Davy Force
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1871-1886)
Davy Force was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1886 for 10 teams, including the Washington Olympics, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,029 career games, he hit .249 with 1,059 hits, 1 home runs, and 376 RBI. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 58.3.
- 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
- 5'4" / 130 lb
- Died
- 6/21/1918 in Englewood, NJ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1871-05-05
- Last Game
- 1886-08-20
Full name: David W. Force
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,029 | 4,250 | 653 | 1,059 | 143 | 27 | 1 | 376 | 35 | 156 | 268 | .249 | .276 | .296 | .572 | -3,241 |
Career AVG .249 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .276 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .296 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 10.8% below league average.
Career OPS .572 vs. league average .617 across their career seasons — 7.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | WS3 | 32 | 162 | 45 | 45 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .278 | .286 (-3%) | .311 (-5%) | .383 (avg) | .695 (-3%) | -81.9 | |
| 1872 | TRO | 25 | 130 | 40 | 53 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .408 | .285 (+43%) | .296 (+39%) | .347 (+42%) | .644 (+40%) | 767.6 | |
| 1872 | BL1 | 19 | 95 | 29 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .432 | .285 (+51%) | .296 (+47%) | .347 (+42%) | .644 (+45%) | 767.6 | |
| 1873 | BL1 | 49 | 233 | 77 | 85 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 9 | 1 | .365 | .290 (+26%) | .304 (+28%) | .357 (+17%) | .661 (+22%) | 869.0 | |
| 1874 | CH2 | 59 | 294 | 61 | 92 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .313 | .273 (+14%) | .282 (+13%) | .333 (+3%) | .615 (+8%) | 388.1 | |
| 1875 | PH1 | 77 | 386 | 78 | 120 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 49 | 6 | 7 | 5 | .311 | .253 (+22%) | .260 (+24%) | .309 (+27%) | .570 (+26%) | 1426.7 | |
| 1876 | PHN | NL | 60 | 284 | 48 | 66 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 3 | .232 | .265 (-12%) | .277 (-11%) | .320 (-21%) | .598 (-17%) | -579.1 |
| 1876 | NY3 | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | -579.1 |
| 1877 | SL3 | NL | 58 | 225 | 24 | 59 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11 | 15 | .262 | .271 (-3%) | .289 (+3%) | .337 (-8%) | .626 (-3%) | -50.4 |
| 1879 | BFN | NL | 79 | 316 | 36 | 66 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 37 | .209 | .255 (-18%) | .270 (-11%) | .328 (-28%) | .599 (-20%) | -765.6 |
| 1880 | BFN | NL | 81 | 290 | 22 | 49 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 35 | .169 | .244 (-31%) | .267 (-26%) | .319 (-36%) | .586 (-32%) | -1148.7 |
| 1881 | BFN | NL | 75 | 278 | 21 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 29 | .180 | .260 (-31%) | .290 (-27%) | .338 (-35%) | .628 (-31%) | -1190.1 |
| 1882 | BFN | NL | 73 | 278 | 39 | 67 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 12 | 17 | .241 | .248 (-3%) | .275 (-1%) | .329 (-11%) | .605 (-6%) | -192.7 |
| 1883 | BFN | NL | 96 | 378 | 40 | 82 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 12 | 39 | .217 | .257 (-16%) | .285 (-16%) | .345 (-24%) | .631 (-20%) | -1033.6 |
| 1884 | BFN | NL | 106 | 403 | 47 | 83 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 27 | 41 | .206 | .243 (-15%) | .278 (-8%) | .327 (-23%) | .606 (-16%) | -790.9 |
| 1885 | BFN | NL | 71 | 253 | 20 | 57 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 13 | 19 | .225 | .244 (-8%) | .287 (-9%) | .325 (-21%) | .613 (-15%) | -492.2 |
| 1886 | WS8 | NL | 68 | 242 | 26 | 44 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 26 | .182 | .246 (-26%) | .302 (-22%) | .331 (-36%) | .634 (-30%) | -988.7 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,029 | 4,250 | 653 | 1,059 | 143 | 27 | 1 | 376 | 35 | 156 | 268 | .249 | — | — | — | — | -3,674 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 | BL1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2.50 | 3.40 (+26%) | 58.3 | |
| 1874 | CH2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 15.43 | — | 0.0 | |
| Career · 2 seasons | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 | 45 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 6.12 | — | 58 | ||
