Frank Chance
First Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1898-1914)
Frank Chance was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1914 for the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees, a span of 17 seasons. In 1,288 career games, he hit .296 with 1,274 hits, 20 home runs, and 596 RBI. Frank Chance was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 20,186.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 190 lb
- Died
- 9/15/1924 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1898-04-29
- Last Game
- 1914-04-21
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1946 (BBWAA)
Full name: Frank Leroy Chance
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,288 | 4,299 | 798 | 1,274 | 200 | 79 | 20 | 596 | 403 | 556 | 320 | .296 | .394 | .394 | .788 | 20,186 |
Career AVG .296 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — +15.0% above league average.
Career OBP .394 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — +23.4% above league average.
Career SLG .394 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +17.0% above league average.
Career OPS .788 vs. league average .656 across their career seasons — +20.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | CHN | NL | 53 | 147 | 32 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | .279 | .270 (+3%) | .333 (+1%) | .347 (+6%) | .680 (+4%) | 81.5 |
| 1899 | CHN | NL | 64 | 192 | 37 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 10 | 15 | 9 | .286 | .282 (+1%) | .343 (+2%) | .366 (-3%) | .710 (-1%) | 2.1 |
| 1900 | CHN | NL | 56 | 149 | 26 | 44 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 12 | .295 | .279 (+6%) | .338 (+22%) | .366 (+8%) | .705 (+15%) | 524.0 |
| 1901 | CHN | NL | 69 | 241 | 38 | 67 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 27 | 29 | 24 | .278 | .271 (+2%) | .326 (+15%) | .359 (avg) | .686 (+7%) | 459.4 |
| 1902 | CHN | NL | 76 | 242 | 40 | 70 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 29 | 37 | 23 | .289 | .266 (+8%) | .321 (+25%) | .343 (+8%) | .665 (+16%) | 899.0 |
| 1903 | CHN | NL | 125 | 441 | 83 | 144 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 81 | 67 | 78 | 41 | .327 | .261 (+25%) | .316 (+38%) | .345 (+27%) | .662 (+33%) | 3213.6 |
| 1904 | CHN | NL | 124 | 451 | 89 | 140 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 49 | 42 | 36 | 21 | .310 | .246 (+26%) | .300 (+27%) | .321 (+34%) | .622 (+30%) | 2555.4 |
| 1905 | CHN | NL | 118 | 392 | 92 | 124 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 70 | 38 | 78 | 26 | .316 | .248 (+27%) | .307 (+46%) | .322 (+34%) | .629 (+40%) | 3442.7 |
| 1906 | CHN | NL | 136 | 474 | 103 | 151 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 71 | 57 | 70 | 31 | .319 | .247 (+29%) | .307 (+36%) | .315 (+37%) | .622 (+36%) | 3507.7 |
| 1907 | CHN | NL | 111 | 382 | 58 | 112 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 35 | 51 | 21 | .293 | .245 (+20%) | .304 (+30%) | .308 (+17%) | .613 (+23%) | 1868.8 |
| 1908 | CHN | NL | 129 | 452 | 65 | 123 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 55 | 27 | 37 | 37 | .272 | .240 (+13%) | .298 (+13%) | .306 (+18%) | .605 (+16%) | 1280.2 |
| 1909 | CHN | NL | 93 | 324 | 53 | 88 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 29 | 30 | 32 | .272 | .244 (+11%) | .306 (+11%) | .312 (+11%) | .618 (+11%) | 625.0 |
| 1910 | CHN | NL | 88 | 295 | 54 | 88 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 36 | 16 | 37 | 15 | .298 | .249 (+19%) | .317 (+24%) | .326 (+20%) | .644 (+22%) | 1277.1 |
| 1911 | CHN | NL | 31 | 88 | 23 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 25 | 13 | .239 | .266 (-10%) | .336 (+29%) | .356 (+15%) | .693 (+21%) | 449.6 |
| 1912 | CHN | NL | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1913 | NYA | AL | 12 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | NYA | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,288 | 4,299 | 798 | 1,274 | 200 | 79 | 20 | 596 | 403 | 556 | 320 | .296 | — | — | — | — | 20,186 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1292 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 641 | 2059 | 385 | 609 | 6 | 221 | .296 |
| Away | 651 | 2239 | 415 | 664 | 14 | 311 | .297 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-04-21 | NYY | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-07-26 | NYY | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-06-11 | NYY | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-06-02 | NYY | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1913-06-02 | NYY | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1913-05-19 | NYY | SLA | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-05-17 | NYY | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-05-11 | NYY | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-04-26 | NYY | BOS | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1913-04-25 | NYY | PHA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 997 | 786 | 9885 | 615 | 135 | 470 |
