Jim Clinton
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1872-1886)
Jim Clinton was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1872 to 1886 for 7 teams, including the Brooklyn Eckfords, a span of 15 seasons. In 426 career games, he hit .255 with 438 hits, 4 home runs, and 55 RBI. He also pitched in 19 games, going 1-15 with a 2.94 ERA. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 639.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 174 lb
- Died
- 9/3/1921 in Brooklyn, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1872-05-18
- Last Game
- 1886-07-15
Full name: James Lawrence Clinton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 426 | 1,719 | 246 | 438 | 45 | 20 | 4 | 55 | 3 | 82 | 20 | .255 | .297 | .311 | .608 | 639 |
Career AVG .255 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .297 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .311 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 6.0% below league average.
Career OPS .608 vs. league average .617 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | BR1 | 25 | 98 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .245 | .285 (-14%) | .296 (-18%) | .347 (-12%) | .644 (-15%) | -211.5 | |
| 1873 | ELI | 9 | 39 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1874 | BR2 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1875 | BR2 | 22 | 81 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .123 | .253 (-51%) | .260 (-53%) | .309 (-60%) | .570 (-57%) | -562.3 | |
| 1876 | LS1 | NL | 16 | 65 | 8 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .338 | .265 (+28%) | .277 (+22%) | .320 (+15%) | .598 (+18%) | 162.9 |
| 1882 | WOR | NL | 26 | 98 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 | .163 | .248 (-34%) | .275 (-21%) | .329 (-44%) | .605 (-34%) | -404.8 |
| 1883 | BL2 | AA | 94 | 399 | 69 | 125 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | .313 | .257 (+22%) | .285 (+25%) | .345 (+14%) | .631 (+19%) | 1371.4 |
| 1884 | BL2 | AA | 104 | 437 | 82 | 118 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | .270 | .243 (+11%) | .278 (+20%) | .327 (+8%) | .606 (+13%) | 1173.2 |
| 1885 | CN2 | AA | 105 | 408 | 48 | 97 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 15 | 0 | .238 | .244 (-3%) | .287 (-4%) | .325 (-16%) | .613 (-10%) | -507.0 |
| 1886 | BL2 | AA | 23 | 83 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .181 | .246 (-27%) | .302 (-25%) | .331 (-42%) | .634 (-34%) | -383.1 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 426 | 1,719 | 246 | 438 | 45 | 20 | 4 | 55 | 3 | 82 | 20 | .255 | — | — | — | — | 639 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | BR1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 25 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7.00 | 3.66 (-91%) | 0.0 | |
| 1875 | BR2 | 1 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 123.0 | 141 | 33 | 5 | 7 | 2.41 | 2.23 (-8%) | -66.2 | |
| 1876 | LS1 | NL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6.00 | 2.31 (-160%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 1 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 141.0 | 178 | 46 | 6 | 9 | 2.94 | — | -66 | ||
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 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2B | 8 | 3 | 26 | 18 | 19 | 2 |
| 3B | 20 | 9 | 42 | 46 | 38 | 1 |
| C | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 381 | 9 | 630 | 61 | 132 | 14 |
| P | 19 | 0 | 7 | 39 | 11 | 1 |
| SS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | BR1 | 2B | 3 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 1872 | BR1 | 3B | 11 | 9 | 17 | 25 | 17 | 0 |
| 1872 | BR1 | C | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1872 | BR1 | OF | 9 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1872 | BR1 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1872 | BR1 | SS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1873 | ELI | 3B | 9 | 0 | 25 | 21 | 21 | 1 |
| 1874 | BR2 | 2B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1874 | BR2 | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1875 | BR2 | 1B | 5 | 0 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1875 | BR2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1875 | BR2 | OF | 7 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1875 | BR2 | P | 17 | 0 | 7 | 32 | 8 | 1 |
| 1876 | LS1 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1876 | LS1 | OF | 14 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 1876 | LS1 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1882 | WOR | OF | 26 | 0 | 43 | 4 | 17 | 1 |
| 1883 | BL2 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| 1883 | BL2 | OF | 92 | 0 | 158 | 18 | 33 | 2 |
| 1884 | BL2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1884 | BL2 | OF | 104 | 0 | 134 | 17 | 36 | 5 |
| 1885 | CN2 | OF | 105 | 0 | 215 | 14 | 32 | 4 |
| 1886 | BL2 | OF | 23 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 18 |
| Catcher | 2 |
| First Base | 6 |
| Second Base | 8 |
| Third Base | 19 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
| Left Field | 150 |
| Center Field | 204 |
| Right Field | 26 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Clinton (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jim Clinton: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jim Clinton's first major league game on May 18, 1872; the last one listed came on July 15, 1886. By club, Clinton's seasons break down as the Brooklyn Eckfords (1872), the Elizabeth Resolutes (1873), the Brooklyn Atlantics (1874 to 1875), the Louisville Grays (1876), the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), the Baltimore Orioles (1883 to 1886), and the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1885). Clinton is listed as an outfielder at 174 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. The bio says Clinton threw and hit right-handed. Clinton was born on August 10, 1850, in New York, NY, USA. Clinton's death is recorded on September 3, 1921, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. On the record, Jim Clinton was born James Lawrence Clinton.
Clinton's career batting table shows 426 games, 1,719 at bats and 438 hits, a .255 average, along with 4 homers and 55 runs batted in. Clinton's career OPS of .608 combines a .297 on-base mark with .311 slugging.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Clinton
- What years did Jim Clinton play?
- Jim Clinton played in Major League Baseball from 1872 to 1886.
- Was Jim Clinton a pitcher?
- Both. Jim Clinton pitched in 19 games, going 1-15 with a 2.94 ERA, but spent most of his career as an Outfielder.
- How many home runs did Jim Clinton hit?
- Jim Clinton hit 4 career home runs with 438 hits.
- What was Jim Clinton's career batting average?
- Jim Clinton batted .255 over his career, with 438 hits in 1,719 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Clinton have?
- Jim Clinton drove in 55 runs in his career.
- What was Jim Clinton's career ERA?
- Jim Clinton finished with a 2.94 career ERA, going 1-15 with 9 strikeouts.