Al Dark

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1946-1960)

Al Dark was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1960 for 6 teams, including the Boston Braves, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,828 career games, he hit .289 with 2,089 hits, 126 home runs, and 757 RBI. Al Dark was a 3-time All-Star and a Rookie of the Year. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,492.

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

AVG .289
HR 126
RBI 757
H 2,089
OPS .744
PIV 3,492
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 185 lb
Born
1/7/1922 in Comanche, OK, USA
Died
11/13/2014 in Easley, SC, USA
MLB Debut
1946-07-14
Last Game
1960-10-02
Awards
3× All-Star · Rookie of the Year

Full name: Alvin Ralph Dark

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Career Batting Statistics

Al Dark — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,828 7,219 1,064 2,089 358 72 126 757 59 430 534 .289 .333 .411 .744 3,492

Career AVG .289 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +11.5% above league average.

Career OBP .333 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .411 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.

Career OPS .744 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Al Dark Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1946 BSN NL 15 13 0 3 3 0 0 1 0 0 3 .231 — — — — 0.0
1948 BSN NL 137 543 85 175 39 6 3 48 4 24 36 .322 .263 (+22%) .340 (+4%) .379 (+14%) .719 (+9%) 794.2
1949 BSN NL 130 529 74 146 23 5 3 53 5 31 43 .276 .262 (+5%) .343 (-8%) .384 (-7%) .727 (-8%) -749.2
1950 NY1 NL 154 587 79 164 36 5 16 67 9 39 60 .279 .265 (+5%) .346 (-4%) .401 (+9%) .747 (+3%) 175.2
1951 NY1 NL 156 646 114 196 41 7 14 69 12 42 39 .303 .260 (+16%) .336 (+4%) .385 (+18%) .721 (+12%) 1339.8
1952 NY1 NL 151 589 92 177 29 3 14 73 6 47 39 .301 .252 (+19%) .326 (+9%) .369 (+17%) .696 (+13%) 1503.2
1953 NY1 NL 155 647 126 194 41 6 23 88 7 28 34 .300 .264 (+13%) .335 (avg) .397 (+23%) .733 (+12%) 1363.4
1954 NY1 NL 154 644 98 189 26 6 20 70 5 27 40 .293 .261 (+12%) .333 (-3%) .390 (+14%) .723 (+6%) 624.1
1955 NY1 NL 115 475 77 134 20 3 9 45 2 22 32 .282 .258 (+9%) .332 (-4%) .393 (avg) .726 (-2%) -202.4
1956 NY1 NL 48 206 19 52 12 0 2 17 0 8 13 .252 .258 (-2%) .331 (-16%) .397 (-14%) .728 (-15%) -566.1
1956 SLN NL 100 413 54 118 14 7 4 37 3 21 33 .286 .258 (+11%) .331 (-3%) .397 (-4%) .728 (-4%) -566.1
1957 SLN NL 140 583 80 169 25 8 4 64 3 29 56 .290 .257 (+13%) .323 (+1%) .391 (-3%) .715 (-1%) -180.1
1958 SLN NL 18 64 7 19 0 0 1 5 0 2 6 .297 .257 (+15%) .324 (-2%) .394 (-13%) .719 (-8%) -75.3
1958 CHN NL 114 464 54 137 16 4 3 43 1 29 23 .295 .257 (+14%) .324 (+4%) .394 (-7%) .719 (-2%) -75.3
1959 CHN NL 136 477 60 126 22 9 6 45 1 55 50 .264 .256 (+3%) .323 (+6%) .392 (-2%) .715 (+2%) 204.8
1960 PHI NL 55 198 29 48 5 1 3 14 1 19 14 .242 .255 (-5%) .323 (-3%) .387 (-17%) .711 (-10%) -277.8
1960 ML1 NL 50 141 16 42 6 2 1 18 0 7 13 .298 .255 (+17%) .323 (+2%) .387 (+1%) .711 (+1%) -277.8
Career · 17 seasons 1,828 7,219 1,064 2,089 358 72 126 757 59 430 534 .289 — — — — 3,035

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.

Career Pitching Statistics

Al Dark — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1.0 1 2 1 1 0 18.00 0.0

Career ERA 18.00 vs. league average 4.14 across their career seasons — 335.0% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Al Dark — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1953 NY1 NL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1.0 1 2 1 0 18.00 — 0.0
Career · 1 season 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1.0 1 2 1 0 18.00 — 0

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.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Al Dark — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
16 65 9 21 4 0 1 4 3 6 .323

Playoff Batting by Year

Al Dark — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1954 WS NY1 4 17 2 7 0 0 0 0 1 1 .412
1951 WS NY1 6 24 5 10 3 0 1 4 2 3 .417
1948 WS BSN 6 24 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 .167

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1826 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Al Dark — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home882338551298884421.292
Away9433821551109942336.288

Pitching — Home / Away

Al Dark — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Away11.0121018.00

Last 10 Games — Batting

Al Dark — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1960-10-02 ATLPITL 511000002
1960-10-01 ATLPITL 100000000
1960-09-25 ATLPITW 401100000
1960-09-21 ATLCINW 302000011
1960-09-20 ATLCINL 301000000
1960-09-18 ATLPHIW 412100000
1960-09-17 ATLPHIL 400000001
1960-09-16 ATLPHIW 411010100
1960-09-15 ATLCHCW 403010100
1960-09-14 ATLCHCW 512000100

Last 1 Games — Pitching

Al Dark — Last 1 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1953-09-27 NY1PIT — 1.0122101

