Joe Dolan
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1896-1901)
Joe Dolan was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1901 for the Louisville Colonels, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 6 seasons. In 323 career games, he hit .214 with 247 hits, 6 home runs, and 122 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
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 155 lb
- Died
- 3/24/1938 in Omaha, NE, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1896-08-11
- Last Game
- 1901-09-28
Full name: Joseph Dolan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 323 | 1,152 | 140 | 247 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 122 | 28 | 72 | 99 | .214 | .270 | .282 | .552 | -3,699 |
Career AVG .214 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 24.1% below league average.
Career OBP .270 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 21.3% below league average.
Career SLG .282 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — 24.3% below league average.
Career OPS .552 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — 22.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | LS3 | NL | 44 | 165 | 14 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 12 | .212 | .290 (-27%) | .354 (-29%) | .387 (-25%) | .741 (-27%) | -743.1 |
| 1897 | LS3 | NL | 36 | 133 | 10 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 17 | .211 | .291 (-28%) | .354 (-24%) | .387 (-34%) | .741 (-29%) | -632.4 |
| 1899 | PHI | NL | 61 | 222 | 27 | 57 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 3 | 11 | 19 | .257 | .282 (-9%) | .343 (-13%) | .366 (-12%) | .710 (-12%) | -463.3 |
| 1900 | PHI | NL | 74 | 257 | 39 | 51 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 10 | 16 | 26 | .198 | .279 (-29%) | .338 (-24%) | .366 (-29%) | .705 (-26%) | -1068.5 |
| 1901 | PHI | NL | 10 | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .081 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | PHA | AL | 98 | 338 | 50 | 73 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 3 | 26 | 19 | .216 | .271 (-21%) | .326 (-14%) | .359 (-17%) | .686 (-15%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 323 | 1,152 | 140 | 247 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 122 | 28 | 72 | 99 | .214 | — | — | — | — | -2,907 | ||
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 (243 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 132 | 477 | 64 | 116 | 1 | 70 | .243 |
| Away | 111 | 382 | 52 | 68 | 2 | 27 | .178 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-09-28 | PHA | CLE | W | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-28 | PHA | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-27 | PHA | CLE | W | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-26 | PHA | MLA | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-25 | PHA | MLA | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-24 | PHA | MLA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901-09-23 | PHA | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-21 | PHA | CHW | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901-09-20 | PHA | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-17 | PHA | DET | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 119 | 0 | 233 | 353 | 51 | 32 |
| 3B | 66 | 0 | 87 | 192 | 24 | 9 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 135 | 0 | 249 | 465 | 78 | 65 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | LS3 | SS | 44 | 0 | 92 | 159 | 16 | 25 |
| 1897 | LS3 | 2B | 18 | 0 | 42 | 65 | 10 | 9 |
| 1897 | LS3 | SS | 18 | 0 | 42 | 48 | 16 | 5 |
| 1899 | PHI | 2B | 61 | 0 | 113 | 190 | 28 | 10 |
| 1900 | PHI | 2B | 29 | 0 | 64 | 74 | 12 | 8 |
| 1900 | PHI | 3B | 31 | 0 | 45 | 89 | 10 | 4 |
| 1900 | PHI | SS | 12 | 0 | 27 | 35 | 4 | 5 |
| 1901 | PHI | 2B | 10 | 0 | 13 | 23 | 1 | 4 |
| 1901 | PHA | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901 | PHA | 3B | 35 | 0 | 42 | 103 | 14 | 5 |
| 1901 | PHA | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901 | PHA | SS | 61 | 0 | 88 | 223 | 42 | 30 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 119 |
| Third Base | 66 |
| Shortstop | 135 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Dolan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Joe Dolan: the record in brief
According to the bio, Joe Dolan debuted on August 11, 1896 and played a final game on September 28, 1901. The team column moves through the Louisville Colonels (1896 through 1897), the Philadelphia Phillies (1899 to 1901), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1901). Dolan is listed as a shortstop at 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds. Dolan was born on February 24, 1873, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Dolan died on March 24, 1938, in Omaha, NE, USA. Dolan's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph Dolan.
Dolan finished with 247 hits from 1,152 at bats in 323 games, which works out to .214; the totals also include 6 homers, 122 runs batted in, and 28 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .270 and the slugging percentage .282, for an OPS of .552. The league as a whole hit .283 across Dolan's seasons, which puts the .214 career mark 24.1% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 73, in 1901. 1901 brought the most runs batted in, 38. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .257 in 1899, did not top the league's .282.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Dolan
- What years did Joe Dolan play?
- Joe Dolan played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1901.
- Was Joe Dolan a pitcher?
- No. Joe Dolan was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Joe Dolan hit?
- Joe Dolan hit 6 career home runs with 247 hits.
- What was Joe Dolan's career batting average?
- Joe Dolan batted .214 over his career, with 247 hits in 1,152 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Dolan have?
- Joe Dolan drove in 122 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Dolan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Dolan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.