Tom Forster
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1886)
Tom Forster was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1886 for the Detroit Wolverines, the Pittsburg Alleghenys, and the New York Metropolitans, a span of 5 seasons. In 180 career games, he hit .197 with 131 hits, 1 home runs, and 40 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 153 lb
- Died
- 7/17/1946 in New York, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1882-08-04
- Last Game
- 1886-08-23
Full name: Thomas W. Forster
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | 666 | 76 | 131 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 9 | 49 | 12 | .197 | .256 | .236 | .492 | -1,735 |
Career AVG .197 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — 19.7% below league average.
Career OBP .256 vs. league average .287 across their career seasons — 10.7% below league average.
Career SLG .236 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 28.2% below league average.
Career OPS .492 vs. league average .615 across their career seasons — 20.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | DTN | NL | 21 | 76 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 12 | .092 | .248 (-63%) | .275 (-46%) | .329 (-72%) | .605 (-60%) | -588.9 |
| 1884 | PT1 | AA | 35 | 126 | 10 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .222 | .243 (-9%) | .278 (-6%) | .327 (-20%) | .606 (-13%) | -202.7 |
| 1885 | NY4 | AA | 57 | 213 | 28 | 47 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 17 | 0 | .221 | .244 (-10%) | .287 (-2%) | .325 (-16%) | .613 (-10%) | -233.7 |
| 1886 | NY4 | AA | 67 | 251 | 33 | 49 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 9 | 20 | 0 | .195 | .246 (-21%) | .302 (-13%) | .331 (-29%) | .634 (-22%) | -709.8 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 180 | 666 | 76 | 131 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 9 | 49 | 12 | .197 | — | — | — | — | -1,735 | ||
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 | 136 | 0 | 339 | 394 | 95 | 52 |
| 3B | 6 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| OF | 9 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| SS | 29 | 0 | 47 | 111 | 21 | 10 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | DTN | 2B | 21 | 0 | 58 | 54 | 23 | 5 |
| 1884 | PT1 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1884 | PT1 | 3B | 6 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 1884 | PT1 | SS | 28 | 0 | 45 | 103 | 17 | 8 |
| 1885 | NY4 | 2B | 52 | 0 | 127 | 143 | 29 | 21 |
| 1885 | NY4 | OF | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 1886 | NY4 | 2B | 62 | 0 | 152 | 193 | 42 | 26 |
| 1886 | NY4 | OF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1886 | NY4 | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 136 |
| Third Base | 6 |
| Shortstop | 29 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Center Field | 4 |
Tom Forster: the record in brief
August 4, 1882 and August 23, 1886 bracket Tom Forster's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Wolverines (1882), the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1884), and the New York Metropolitans (1885 to 1886). At 5-foot-9 and 153 pounds, Forster is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Forster threw and hit right-handed. Forster was born on May 1, 1859, in New York, NY, USA. The bio records the death on July 17, 1946, in New York, NY, USA. The given name on file is Thomas W. Forster.
In 180 games and 666 at bats, Forster batted .197 with 131 hits, adding 1 home run and 40 RBI. Forster got on base at a .256 rate and slugged .236 (.492 OPS). Over the seasons Forster played, league hitters batted .245; the .197 career figure is 19.7% below that. The OPS comparison is .492 to a league .615, 20.0% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 49, in 1886.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Forster
- What years did Tom Forster play?
- Tom Forster played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1886.
- Was Tom Forster a pitcher?
- No. Tom Forster was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Tom Forster hit?
- Tom Forster hit 1 career home runs with 131 hits.
- What was Tom Forster's career batting average?
- Tom Forster batted .197 over his career, with 131 hits in 666 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tom Forster have?
- Tom Forster drove in 40 runs in his career.
- Is Tom Forster in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Forster has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.