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 | 163 | 0 | 485 | 601 | 96 | 76 |
| 3B | 160 | 78 | 289 | 366 | 126 | 14 |
| OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| SS | 716 | 57 | 916 | 2470 | 388 | 182 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | WS3 | 3B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1871 | WS3 | SS | 31 | 31 | 46 | 159 | 38 | 7 |
| 1872 | TRO | 3B | 16 | 16 | 32 | 42 | 11 | 4 |
| 1872 | TRO | SS | 9 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 8 | 2 |
| 1872 | BL1 | 3B | 19 | 19 | 43 | 45 | 16 | 0 |
| 1873 | BL1 | 3B | 34 | 0 | 59 | 73 | 27 | 1 |
| 1873 | BL1 | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1873 | BL1 | SS | 17 | 0 | 32 | 60 | 16 | 5 |
| 1874 | CH2 | 3B | 42 | 42 | 93 | 113 | 51 | 6 |
| 1874 | CH2 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1874 | CH2 | SS | 18 | 17 | 23 | 66 | 16 | 2 |
| 1875 | PH1 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1875 | PH1 | SS | 77 | 0 | 116 | 259 | 48 | 22 |
| 1876 | PHN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1876 | PHN | SS | 60 | 0 | 108 | 237 | 39 | 11 |
| 1876 | NY3 | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1877 | SL3 | 3B | 8 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 1877 | SL3 | SS | 50 | 0 | 75 | 160 | 22 | 9 |
| 1879 | BFN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1879 | BFN | SS | 78 | 0 | 74 | 264 | 26 | 26 |
| 1880 | BFN | 2B | 53 | 0 | 163 | 206 | 24 | 27 |
| 1880 | BFN | SS | 30 | 0 | 59 | 118 | 14 | 10 |
| 1881 | BFN | 2B | 51 | 0 | 168 | 218 | 26 | 19 |
| 1881 | BFN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1881 | BFN | OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1881 | BFN | SS | 21 | 0 | 25 | 78 | 6 | 6 |
| 1882 | BFN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | BFN | 3B | 11 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 1882 | BFN | SS | 61 | 0 | 66 | 209 | 28 | 13 |
| 1883 | BFN | 2B | 7 | 0 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| 1883 | BFN | 3B | 13 | 0 | 17 | 25 | 5 | 2 |
| 1883 | BFN | SS | 78 | 0 | 79 | 240 | 42 | 22 |
| 1884 | BFN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1884 | BFN | SS | 105 | 0 | 110 | 312 | 48 | 21 |
| 1885 | BFN | 2B | 42 | 0 | 113 | 134 | 33 | 23 |
| 1885 | BFN | 3B | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| 1885 | BFN | SS | 24 | 0 | 28 | 66 | 9 | 5 |
| 1886 | WS8 | 2B | 8 | 0 | 18 | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| 1886 | WS8 | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 1886 | WS8 | SS | 56 | 0 | 58 | 211 | 27 | 21 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 4 |
| Second Base | 163 |
| Third Base | 160 |
| Shortstop | 716 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Davy Force (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Davy Force: the record in brief
According to the bio, Davy Force debuted on May 5, 1871 and played a final game on August 20, 1886. The season rows list, in order, the Washington Olympics (1871), the Troy Haymakers (1872), the Baltimore Canaries (1872 through 1873), the Chicago White Stockings (1874), the Philadelphia Athletics (1875 through 1876), the New York Mutuals (1876), the St. Louis Brown Stockings (1877), and the Buffalo Bisons (1879 to 1885), with further stops in the season rows. Force is listed as a shortstop at 5-foot-4 and 130 pounds. The bio says Force batted and threw right-handed. Force was born on July 27, 1849, in New York, NY, USA. The bio records the death on June 21, 1918, in Englewood, NJ, USA.
Force finished with 1,059 hits from 4,250 at bats in 1,029 games, which works out to .249, along with 1 home run, 376 RBI, and 35 stolen bases. Force got on base at a .276 rate and slugged .296 (.572 OPS).
Frequently Asked Questions about Davy Force
- What years did Davy Force play?
- Davy Force played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1886.
- Was Davy Force a pitcher?
- No. Davy Force was a position player (Shortstop), though he did pitch in 4 career games.
- How many home runs did Davy Force hit?
- Davy Force hit 1 career home runs with 1059 hits.
- What was Davy Force's career batting average?
- Davy Force batted .249 over his career, with 1,059 hits in 4,250 at bats.
- How many RBI did Davy Force have?
- Davy Force drove in 376 runs in his career.
- What was Davy Force's career ERA?
- Davy Force finished with a 6.12 career ERA, going 1-1 with 0 strikeouts.