Duff Cooley
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1893-1905)
Duff Cooley was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1893 to 1905 for 5 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,317 career games, he hit .294 with 1,579 hits, 26 home runs, and 557 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,646.
- 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 158 lb
- Died
- 8/9/1937 in Dallas, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1893-07-27
- Last Game
- 1905-08-26
Full name: Duff Gordon Cooley
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,317 | 5,368 | 849 | 1,579 | 180 | 102 | 26 | 557 | 224 | 366 | 366 | .294 | .342 | .380 | .722 | 3,646 |
Career AVG .294 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — +7.3% above league average.
Career OBP .342 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .380 vs. league average .362 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .722 vs. league average .697 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | SLN | NL | 29 | 107 | 20 | 37 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 9 | .346 | .279 (+24%) | .356 (+10%) | .379 (+11%) | .735 (+10%) | 178.2 |
| 1894 | SLN | NL | 54 | 206 | 35 | 61 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 7 | 12 | 16 | .296 | .309 (-4%) | .379 (-12%) | .435 (-23%) | .814 (-18%) | -632.6 |
| 1895 | SLN | NL | 133 | 567 | 108 | 194 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 75 | 27 | 37 | 29 | .342 | .296 (+15%) | .361 (+7%) | .399 (+16%) | .761 (+12%) | 1310.1 |
| 1896 | SLN | NL | 40 | 166 | 29 | 51 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | .307 | .290 (+6%) | .354 (-5%) | .387 (-4%) | .741 (-4%) | -149.8 |
| 1896 | PHI | NL | 64 | 287 | 63 | 88 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 16 | .307 | .290 (+6%) | .354 (-2%) | .387 (-3%) | .741 (-2%) | -149.8 |
| 1897 | PHI | NL | 133 | 566 | 124 | 186 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 40 | 31 | 51 | 39 | .329 | .291 (+13%) | .354 (+9%) | .387 (+9%) | .741 (+9%) | 1076.3 |
| 1898 | PHI | NL | 149 | 629 | 123 | 196 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 55 | 17 | 48 | 38 | .312 | .270 (+15%) | .333 (+9%) | .347 (+17%) | .680 (+13%) | 1552.2 |
| 1899 | PHI | NL | 94 | 406 | 75 | 112 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 31 | 15 | 29 | 22 | .276 | .282 (-2%) | .343 (-4%) | .366 (-2%) | .710 (-3%) | -224.0 |
| 1900 | PIT | NL | 66 | 249 | 30 | 50 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 9 | 14 | 21 | .201 | .279 (-28%) | .338 (-28%) | .366 (-34%) | .705 (-31%) | -1237.7 |
| 1901 | BSN | NL | 63 | 240 | 27 | 62 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 5 | 14 | 16 | .258 | .271 (-5%) | .326 (-8%) | .359 (-6%) | .686 (-7%) | -277.9 |
| 1902 | BSN | NL | 135 | 548 | 73 | 162 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 58 | 27 | 34 | 35 | .296 | .266 (+11%) | .321 (+5%) | .343 (+8%) | .665 (+7%) | 653.4 |
| 1903 | BSN | NL | 138 | 553 | 76 | 160 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 70 | 27 | 44 | 33 | .289 | .261 (+11%) | .316 (+8%) | .345 (+9%) | .662 (+9%) | 889.0 |
| 1904 | BSN | NL | 122 | 467 | 41 | 127 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 70 | 14 | 24 | 34 | .272 | .246 (+10%) | .300 (+4%) | .321 (+16%) | .622 (+10%) | 710.5 |
| 1905 | DET | AL | 97 | 377 | 25 | 93 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 7 | 26 | 55 | .247 | .248 (-1%) | .307 (-3%) | .322 (+3%) | .629 (avg) | -74.5 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,317 | 5,368 | 849 | 1,579 | 180 | 102 | 26 | 557 | 224 | 366 | 366 | .294 | — | — | — | — | 3,623 | ||
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 (867 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 447 | 1753 | 263 | 493 | 6 | 169 | .281 |
| Away | 420 | 1719 | 208 | 469 | 6 | 163 | .273 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905-08-26 | DET | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-08-25 | DET | PHA | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-08-24 | DET | MIN | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-08-23 | DET | MIN | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1905-08-22 | DET | MIN | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-08-21 | DET | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1905-08-21 | DET | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-08-18 | DET | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1905-08-17 | DET | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-08-15 | DET | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 184 | 3 | 1760 | 67 | 41 | 103 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3B | 18 | 0 | 20 | 31 | 13 | 3 |
| C | 11 | 0 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 1095 | 212 | 2389 | 96 | 146 | 28 |
