Frank Fennelly
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1890)
Frank Fennelly was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1890 for 4 teams, including the Washington Nationals, a span of 7 seasons. In 786 career games, he hit .257 with 781 hits, 34 home runs, and 408 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 6,897.
- 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 168 lb
- Died
- 8/4/1920 in Fall River, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-05-01
- Last Game
- 1890-06-18
Full name: Francis John Fennelly
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 786 | 3,042 | 609 | 781 | 102 | 82 | 34 | 408 | 175 | 378 | 242 | .257 | .345 | .378 | .723 | 6,897 |
Career AVG .257 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .345 vs. league average .310 across their career seasons — +11.2% above league average.
Career SLG .378 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — +10.7% above league average.
Career OPS .723 vs. league average .651 across their career seasons — +11.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | WS7 | AA | 62 | 257 | 52 | 75 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | .292 | .243 (+20%) | .278 (+23%) | .327 (+33%) | .606 (+28%) | 1105.0 |
| 1884 | CN2 | AA | 28 | 122 | 42 | 43 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | .352 | .243 (+45%) | .278 (+49%) | .327 (+75%) | .606 (+63%) | 1105.0 |
| 1885 | CN2 | AA | 112 | 454 | 82 | 124 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 89 | 0 | 38 | 0 | .273 | .244 (+12%) | .287 (+16%) | .325 (+37%) | .613 (+27%) | 2012.7 |
| 1886 | CN2 | AA | 132 | 497 | 113 | 124 | 13 | 17 | 6 | 72 | 32 | 60 | 0 | .249 | .246 (+1%) | .302 (+16%) | .331 (+15%) | .634 (+15%) | 1636.3 |
| 1887 | CN2 | AA | 134 | 526 | 133 | 140 | 15 | 16 | 8 | 97 | 74 | 82 | 81 | .266 | .270 (-2%) | .331 (+11%) | .373 (+7%) | .705 (+9%) | 1195.0 |
| 1888 | CN2 | AA | 120 | 448 | 64 | 88 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 56 | 43 | 63 | 76 | .196 | .238 (-18%) | .290 (+2%) | .319 (-19%) | .610 (-9%) | -344.9 |
| 1888 | PH4 | AA | 15 | 47 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 7 | .234 | — | — | — | — | -344.9 |
| 1889 | PH4 | AA | 138 | 513 | 70 | 132 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 64 | 15 | 65 | 78 | .257 | .263 (-2%) | .334 (+3%) | .357 (-10%) | .691 (-4%) | -172.8 |
| 1890 | BR4 | AA | 45 | 178 | 40 | 44 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 6 | 30 | 0 | .247 | .260 (-5%) | .336 (+6%) | .351 (+2%) | .687 (+4%) | 163.9 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 786 | 3,042 | 609 | 781 | 102 | 82 | 34 | 408 | 175 | 378 | 242 | .257 | — | — | — | — | 6,355 | ||
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
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 8 | 0 | 24 | 24 | 5 | 1 |
| 3B | 7 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| OF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| SS | 769 | 0 | 1013 | 2615 | 590 | 259 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | WS7 | 2B | 4 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1884 | WS7 | SS | 60 | 0 | 88 | 215 | 48 | 14 |
| 1884 | CN2 | SS | 28 | 0 | 25 | 84 | 25 | 12 |
| 1885 | CN2 | SS | 112 | 0 | 151 | 359 | 74 | 46 |
| 1886 | CN2 | SS | 132 | 0 | 169 | 485 | 117 | 54 |
| 1887 | CN2 | SS | 134 | 0 | 161 | 421 | 99 | 31 |
| 1888 | CN2 | 2B | 4 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 1888 | CN2 | OF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1888 | CN2 | SS | 112 | 0 | 150 | 419 | 94 | 37 |
| 1888 | PH4 | SS | 15 | 0 | 18 | 44 | 6 | 4 |
| 1889 | PH4 | SS | 138 | 0 | 181 | 453 | 93 | 53 |
| 1890 | BR4 | 3B | 7 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| 1890 | BR4 | SS | 38 | 0 | 70 | 135 | 34 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 8 |
| Third Base | 7 |
| Shortstop | 769 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Center Field | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Frank Fennelly (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frank Fennelly: the record in brief
May 1, 1884 and June 18, 1890 bracket Frank Fennelly's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Washington Nationals (1884), the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1884 through 1888), the Philadelphia Athletics (1888 through 1889), and the Brooklyn Gladiators (1890). Born on February 18, 1860, in Fall River, MA, USA, Fennelly is listed as a shortstop and both batted and threw right-handed. Fennelly's listed size is 5 feet, 8 inches and 168 pounds. Fennelly died on August 4, 1920, in Fall River, MA, USA. Fennelly's full given name, per the bio, is Francis John Fennelly.
The batting record for Fennelly: 786 games, 781 hits in 3,042 at bats, and a .257 average, along with 34 home runs, 408 runs batted in, and 175 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .345 and .378 give Fennelly a career OPS of .723. The .257 career average is close to the .253 the league hit across the same seasons. The single-season home run high is 10, set in 1885.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Fennelly
- What years did Frank Fennelly play?
- Frank Fennelly played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1890.
- Was Frank Fennelly a pitcher?
- No. Frank Fennelly was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Frank Fennelly hit?
- Frank Fennelly hit 34 career home runs with 781 hits.
- What teams did Frank Fennelly play for?
- Frank Fennelly played for 4 teams: the Washington Nationals (1884), the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1884–1888), the Philadelphia Athletics (1888–1889), and the Brooklyn Gladiators (1890).
- What were Frank Fennelly's career stats?
- In 786 games, Frank Fennelly had 781 hits, 34 home runs, 408 RBI, 609 runs, and 175 stolen bases, with a .257 batting average.
- What position did Frank Fennelly play?
- Frank Fennelly played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Frank Fennelly and how much did he weigh?
- Frank Fennelly was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 168 pounds.
- How many home runs did Frank Fennelly hit each season?
- Frank Fennelly's home runs by season: 4 in 1884, 10 in 1885, 6 in 1886, 8 in 1887, 3 in 1888, 1 in 1889, and 2 in 1890. His most in one season was 10, in 1885.
- What was Frank Fennelly's career batting average?
- Frank Fennelly batted .257 over his career, with 781 hits in 3,042 at bats.
- How many RBI did Frank Fennelly have?
- Frank Fennelly drove in 408 runs in his career.
- Is Frank Fennelly in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Frank Fennelly has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.