Harry Decker

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1890)

Harry Decker was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1890 for 6 teams, including the Indianapolis Hoosiers, a span of 7 seasons. In 156 career games, he hit .242 with 138 hits, 5 home runs, and 49 RBI.

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 .242
HR 5
RBI 49
H 138
OPS .611
PIV -589
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 180 lb
Born
9/3/1864 in Lockport, IL, USA
MLB Debut
1884-08-23
Last Game
1890-10-03

Full name: Earle Harry Decker

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Career Batting Statistics

Harry Decker — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
156 570 72 138 20 4 5 49 13 41 56 .242 .293 .318 .611 -589

Career AVG .242 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .293 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 6.4% below league average.

Career SLG .318 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.

Career OPS .611 vs. league average .655 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Harry Decker — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1884 IN2 AA 4 15 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .267 — — — — 0.0
1884 KCU UA 23 75 8 10 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 .133 .243 (-45%) .278 (-33%) .327 (-51%) .606 (-43%) 0.0
1886 DTN NL 14 54 2 12 1 0 0 6 0 2 9 .222 .246 (-10%) .302 (-17%) .331 (-27%) .634 (-23%) -171.0
1886 WS8 NL 7 23 0 5 1 1 0 1 0 1 5 .217 — — — — -171.0
1889 PHI NL 11 30 4 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 5 .100 — — — — 0.0
1890 PHI NL 5 19 5 7 1 0 0 2 4 4 1 .368 — — — — 0.0
1890 PIT NL 92 354 52 97 14 3 5 38 8 26 36 .274 .260 (+5%) .336 (-4%) .351 (+6%) .687 (+1%) 0.0
Career · 7 seasons 156 570 72 138 20 4 5 49 13 41 56 .242 — — — — -342

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

Harry Decker — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 18 0 173 7 5 15
2B 8 0 14 19 7 3
3B 2 0 4 3 0 0
C 107 0 465 132 64 10
OF 24 0 36 6 12 1
SS 2 0 1 7 5 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Harry Decker — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 IN2 C 4 0 17 3 3 1
1884 KCU C 11 0 53 12 4 2
1884 KCU OF 16 0 20 6 6 1
1886 DTN C 14 0 89 32 18 1
1886 DTN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1886 WS8 3B 2 0 4 3 0 0
1886 WS8 C 4 0 25 10 2 0
1886 WS8 SS 1 0 0 1 3 0
1889 PHI 2B 7 0 13 17 5 3
1889 PHI C 3 0 12 3 3 1
1889 PHI OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1890 PHI 1B 2 0 14 1 1 2
1890 PHI C 1 0 2 0 0 0
1890 PHI OF 2 0 3 0 4 0
1890 PIT 1B 16 0 159 6 4 13
1890 PIT 2B 1 0 1 2 2 0
1890 PIT C 70 0 267 72 34 5
1890 PIT OF 4 0 12 0 2 0
1890 PIT SS 1 0 1 6 2 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Harry Decker — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 107
First Base 18
Second Base 8
Third Base 2
Shortstop 2
Left Field 12
Center Field 4
Right Field 8

Harry Decker: the record in brief

Between the debut on August 23, 1884 and the final game on October 3, 1890, Harry Decker built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Indianapolis Hoosiers (1884), the Kansas City Cowboys (1884), the Detroit Wolverines (1886), the Washington Nationals (1886), the Philadelphia Quakers (1889), the Philadelphia Phillies (1890), and the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1890). Decker, a catcher by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 180 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Decker was born on September 3, 1864, in Lockport, IL, USA. Harry Decker was the playing name; the full given name is Earle Harry.

The batting record for Decker: 156 games, 138 hits in 570 at bats, and a .242 average, along with 5 home runs and 49 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .293 and .318 give Decker a career OPS of .611. Decker hit .242 while the league hit .253 over the same span, a figure close to average. The OPS comparison is .611 to a league .655, 6.8% below average. No season topped the 97 hits of 1890.

Frequently Asked Questions about Harry Decker

What years did Harry Decker play?
Harry Decker played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1890.
Was Harry Decker a pitcher?
No. Harry Decker was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Harry Decker hit?
Harry Decker hit 5 career home runs with 138 hits.
What teams did Harry Decker play for?
Harry Decker played for 6 teams: the Indianapolis Hoosiers (1884), the Kansas City Cowboys (1884), the Detroit Wolverines (1886), the Washington Nationals (1886), the Philadelphia Phillies (1889–1890), and the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1890).
What were Harry Decker's career stats?
In 156 games, Harry Decker had 138 hits, 5 home runs, 49 RBI, 72 runs, and 13 stolen bases, with a .242 batting average.
What position did Harry Decker play?
Harry Decker played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Harry Decker and how much did he weigh?
Harry Decker was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
How many home runs did Harry Decker hit each season?
Harry Decker's home runs by season: 0 in 1884, 0 in 1886, 0 in 1889, and 5 in 1890. His most in one season was 5, in 1890.
What was Harry Decker's career batting average?
Harry Decker batted .242 over his career, with 138 hits in 570 at bats.
How many RBI did Harry Decker have?
Harry Decker drove in 49 runs in his career.
Is Harry Decker in the Hall of Fame?
No. Harry Decker has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.