Danny Friend
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1895-1898)
Danny Friend was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1898 for the Chicago Cubs, a span of 4 seasons. Across 67 career appearances, he went 32-29 with a 4.71 ERA and 158 strikeouts. He also batted .256 with 1 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 175 lb
- Died
- 6/1/1942 in Chillicothe, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1895-09-10
- Last Game
- 1898-05-08
Full name: Daniel Sebastian Friend
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | CHN | NL | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 | 50 | 24 | 14 | 10 | 5.27 | 4.77 (-10%) | -1179.0 |
| 1896 | CHN | NL | 18 | 14 | 36 | 33 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 290.2 | 298 | 153 | 139 | 86 | 4.74 | 4.36 (-9%) | -4880.5 |
| 1897 | CHN | NL | 12 | 11 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 203.0 | 244 | 102 | 86 | 58 | 4.52 | 4.30 (-5%) | -1439.7 |
| 1898 | CHN | NL | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 5.29 | 3.59 (-47%) | -595.6 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 32 | 29 | 67 | 64 | 58 | 1 | 0 | 551.2 | 612 | 289 | 249 | 158 | 4.71 | — | -8,095 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 238 | 28 | 61 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 11 | .256 | .283 | .332 | .615 | -625 |
Career AVG .256 vs. league average .287 across their career seasons — 10.6% below league average.
Career OBP .283 vs. league average .350 across their career seasons — 19.1% below league average.
Career SLG .332 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Career OPS .615 vs. league average .730 across their career seasons — 15.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | CHN | NL | 5 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .235 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1896 | CHN | NL | 37 | 126 | 12 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | .238 | .290 (-18%) | .354 (-28%) | .387 (-14%) | .741 (-21%) | -468.7 |
| 1897 | CHN | NL | 25 | 88 | 12 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 5 | .284 | .291 (-3%) | .354 (-9%) | .387 (-12%) | .741 (-10%) | -156.7 |
| 1898 | CHN | NL | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 69 | 238 | 28 | 61 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 11 | .256 | — | — | — | — | -625 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 9.0 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3.00 |
| Away | 1 | 8.0 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7.88 |
Last 2 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898-05-08 | CHC | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-04-20 | CHC | LS3 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 2 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898-05-08 | CHC | STL | L | 9.0 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 1898-04-20 | CHC | LS3 | L | 8.0 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 67 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Danny Friend (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Danny Friend: the record in brief
Danny Friend played a first major league game on September 10, 1895 and a last one on May 8, 1898. By club, Friend's seasons break down as the Chicago Colts (1895 through 1897) and the Chicago Orphans (1898). At 175 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame, Friend is listed as a pitcher. The bio says Friend both batted and threw left-handed. The recorded birth is April 18, 1873, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. Friend died on June 1, 1942, in Chillicothe, OH, USA. Danny Friend was the playing name; the full given name is Daniel Sebastian.
Across 67 games (64 starts), Friend recorded 32 wins against 29 losses with a 4.71 ERA. The totals include 158 strikeouts and 58 complete games. Against a 4.23 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.71 mark was 11.4% worse. 1896 brought Friend a season-high 18 wins. In 1897, one of the busiest seasons, Friend posted a 4.52 ERA; the league figure that year was 4.30.
Frequently Asked Questions about Danny Friend
- What years did Danny Friend play?
- Danny Friend played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1898.
- Was Danny Friend a pitcher?
- Yes. Danny Friend pitched in the major leagues, recording 32 wins and 158 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Danny Friend hit?
- Danny Friend hit 1 career home run with 61 hits.
- What teams did Danny Friend play for?
- Danny Friend played for one team, the Chicago Orphans (1895–1898).
- What were Danny Friend's career stats?
- In 67 games, Danny Friend went 32-29 with a 4.71 ERA, 158 strikeouts, and 551.2 innings pitched. At the plate he had 61 hits and 1 home runs.
- What position did Danny Friend play?
- Danny Friend played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Danny Friend and how much did he weigh?
- Danny Friend was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 175 pounds.
- What was Danny Friend's career ERA?
- Danny Friend finished with a 4.71 career ERA, going 32-29 with 158 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Danny Friend have?
- Danny Friend recorded 158 career strikeouts.
- Is Danny Friend in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Danny Friend has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.