Gavvy Cravath
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1920)
Gavvy Cravath was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1920 for 4 teams, including the Boston Red Sox, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,220 career games, he hit .287 with 1,134 hits, 119 home runs, and 719 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 23,467.
- 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
- 5'10" / 186 lb
- Died
- 5/23/1963 in Laguna Beach, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1908-04-18
- Last Game
- 1920-10-02
Full name: Clifford Carlton Cravath
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,220 | 3,951 | 575 | 1,134 | 232 | 83 | 119 | 719 | 89 | 561 | 578 | .287 | .380 | .478 | .858 | 23,467 |
Career AVG .287 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — +12.5% above league average.
Career OBP .380 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — +18.9% above league average.
Career SLG .478 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +42.6% above league average.
Career OPS .858 vs. league average .655 across their career seasons — +31.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | BOS | AL | 94 | 277 | 43 | 71 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 34 | 6 | 38 | 52 | .256 | .240 (+7%) | .298 (+19%) | .306 (+25%) | .605 (+22%) | 1060.4 |
| 1909 | CHA | AL | 19 | 50 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 19 | 8 | .180 | .244 (-26%) | .306 (+32%) | .312 (-23%) | .618 (+4%) | 163.1 |
| 1909 | WS1 | AL | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 163.1 |
| 1912 | PHI | NL | 130 | 436 | 63 | 124 | 30 | 9 | 11 | 70 | 15 | 47 | 77 | .284 | .268 (+6%) | .335 (+7%) | .358 (+31%) | .694 (+19%) | 1553.4 |
| 1913 | PHI | NL | 147 | 525 | 78 | 179 | 34 | 14 | 19 | 128 | 10 | 55 | 63 | .341 | .259 (+31%) | .325 (+25%) | .345 (+64%) | .670 (+45%) | 4453.5 |
| 1914 | PHI | NL | 149 | 499 | 76 | 149 | 27 | 8 | 19 | 100 | 14 | 83 | 72 | .299 | .255 (+17%) | .322 (+25%) | .339 (+47%) | .661 (+36%) | 3660.1 |
| 1915 | PHI | NL | 150 | 522 | 89 | 149 | 31 | 7 | 24 | 115 | 11 | 86 | 77 | .285 | .250 (+14%) | .318 (+23%) | .332 (+53%) | .651 (+39%) | 3985.2 |
| 1916 | PHI | NL | 137 | 448 | 70 | 127 | 21 | 8 | 11 | 70 | 9 | 64 | 89 | .283 | .248 (+14%) | .314 (+21%) | .326 (+35%) | .640 (+28%) | 2458.9 |
| 1917 | PHI | NL | 140 | 503 | 70 | 141 | 29 | 16 | 12 | 83 | 6 | 70 | 57 | .280 | .248 (+13%) | .312 (+18%) | .323 (+46%) | .635 (+33%) | 2993.3 |
| 1918 | PHI | NL | 121 | 426 | 43 | 99 | 27 | 5 | 8 | 54 | 7 | 54 | 46 | .232 | .255 (-9%) | .318 (avg) | .326 (+15%) | .645 (+8%) | 588.6 |
| 1919 | PHI | NL | 83 | 214 | 34 | 73 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 45 | 8 | 35 | 21 | .341 | .262 (+30%) | .322 (+36%) | .347 (+84%) | .670 (+61%) | 2328.2 |
| 1920 | PHI | NL | 46 | 45 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 12 | .289 | — | — | — | — | 222.1 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,220 | 3,951 | 575 | 1,134 | 232 | 83 | 119 | 719 | 89 | 561 | 578 | .287 | — | — | — | — | 23,630 | ||
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 (1226 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 616 | 1898 | 316 | 577 | 93 | 410 | .304 |
| Away | 610 | 2057 | 259 | 562 | 26 | 324 | .273 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-10-02 | PHI | BSN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920-10-02 | PHI | BSN | L | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1920-09-21 | PHI | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-09-20 | PHI | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-18 | PHI | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-16 | PHI | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-09-15 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-11 | PHI | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-09-10 | PHI | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-09 | PHI | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 1090 | 95 | 1675 | 176 | 109 | 28 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | BOS | 1B | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1908 | BOS | OF | 77 | 76 | 128 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
| 1909 | CHA | OF | 18 | 18 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1909 | WS1 | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912 | PHI | OF | 113 | 0 | 200 | 26 | 8 | 5 |
| 1913 | PHI | OF | 141 | 0 | 208 | 20 | 10 | 1 |
| 1914 | PHI | OF | 143 | 0 | 205 | 34 | 18 | 7 |
| 1915 | PHI | OF | 149 | 0 | 233 | 28 | 15 | 2 |
| 1916 | PHI | OF | 130 | 0 | 182 | 17 | 7 | 2 |
| 1917 | PHI | OF | 139 | 0 | 209 | 17 | 13 | 3 |
| 1918 | PHI | OF | 118 | 0 | 184 | 19 | 15 | 3 |
| 1919 | PHI | OF | 56 | 0 | 89 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| 1920 | PHI | OF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 3 |
| Left Field | 109 |
| Center Field | 38 |
| Right Field | 955 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | RF |
| 1913 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | OF |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 1.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1913 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 40.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Gavvy Cravath (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Gavvy Cravath
Gavvy Cravath: the record in brief
April 18, 1908 and October 2, 1920 bracket Gavvy Cravath's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Cravath's seasons break down as the Boston Red Sox (1908), the Chicago White Sox (1909), the Washington Senators (1909), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1912 through 1920). Cravath played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on March 23, 1881, in Poway, CA, USA and a listed size of 5 feet, 10 inches and 186 pounds. The bio records the death on May 23, 1963, in Laguna Beach, CA, USA. Gavvy Cravath was the playing name; the full given name is Clifford Carlton.
Cravath finished with 1,134 hits from 3,951 at bats in 1,220 games, which works out to .287, plus 119 home runs, 719 RBI, and 89 stolen bases. Cravath's career OPS of .858 combines a .380 on-base mark with .478 slugging. Cravath's .287 average ran 12.5% above the .255 that the league posted over the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gavvy Cravath
- What years did Gavvy Cravath play?
- Gavvy Cravath played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1920.
- Was Gavvy Cravath a pitcher?
- No. Gavvy Cravath was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Gavvy Cravath hit?
- Gavvy Cravath hit 119 career home runs with 1,134 hits.
- What teams did Gavvy Cravath play for?
- Gavvy Cravath played for 4 teams: the Boston Red Sox (1908), the Chicago White Sox (1909), the Washington Senators (1909), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1912–1920).
- What were Gavvy Cravath's career stats?
- In 1,220 games, Gavvy Cravath had 1,134 hits, 119 home runs, 719 RBI, 575 runs, and 89 stolen bases, with a .287 batting average.
- What position did Gavvy Cravath play?
- Gavvy Cravath played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Gavvy Cravath and how much did he weigh?
- Gavvy Cravath was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 186 pounds.
- How many home runs did Gavvy Cravath hit each season?
- Gavvy Cravath's home runs by season: 1 in 1908, 1 in 1909, 11 in 1912, 19 in 1913, 19 in 1914, 24 in 1915, 11 in 1916, 12 in 1917, 8 in 1918, 12 in 1919, and 1 in 1920. His most in one season was 24, in 1915.
- What was Gavvy Cravath's career batting average?
- Gavvy Cravath batted .287 over his career, with 1,134 hits in 3,951 at bats.
- How many RBI did Gavvy Cravath have?
- Gavvy Cravath drove in 719 runs in his career.
- Is Gavvy Cravath in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Gavvy Cravath has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.