 | 46 | .281 |
| Away | 122 | 376 | 50 | 112 | 8 | 61 | .298 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943-05-23 | PHA | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-08-08 | PHA | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-24 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-23 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-20 | PHA | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-15 | PHA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-07-13 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-04 | PHA | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-04 | PHA | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-02 | PHA | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 196 |
| First Base | 1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 24th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
Earle Brucker: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 19, 1937 and the final game on May 23, 1943, Earle Brucker built the record summarized on this page. Every season row on the page belongs to the Philadelphia Athletics, from 1937 through 1943. Listed as a catcher, Brucker both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 175 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Brucker was born on May 6, 1901, in Albany, NY, USA. The bio records the death on May 8, 1981, in San Diego, CA, USA. Brucker's full given name, per the bio, is Earle Francis Brucker.
Brucker's career batting table shows 241 games, 707 at bats and 205 hits, a .290 average, adding 12 homers and 105 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .376 clip and slugging .438, Brucker finished with a .815 OPS. Brucker's .290 average ran 7.7% above the .269 that the league posted over the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 13.1% above league average (.815 against .721). The highest hit total in a season was 82, in 1937.
Frequently Asked Questions about Earle Brucker
- What years did Earle Brucker play?
- Earle Brucker played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1943.
- Was Earle Brucker a pitcher?
- No. Earle Brucker was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Earle Brucker hit?
- Earle Brucker hit 12 career home runs with 205 hits.
- What teams did Earle Brucker play for?
- Earle Brucker played for one team, the Philadelphia Athletics (1937–1940, 1943).
- What were Earle Brucker's career stats?
- In 241 games, Earle Brucker had 205 hits, 12 home runs, 105 RBI, 87 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .290 batting average.
- What position did Earle Brucker play?
- Earle Brucker played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Earle Brucker and how much did he weigh?
- Earle Brucker was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Earle Brucker hit each season?
- Earle Brucker's home runs by season: 6 in 1937, 3 in 1938, 3 in 1939, 0 in 1940, and 0 in 1943. His most in one season was 6, in 1937.
- What was Earle Brucker's career batting average?
- Earle Brucker batted .290 over his career, with 205 hits in 707 at bats.
- How many RBI did Earle Brucker have?
- Earle Brucker drove in 105 runs in his career.
- Is Earle Brucker in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Earle Brucker has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.