| SS | 9 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | SLN | C | 10 | 0 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1893 | SLN | OF | 15 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1893 | SLN | SS | 5 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1894 | SLN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1894 | SLN | 3B | 13 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 12 | 1 |
| 1894 | SLN | OF | 39 | 0 | 74 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| 1894 | SLN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | SLN | 3B | 5 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1895 | SLN | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1895 | SLN | OF | 125 | 0 | 321 | 17 | 24 | 1 |
| 1895 | SLN | SS | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 1896 | SLN | OF | 40 | 0 | 91 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1896 | PHI | OF | 64 | 0 | 130 | 6 | 15 | 2 |
| 1897 | PHI | 1B | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1897 | PHI | OF | 131 | 0 | 322 | 16 | 14 | 6 |
| 1898 | PHI | OF | 149 | 0 | 352 | 15 | 22 | 2 |
| 1899 | PHI | 1B | 79 | 0 | 756 | 34 | 24 | 56 |
| 1899 | PHI | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1899 | PHI | OF | 14 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1900 | PIT | 1B | 66 | 0 | 683 | 20 | 8 | 39 |
| 1901 | BSN | 1B | 10 | 0 | 91 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 1901 | BSN | OF | 53 | 0 | 127 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| 1902 | BSN | 1B | 7 | 0 | 60 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1902 | BSN | OF | 127 | 0 | 250 | 7 | 13 | 2 |
| 1903 | BSN | 1B | 13 | 0 | 105 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 1903 | BSN | OF | 126 | 0 | 246 | 11 | 13 | 4 |
| 1904 | BSN | 1B | 6 | 3 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904 | BSN | OF | 116 | 118 | 201 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 1905 | DET | OF | 96 | 94 | 223 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 11 |
| First Base | 184 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 18 |
| Shortstop | 9 |
| Left Field | 551 |
| Center Field | 480 |
| Right Field | 69 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Duff Cooley (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Duff Cooley: the record in brief
The profile opens with Duff Cooley's first major league game on July 27, 1893; the last one listed came on August 26, 1905. The team column moves through the St. Louis Browns (1893 through 1896), the Philadelphia Phillies (1896 to 1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900), the Boston Beaneaters (1901 through 1904), and the Detroit Tigers (1905). At 5'11" and 158 pounds, Cooley is listed as an outfielder. Cooley threw right-handed and batted left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is March 29, 1873, in Leavenworth, KS, USA. The bio records the death on August 9, 1937, in Dallas, TX, USA. Cooley's full given name, per the bio, is Duff Gordon Cooley.
Across 1,317 games at the plate, Cooley's career line reads 1,579 hits in 5,368 at bats for a .294 average, adding 26 homers, 557 runs batted in, and 224 stolen bases. Cooley's career OPS of .722 combines a .342 on-base mark with .380 slugging.
Frequently Asked Questions about Duff Cooley
- What years did Duff Cooley play?
- Duff Cooley played in Major League Baseball from 1893 to 1905.
- Was Duff Cooley a pitcher?
- No. Duff Cooley was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Duff Cooley hit?
- Duff Cooley hit 26 career home runs with 1,579 hits.
- What teams did Duff Cooley play for?
- Duff Cooley played for 5 teams: the St. Louis Browns (1893–1896), the Philadelphia Phillies (1896–1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900), the Boston Beaneaters (1901–1904), and the Detroit Tigers (1905).
- What were Duff Cooley's career stats?
- In 1,317 games, Duff Cooley had 1,579 hits, 26 home runs, 557 RBI, 849 runs, and 224 stolen bases, with a .294 batting average.
- What position did Duff Cooley play?
- Duff Cooley played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Duff Cooley and how much did he weigh?
- Duff Cooley was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 158 pounds.
- How many home runs did Duff Cooley hit each season?
- Duff Cooley's home runs by season: 0 in 1893, 1 in 1894, 7 in 1895, 2 in 1896, 4 in 1897, 4 in 1898, 1 in 1899, 0 in 1900, 0 in 1901, 0 in 1902, 1 in 1903, 5 in 1904, and 1 in 1905. His most in one season was 7, in 1895.
- What was Duff Cooley's career batting average?
- Duff Cooley batted .294 over his career, with 1,579 hits in 5,368 at bats.
- How many RBI did Duff Cooley have?
- Duff Cooley drove in 557 runs in his career.
- Is Duff Cooley in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Duff Cooley has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.