Earle Gardner
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1912)
Earle Gardner was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1912 for the New York Yankees, a span of 5 seasons. In 273 career games, he hit .263 with 249 hits, 1 home runs, and 108 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
- 5'11" / 160 lb
- Died
- 3/2/1943 in Sparta, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1908-09-18
- Last Game
- 1912-06-22
Full name: Earle McClurkin Gardner
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 273 | 948 | 105 | 249 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 108 | 38 | 50 | 71 | .263 | .305 | .304 | .609 | -1,227 |
Career AVG .263 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .305 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .304 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 8.7% below league average.
Career OPS .609 vs. league average .652 across their career seasons — 6.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | NYA | AL | 20 | 75 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .213 | .240 (-11%) | .298 (-22%) | .306 (-22%) | .605 (-22%) | -229.9 |
| 1909 | NYA | AL | 22 | 85 | 12 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | .329 | .244 (+35%) | .306 (+15%) | .312 (+20%) | .618 (+18%) | 198.8 |
| 1910 | NYA | AL | 86 | 271 | 36 | 66 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 9 | 21 | 22 | .244 | .249 (-2%) | .317 (-5%) | .326 (-13%) | .644 (-9%) | -330.7 |
| 1911 | NYA | AL | 102 | 357 | 36 | 94 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 14 | 20 | 27 | .263 | .266 (-1%) | .336 (-7%) | .356 (-13%) | .693 (-10%) | -567.2 |
| 1912 | NYA | AL | 43 | 160 | 14 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 8 | .281 | .268 (+5%) | .335 (-10%) | .358 (-13%) | .694 (-11%) | -297.8 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 273 | 948 | 105 | 249 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 108 | 38 | 50 | 71 | .263 | — | — | — | — | -1,227 | ||
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 (273 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 142 | 470 | 53 | 126 | 0 | 57 | .268 |
| Away | 131 | 478 | 51 | 122 | 1 | 48 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912-06-22 | NYY | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-06-22 | NYY | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1912-06-21 | NYY | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-06-20 | NYY | BOS | L | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-06-19 | NYY | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1912-06-15 | NYY | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-06-14 | NYY | SLA | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1912-06-12 | NYY | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-06-11 | NYY | CHW | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-06-10 | NYY | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 256 |
Earle Gardner: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 18, 1908 and the final game on June 22, 1912, Earle Gardner built the record summarized on this page. All of the seasons listed were played for the New York Highlanders. Gardner played primarily as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on January 24, 1884, in Sparta, IL, USA, Gardner was listed at 5'11" and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on March 2, 1943, in Sparta, IL, USA. The bio lists the given name Earle McClurkin.
Gardner's career batting table shows 273 games, 948 at bats and 249 hits, a .263 average; the totals also include 1 home run, 108 runs batted in, and 38 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .305 clip and slugging .304, Gardner finished with a .609 OPS. Gardner hit .263 while the league hit .254 over the same span, a figure close to average. The OPS comparison is .609 to a league .652, 6.6% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 94, in 1911. The RBI column peaks at 39 in 1911.
Frequently Asked Questions about Earle Gardner
- What years did Earle Gardner play?
- Earle Gardner played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1912.
- Was Earle Gardner a pitcher?
- No. Earle Gardner was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Earle Gardner hit?
- Earle Gardner hit 1 career home run with 249 hits.
- What teams did Earle Gardner play for?
- Earle Gardner played for one team, the New York Highlanders (1908–1912).
- What were Earle Gardner's career stats?
- In 273 games, Earle Gardner had 249 hits, 1 home runs, 108 RBI, 105 runs, and 38 stolen bases, with a .263 batting average.
- What position did Earle Gardner play?
- Earle Gardner played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Earle Gardner and how much did he weigh?
- Earle Gardner was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Earle Gardner hit each season?
- Earle Gardner's home runs by season: 0 in 1908, 0 in 1909, 1 in 1910, 0 in 1911, and 0 in 1912. His most in one season was 1, in 1910.
- What was Earle Gardner's career batting average?
- Earle Gardner batted .263 over his career, with 249 hits in 948 at bats.
- How many RBI did Earle Gardner have?
- Earle Gardner drove in 108 runs in his career.
- Is Earle Gardner in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Earle Gardner has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.