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Al Dark — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 15 8 67 6 2 5
2B 29 0 68 72 2 17
3B 320 287 294 605 50 56
OF 43 25 73 3 2 1
P 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 1404 557 2672 4168 286 933

Season-by-Season Fielding

Al Dark — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 BSN OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1946 BSN SS 12 0 5 14 2 2
1948 BSN SS 133 0 253 393 25 66
1949 BSN 3B 4 0 1 8 1 0
1949 BSN SS 125 0 232 387 25 76
1950 NY1 SS 154 0 288 465 30 101
1951 NY1 SS 156 0 295 465 45 114
1952 NY1 SS 150 0 324 423 27 116
1953 NY1 2B 26 0 68 72 2 17
1953 NY1 3B 8 0 12 17 3 5
1953 NY1 OF 17 0 26 1 0 1
1953 NY1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1953 NY1 SS 110 0 219 343 19 79
1954 NY1 SS 154 154 289 487 36 105
1955 NY1 SS 115 114 213 324 21 70
1956 NY1 SS 48 48 89 132 9 27
1956 SLN SS 99 99 178 292 20 66
1957 SLN 3B 1 1 0 2 0 0
1957 SLN SS 139 134 276 419 25 105
1958 SLN 3B 8 5 4 12 1 0
1958 SLN SS 8 8 10 23 2 6
1958 CHN 3B 111 111 107 225 18 24
1959 CHN 1B 4 4 26 4 1 1
1959 CHN 3B 131 121 111 255 20 20
1959 CHN SS 1 0 1 1 0 0
1960 PHI 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1960 PHI 3B 53 48 57 84 7 7
1960 ML1 1B 10 4 40 2 1 4
1960 ML1 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0
1960 ML1 3B 4 1 2 2 0 0
1960 ML1 OF 25 25 46 2 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Al Dark Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 1
First Base 15
Second Base 29
Third Base 320
Shortstop 1402
Left Field 39
Right Field 4

Awards & Honors

Al Dark — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1955 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1954 TSN All-Star SS
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1948 Rookie of the Year

College History

Al Dark — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA 1943
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette LA 1944

Award Voting History

Al Dark — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1957 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 12.0 336 0
1954 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 110.0 336 1
1952 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 24.0 336 0
1951 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 30.0 336 0
1949 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 3.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 174.0 336 1
1948 Rookie of the Year ML 1st 27.0 48 27

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Al Dark (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Placido Polanco
    .297 avg, 104 HR
  2. 96
    Travis Jackson HOF
    .291 avg, 135 HR
  3. 93
    Jorge Orta
    .278 avg, 130 HR
  4. 91
    Pinky Whitney
    .295 avg, 93 HR
  5. 91
    Tony Cuccinello
    .280 avg, 94 HR
  6. 89
    Red Schoendienst HOF
    .289 avg, 84 HR

Compare Al Dark

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Dark's closest peers by position and era.

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Browse all MLB player comparisons →

Al Dark: the record in brief

According to the bio, Al Dark debuted on July 14, 1946 and played a final game on October 2, 1960. Dark played for the Boston Braves (1946 through 1949), the New York Giants (1950 through 1956), the St. Louis Cardinals (1956 to 1958), the Chicago Cubs (1958 through 1959), the Philadelphia Phillies (1960), and the Milwaukee Braves (1960). Dark played primarily as a shortstop and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on January 7, 1922, in Comanche, OK, USA, Dark was listed at 185 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Dark died on November 13, 2014, in Easley, SC, USA. Dark's full given name, per the bio, is Alvin Ralph Dark.

In 1,828 games and 7,219 at bats, Dark batted .289 with 2,089 hits, adding 126 home runs, 757 runs batted in, and 59 stolen bases. Dark got on base at a .333 rate and slugged .411 (.744 OPS). The league as a whole hit .259 across Dark's seasons, which puts the .289 career mark 11.5% above average.

Frequently Asked Questions about Al Dark

What years did Al Dark play?
Al Dark played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1960.
Was Al Dark a pitcher?
No. Al Dark was a position player (Shortstop), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
How many home runs did Al Dark hit?
Al Dark hit 126 career home runs with 2,089 hits.
What teams did Al Dark play for?
Al Dark played for 5 teams: the Milwaukee Braves (1946, 1948–1949, 1960), the New York Giants (1950–1956), the St. Louis Cardinals (1956–1958), the Chicago Cubs (1958–1959), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1960).
Did Al Dark win an MVP award?
No. Al Dark did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Al Dark win?
Al Dark won the Rookie of the Year award (1948). He was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
What were Al Dark's career stats?
In 1,828 games, Al Dark had 2,089 hits, 126 home runs, 757 RBI, 1,064 runs, and 59 stolen bases, with a .289 batting average.
What position did Al Dark play?
Al Dark played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Al Dark and how much did he weigh?
Al Dark was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds.
How many home runs did Al Dark hit each season?
Al Dark's home runs by season: 0 in 1946, 3 in 1948, 3 in 1949, 16 in 1950, 14 in 1951, 14 in 1952, 23 in 1953, 20 in 1954, 9 in 1955, 6 in 1956, 4 in 1957, 4 in 1958, 6 in 1959, and 4 in 1960. His most in one season was 23, in 1953.
What was Al Dark's career batting average?
Al Dark batted .289 over his career, with 2,089 hits in 7,219 at bats.
How many RBI did Al Dark have?
Al Dark drove in 757 runs in his career.
What was Al Dark's career ERA?
Al Dark finished with a 18.00 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
Is Al Dark in the Hall of Fame?
No. Al Dark has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.