Ron Gardenhire
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1981-1985)
Ron Gardenhire was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1985 for the New York Mets, a span of 5 seasons. In 285 career games, he hit .232 with 165 hits, 4 home runs, and 49 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Born
- 10/24/1957 in Butzbach, Hesse, West Germany
- MLB Debut
- 1981-09-01
- Last Game
- 1985-10-06
Full name: Ronald Clyde Gardenhire
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 285 | 710 | 57 | 165 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 49 | 13 | 46 | 122 | .232 | .277 | .296 | .573 | -1,709 |
Career AVG .232 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.
Career OBP .277 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 14.3% below league average.
Career SLG .296 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 23.3% below league average.
Career OPS .573 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — 19.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | NYN | NL | 27 | 48 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | .271 | — | — | — | — | -41.3 |
| 1982 | NYN | NL | 141 | 384 | 29 | 92 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 33 | 5 | 23 | 55 | .240 | .261 (-8%) | .324 (-14%) | .388 (-20%) | .712 (-17%) | -1074.2 |
| 1983 | NYN | NL | 17 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .062 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1984 | NYN | NL | 74 | 207 | 20 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 43 | .246 | .259 (-5%) | .322 (-14%) | .384 (-21%) | .707 (-18%) | -593.2 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | 26 | 39 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 11 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 285 | 710 | 57 | 165 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 49 | 13 | 46 | 122 | .232 | — | — | — | — | -1,709 | ||
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 (285 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 147 | 327 | 31 | 70 | 2 | 20 | .214 |
| Away | 138 | 383 | 26 | 95 | 2 | 29 | .248 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-10-06 | NYN | WSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-10-05 | NYN | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-10-03 | NYN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-27 | NYN | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-20 | NYN | PIT | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-17 | NYN | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-13 | NYN | WSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-08-15 | NYN | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-08-14 | NYN | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-08-10 | NYN | CHC | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 30 | 12 | 31 | 56 | 0 | 5 |
| 3B | 11 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| SS | 230 | 192 | 360 | 596 | 45 | 97 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | NYN | 2B | 6 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | NYN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | NYN | SS | 18 | 14 | 20 | 42 | 2 | 7 |
| 1982 | NYN | 2B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | NYN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | NYN | SS | 135 | 122 | 234 | 398 | 29 | 68 |
| 1983 | NYN | SS | 15 | 10 | 13 | 30 | 0 | 4 |
| 1984 | NYN | 2B | 18 | 9 | 18 | 43 | 0 | 5 |
| 1984 | NYN | 3B | 7 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984 | NYN | SS | 49 | 37 | 78 | 100 | 10 | 15 |
| 1985 | NYN | 2B | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | NYN | 3B | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | NYN | SS | 13 | 9 | 15 | 26 | 4 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 30 |
| Third Base | 11 |
| Shortstop | 230 |
Salary History
Ron Gardenhire's recorded salaries total $100,000 over 1 season, in 1985. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gardenhire's career ran from 1981 to 1985. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | NYN | NL | $100,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $100,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | Austin | TX | 1978, 1979 |
| Paris Junior College | Paris | TX | 1976, 1977 |
Ron Gardenhire: the record in brief
Ron Gardenhire's major league career runs from a debut on September 1, 1981 to a final game on October 6, 1985. The team column never changes: it is the New York Mets from 1981 to 1985. Gardenhire played primarily as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on October 24, 1957, in Butzbach, Hesse, West Germany and a listed size of 6 feet, 0 inches and 175 pounds. Gardenhire's full given name, per the bio, is Ronald Clyde Gardenhire.
Gardenhire collected 165 hits in 710 at bats across 285 games, good for a .232 batting average, plus 4 home runs and 49 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .277 and the slugging percentage .296, for an OPS of .573. Set against a .259 league average for the same years, Gardenhire's .232 average sits 10.3% below it. By OPS the gap is 19.2% below league average (.573 against .709). The highest hit total in a season was 92, in 1982. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .240 in 1982, did not top the league's .261.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ron Gardenhire
- What years did Ron Gardenhire play?
- Ron Gardenhire played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1985.
- Was Ron Gardenhire a pitcher?
- No. Ron Gardenhire was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Ron Gardenhire hit?
- Ron Gardenhire hit 4 career home runs with 165 hits.
- What teams did Ron Gardenhire play for?
- Ron Gardenhire played for one team, the New York Mets (1981–1985).
- What were Ron Gardenhire's career stats?
- In 285 games, Ron Gardenhire had 165 hits, 4 home runs, 49 RBI, 57 runs, and 13 stolen bases, with a .232 batting average.
- How much did Ron Gardenhire earn in his career?
- Ron Gardenhire's recorded salaries total $100,000 over 1 season, in 1985. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gardenhire's career ran from 1981 to 1985. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Ron Gardenhire's salary?
- Ron Gardenhire's recorded salary was $100,000 in 1985.
- What position did Ron Gardenhire play?
- Ron Gardenhire played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ron Gardenhire and how much did he weigh?
- Ron Gardenhire was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ron Gardenhire hit each season?
- Ron Gardenhire's home runs by season: 0 in 1981, 3 in 1982, 0 in 1983, 1 in 1984, and 0 in 1985. His most in one season was 3, in 1982.
- What was Ron Gardenhire's career batting average?
- Ron Gardenhire batted .232 over his career, with 165 hits in 710 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ron Gardenhire have?
- Ron Gardenhire drove in 49 runs in his career.
- Is Ron Gardenhire in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ron Gardenhire has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.