Pepper Daniels
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Pepper Daniels was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Detroit Stars. In 356 career games, he hit .241 with 259 hits, 13 home runs, and 131 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 192 lb
- Died
- 9/25/1978 in Chester, NY, USA
Full name: Leon Thomas Daniels
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 356 | 1,076 | 138 | 259 | 45 | 7 | 13 | 131 | 17 | 109 | 0 | .241 | .312 | .332 | .643 | -2,246 |
Career AVG .241 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — 15.2% below league average.
Career OBP .312 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 9.8% below league average.
Career SLG .332 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — 16.6% below league average.
Career OPS .643 vs. league average .744 across their career seasons — 13.5% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | DS | NNL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1922 | DS | NNL | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1923 | DS | NNL | 49 | 129 | 18 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .209 | .282 (-26%) | .344 (-23%) | .390 (-19%) | .734 (-21%) | -458.8 |
| 1924 | HBG | ECL | 15 | 42 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | DS | NNL | 27 | 76 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 0 | .197 | .283 (-30%) | .345 (-13%) | .389 (-39%) | .734 (-27%) | 0.0 |
| 1925 | DS | NNL | 71 | 232 | 27 | 52 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 8 | 18 | 0 | .224 | .288 (-22%) | .349 (-20%) | .407 (-21%) | .756 (-20%) | -801.7 |
| 1926 | DS | NNL | 58 | 166 | 19 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 18 | 0 | .259 | .279 (-7%) | .345 (-3%) | .390 (-6%) | .735 (-5%) | -100.8 |
| 1927 | DS | NNL | 80 | 283 | 36 | 75 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 29 | 3 | 30 | 0 | .265 | .282 (-6%) | .344 (-3%) | .392 (-9%) | .736 (-6%) | -243.8 |
| 1930 | DS | NNL | 45 | 132 | 20 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 17 | 0 | .250 | .293 (-15%) | .354 (-4%) | .429 (-26%) | .784 (-16%) | -326.8 |
| 1931 | CC2 | NNL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1935 | BE | NN2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 356 | 1,076 | 138 | 259 | 45 | 7 | 13 | 131 | 17 | 109 | 0 | .241 | — | — | — | — | -1,932 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
Last 4 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935-05-19 | BRN | HOM | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935-05-13 | BRN | PH5 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935-05-12 | BRN | PH5 | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1924-08-18 | DT1 | CAG | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 334 | 240 | 1073 | 166 | 50 | 17 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | DS | C | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | DS | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1922 | DS | C | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1923 | DS | C | 49 | 41 | 183 | 31 | 7 | 3 |
| 1924 | HBG | C | 13 | 13 | 47 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 1924 | DS | C | 26 | 22 | 122 | 19 | 6 | 1 |
| 1925 | DS | C | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | DS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | DS | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | DS | C | 52 | 47 | 191 | 33 | 9 | 3 |
| 1927 | DS | C | 79 | 79 | 310 | 46 | 17 | 7 |
| 1930 | DS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | DS | C | 35 | 34 | 196 | 25 | 7 | 3 |
| 1931 | CC2 | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935 | BE | C | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 334 |
| First Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Pepper Daniels: the record in brief
The season rows for Pepper Daniels begin in 1921. The team column moves through the Detroit Stars (1921 through 1930), the Harrisburg Giants (1924), the Chicago Columbia Giants (1931), and the Brooklyn Eagles (1935). Daniels is listed as a catcher at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds. Daniels batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is August 20, 1902, in Valdosta, GA, USA. The bio records the death on September 25, 1978, in Chester, NY, USA. The bio lists the given name Leon Thomas.
Daniels collected 259 hits in 1,076 at bats across 356 games, good for a .241 batting average, along with 13 home runs and 131 runs batted in. Daniels's career OPS of .643 combines a .312 on-base mark with .332 slugging. Measured against the leagues Daniels played in, the .241 career average compares with a .284 league average over the same seasons, 15.2% below the league. Daniels collected a career-high 75 hits in 1927. 1927 brought the most runs batted in, 29. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .265 in 1927, did not top the league's .282.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pepper Daniels
- Was Pepper Daniels a pitcher?
- No. Pepper Daniels was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Pepper Daniels hit?
- Pepper Daniels hit 13 career home runs with 259 hits.
- What was Pepper Daniels's career batting average?
- Pepper Daniels batted .241 over his career, with 259 hits in 1,076 at bats.
- How many RBI did Pepper Daniels have?
- Pepper Daniels drove in 131 runs in his career.
- Is Pepper Daniels in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Pepper Daniels has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Pepper Daniels play for?
- Pepper Daniels played for the Detroit Stars, the Harrisburg Giants, the Chicago Columbia Giants, and the Brooklyn Eagles.