Monk Cline
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1891)
Monk Cline was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1891 for the Baltimore Orioles, the Louisville Colonels, and the Kansas City Cowboys, a span of 10 seasons. In 232 career games, he hit .261 with 245 hits, 2 home runs, and 71 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,092.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'4" / 150 lb
- Died
- 9/23/1916 in Louisville, KY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1882-07-04
- Last Game
- 1891-10-04
Full name: John P. Cline
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 232 | 940 | 165 | 245 | 39 | 12 | 2 | 71 | 31 | 66 | 29 | .261 | .313 | .334 | .647 | 1,092 |
Career AVG .261 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.
Career OBP .313 vs. league average .294 across their career seasons — +6.4% above league average.
Career SLG .334 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .647 vs. league average .623 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | BL2 | AA | 44 | 172 | 18 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .221 | .248 (-11%) | .275 (-15%) | .329 (-15%) | .605 (-15%) | -358.9 |
| 1884 | LS2 | AA | 94 | 396 | 91 | 115 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 39 | 0 | 27 | 0 | .290 | .243 (+19%) | .278 (+23%) | .327 (+17%) | .606 (+19%) | 1334.7 |
| 1885 | LS2 | AA | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 73 | 293 | 45 | 69 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 29 | 20 | 27 | .235 | .238 (-1%) | .290 (-1%) | .319 (-8%) | .610 (-5%) | -162.6 |
| 1891 | LS2 | AA | 19 | 70 | 11 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 16 | 2 | .300 | .254 (+18%) | .331 (+30%) | .343 (+8%) | .675 (+19%) | 278.7 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 232 | 940 | 165 | 245 | 39 | 12 | 2 | 71 | 31 | 66 | 29 | .261 | — | — | — | — | 1,092 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 3B | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 219 | 0 | 337 | 65 | 61 | 6 |
| SS | 14 | 0 | 7 | 25 | 13 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | BL2 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | BL2 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | BL2 | OF | 39 | 0 | 78 | 16 | 20 | 1 |
| 1882 | BL2 | SS | 8 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| 1884 | LS2 | OF | 90 | 0 | 143 | 25 | 24 | 1 |
| 1884 | LS2 | SS | 6 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| 1885 | LS2 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | LS2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | 2B | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1888 | KC2 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | OF | 70 | 0 | 91 | 22 | 15 | 4 |
| 1891 | LS2 | OF | 19 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Shortstop | 14 |
| Left Field | 61 |
| Center Field | 119 |
| Right Field | 41 |
Monk Cline: the record in brief
Monk Cline played a first major league game on July 4, 1882 and a last one on October 4, 1891. Club by club, the record runs the Baltimore Orioles (1882), the Louisville Eclipse (1884), the Louisville Colonels (1885 through 1891), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1888). Cline played primarily as an outfielder and both batted and threw left-handed. Born on March 3, 1858, in Louisville, KY, USA, Cline was listed at 5 feet, 4 inches and 150 pounds. Cline's death is recorded on September 23, 1916, in Louisville, KY, USA. The given name on file is John P. Cline.
Across 232 games at the plate, Cline's career line reads 245 hits in 940 at bats for a .261 average, plus 2 homers, 71 runs batted in, and 31 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .313 and the slugging percentage .334, for an OPS of .647. Cline's .261 average ran 6.3% above the .245 that the league posted over the same seasons. The highest hit total in a season was 115, in 1884.
Frequently Asked Questions about Monk Cline
- What years did Monk Cline play?
- Monk Cline played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1891.
- Was Monk Cline a pitcher?
- No. Monk Cline was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Monk Cline hit?
- Monk Cline hit 2 career home runs with 245 hits.
- What was Monk Cline's career batting average?
- Monk Cline batted .261 over his career, with 245 hits in 940 at bats.
- How many RBI did Monk Cline have?
- Monk Cline drove in 71 runs in his career.
- Is Monk Cline in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Monk Cline has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.