Tom Carey
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1871-1879)
Tom Carey was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1879 for 7 teams, including the Fort Wayne Kekiongas, a span of 9 seasons. In 536 career games, he hit .270 with 646 hits, 5 home runs, and 270 RBI.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 145 lb
- Died
- 8/16/1906 in San Francisco, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1871-05-04
- Last Game
- 1879-09-29
Full name: Thomas Joseph Carey
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 536 | 2,394 | 405 | 646 | 77 | 14 | 5 | 270 | 27 | 16 | 61 | .270 | .275 | .320 | .595 | -931 |
Career AVG .270 vs. league average .269 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .275 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .320 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .595 vs. league average .616 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | 19 | 87 | 16 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | .230 | .286 (-20%) | .311 (-21%) | .383 (-34%) | .695 (-28%) | -354.2 | |
| 1872 | BL1 | 42 | 196 | 42 | 57 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .291 | .285 (+2%) | .296 (avg) | .347 (+3%) | .644 (+2%) | 52.4 | |
| 1873 | BL1 | 56 | 291 | 76 | 98 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 55 | 2 | 1 | 4 | .337 | .290 (+16%) | .304 (+11%) | .357 (+20%) | .661 (+16%) | 712.1 | |
| 1874 | NY2 | 64 | 287 | 56 | 82 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 4 | .286 | .273 (+4%) | .282 (+3%) | .333 (+6%) | .615 (+4%) | 178.5 | |
| 1875 | HR1 | 86 | 382 | 63 | 101 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 13 | 1 | 3 | .264 | .253 (+4%) | .260 (+2%) | .309 (-6%) | .570 (-2%) | -84.6 | |
| 1876 | HAR | NL | 68 | 289 | 51 | 78 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .270 | .265 (+2%) | .277 (avg) | .320 (-8%) | .598 (-4%) | -141.2 |
| 1877 | HAR | NL | 60 | 274 | 38 | 70 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .255 | .271 (-6%) | .289 (-12%) | .337 (-14%) | .626 (-13%) | -474.1 |
| 1878 | PRO | NL | 61 | 253 | 33 | 60 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 14 | .237 | .259 (-9%) | .278 (-15%) | .319 (-6%) | .597 (-10%) | -379.6 |
| 1879 | CL2 | NL | 80 | 335 | 30 | 80 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 5 | 20 | .239 | .255 (-7%) | .270 (-8%) | .328 (-13%) | .599 (-10%) | -440.6 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 536 | 2,394 | 405 | 646 | 77 | 14 | 5 | 270 | 27 | 16 | 61 | .270 | — | — | — | — | -931 | ||
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 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2B | 116 | 59 | 302 | 264 | 113 | 31 |
| 3B | 7 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
| OF | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| SS | 418 | 59 | 398 | 1294 | 309 | 64 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | FW1 | 2B | 19 | 19 | 58 | 50 | 18 | 5 |
| 1872 | BL1 | 1B | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1872 | BL1 | 2B | 29 | 27 | 79 | 44 | 28 | 3 |
| 1872 | BL1 | 3B | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1872 | BL1 | OF | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1872 | BL1 | SS | 9 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 1 |
| 1873 | BL1 | 2B | 54 | 0 | 135 | 136 | 49 | 21 |
| 1873 | BL1 | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 1873 | BL1 | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 1874 | NY2 | 2B | 13 | 13 | 30 | 34 | 18 | 2 |
| 1874 | NY2 | SS | 51 | 51 | 40 | 133 | 50 | 5 |
| 1875 | HR1 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1875 | HR1 | SS | 86 | 0 | 89 | 240 | 61 | 17 |
| 1876 | HAR | SS | 68 | 0 | 74 | 218 | 39 | 9 |
| 1877 | HAR | SS | 60 | 0 | 49 | 203 | 53 | 11 |
| 1878 | PRO | SS | 61 | 0 | 56 | 207 | 38 | 8 |
| 1879 | CL2 | SS | 80 | 0 | 79 | 263 | 54 | 13 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 115 |
| Third Base | 7 |
| Shortstop | 418 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Tom Carey (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Tom Carey: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 4, 1871 and the final game on September 29, 1879, Tom Carey built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Fort Wayne Kekiongas (1871), the Baltimore Canaries (1872 to 1873), the New York Mutuals (1874), the Hartford Dark Blues (1875 through 1877), the Providence Grays (1878), and the Cleveland Blues (1879). Carey is listed as a shortstop at 5'8" and 145 pounds. Carey batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is November 2, 1846, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Carey died on August 16, 1906, in San Francisco, CA, USA. Carey's full given name, per the bio, is Thomas Joseph Carey.
Across 536 games at the plate, Carey's career line reads 646 hits in 2,394 at bats for a .270 average, adding 5 home runs, 270 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .275 clip and slugging .320, Carey finished with a .595 OPS. Carey hit .270 while the league hit .269 over the same span, a figure close to average. The hits column peaks at 101, in 1875. The RBI column peaks at 55 in 1873.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Carey
- What years did Tom Carey play?
- Tom Carey played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1879.
- Was Tom Carey a pitcher?
- No. Tom Carey was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Tom Carey hit?
- Tom Carey hit 5 career home runs with 646 hits.
- What teams did Tom Carey play for?
- Tom Carey played for 7 teams: the Fort Wayne Kekiongas (1871), the Baltimore Canaries (1872–1873), the New York Mutuals (1874), the Hartford Dark Blues (1875), the Hartford Dark Blues (1876–1877), the Providence Grays (1878), and the Cleveland Blues (1879).
- What were Tom Carey's career stats?
- In 536 games, Tom Carey had 646 hits, 5 home runs, 270 RBI, 405 runs, and 27 stolen bases, with a .270 batting average.
- What position did Tom Carey play?
- Tom Carey played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Carey and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Carey was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 145 pounds.
- How many home runs did Tom Carey hit each season?
- Tom Carey's home runs by season: 0 in 1871, 2 in 1872, 1 in 1873, 1 in 1874, 0 in 1875, 0 in 1876, 1 in 1877, 0 in 1878, and 0 in 1879. His most in one season was 2, in 1872.
- What was Tom Carey's career batting average?
- Tom Carey batted .270 over his career, with 646 hits in 2,394 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tom Carey have?
- Tom Carey drove in 270 runs in his career.
- Is Tom Carey in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Carey has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.