| C | 187 | 1 | 572 | 192 | 38 | 15 |
| OF | 73 | 0 | 88 | 12 | 12 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1898 | CHN | C | 33 | 0 | 62 | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| 1898 | CHN | OF | 17 | 0 | 23 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1899 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899 | CHN | C | 57 | 0 | 166 | 64 | 12 | 6 |
| 1899 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1900 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1900 | CHN | C | 51 | 0 | 155 | 65 | 16 | 2 |
| 1901 | CHN | 1B | 6 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 1901 | CHN | C | 13 | 0 | 55 | 20 | 1 | 2 |
| 1901 | CHN | OF | 51 | 0 | 61 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 1902 | CHN | 1B | 38 | 0 | 391 | 20 | 13 | 21 |
| 1902 | CHN | C | 30 | 0 | 118 | 28 | 4 | 2 |
| 1902 | CHN | OF | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903 | CHN | 1B | 121 | 0 | 1204 | 68 | 36 | 49 |
| 1903 | CHN | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904 | CHN | 1B | 123 | 122 | 1205 | 106 | 13 | 48 |
| 1904 | CHN | C | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905 | CHN | 1B | 115 | 115 | 1165 | 75 | 13 | 54 |
| 1906 | CHN | 1B | 136 | 136 | 1376 | 82 | 16 | 71 |
| 1907 | CHN | 1B | 109 | 109 | 1129 | 80 | 10 | 64 |
| 1908 | CHN | 1B | 126 | 125 | 1291 | 86 | 15 | 56 |
| 1909 | CHN | 1B | 92 | 92 | 901 | 40 | 6 | 43 |
| 1910 | CHN | 1B | 87 | 87 | 773 | 38 | 3 | 48 |
| 1911 | CHN | 1B | 29 | 0 | 289 | 11 | 3 | 12 |
| 1912 | CHN | 1B | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1913 | NYA | 1B | 7 | 0 | 86 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1914 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 188 |
| First Base | 998 |
| Left Field | 6 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 65 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
| 1909 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Frank Chance (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Frank Chance
Frank Chance: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 29, 1898 and the final game on April 21, 1914, Frank Chance built the record summarized on this page. By club, Chance's seasons break down as the Chicago Orphans (1898 through 1902), the Chicago Cubs (1903 through 1912), and the New York Yankees (1913 to 1914). Born on September 9, 1876, in Fresno, CA, USA, Chance is listed as a first baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Chance's listed size is 6'0" and 190 pounds. The bio records the death on September 15, 1924, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Chance's full given name, per the bio, is Frank Leroy Chance.
Chance's career batting table shows 1,288 games, 4,299 at bats and 1,274 hits, a .296 average, along with 20 homers, 596 runs batted in, and 403 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .394 and the slugging percentage .394, for an OPS of .788.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Chance
- What years did Frank Chance play?
- Frank Chance played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1914.
- Was Frank Chance a pitcher?
- No. Frank Chance was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Frank Chance hit?
- Frank Chance hit 20 career home runs with 1,274 hits.
- Is Frank Chance in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Frank Chance was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
- What teams did Frank Chance play for?
- Frank Chance played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1898–1912) and the New York Yankees (1913–1914).
- What were Frank Chance's career stats?
- In 1,288 games, Frank Chance had 1,274 hits, 20 home runs, 596 RBI, 798 runs, and 403 stolen bases, with a .296 batting average.
- What position did Frank Chance play?
- Frank Chance played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Frank Chance and how much did he weigh?
- Frank Chance was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Frank Chance hit each season?
- Frank Chance's home runs by season: 1 in 1898, 1 in 1899, 0 in 1900, 0 in 1901, 1 in 1902, 2 in 1903, 6 in 1904, 2 in 1905, 3 in 1906, 1 in 1907, 2 in 1908, 0 in 1909, 0 in 1910, 1 in 1911, 0 in 1912, and 0 in 1913. His most in one season was 6, in 1904.
- What was Frank Chance's career batting average?
- Frank Chance batted .296 over his career, with 1,274 hits in 4,299 at bats.
- How many RBI did Frank Chance have?
- Frank Chance drove in 596 runs in his career.