Dick Gernert
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1952-1962)
Dick Gernert was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1962 for 5 teams, including the Boston Red Sox, a span of 11 seasons. In 835 career games, he hit .254 with 632 hits, 103 home runs, and 402 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 4,595.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 209 lb
- Died
- 11/30/2017 in Reading, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1952-04-16
- Last Game
- 1962-05-09
Full name: Richard Edward Gernert
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 835 | 2,493 | 357 | 632 | 104 | 8 | 103 | 402 | 10 | 363 | 462 | .254 | .351 | .426 | .776 | 4,595 |
Career AVG .254 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .351 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.
Career SLG .426 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — +8.7% above league average.
Career OPS .776 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — +7.8% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 102 | 367 | 58 | 89 | 20 | 2 | 19 | 67 | 4 | 35 | 83 | .243 | .252 (-4%) | .326 (-3%) | .369 (+25%) | .696 (+12%) | 708.0 |
| 1953 | BOS | AL | 139 | 494 | 73 | 125 | 15 | 1 | 21 | 71 | 0 | 88 | 82 | .253 | .264 (-4%) | .335 (+11%) | .397 (+4%) | .733 (+7%) | 1024.2 |
| 1954 | BOS | AL | 14 | 23 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | .261 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1955 | BOS | AL | 7 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1956 | BOS | AL | 106 | 306 | 53 | 89 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 68 | 1 | 56 | 57 | .291 | .258 (+13%) | .331 (+21%) | .397 (+22%) | .728 (+21%) | 1439.6 |
| 1957 | BOS | AL | 99 | 316 | 45 | 75 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 58 | 1 | 39 | 62 | .237 | .257 (-8%) | .323 (avg) | .391 (+10%) | .715 (+6%) | 320.2 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 122 | 431 | 59 | 102 | 19 | 1 | 20 | 69 | 2 | 59 | 78 | .237 | .257 (-8%) | .324 (+2%) | .394 (+8%) | .719 (+5%) | 476.6 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 117 | 298 | 41 | 78 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 42 | 1 | 52 | 49 | .262 | .256 (+2%) | .323 (+14%) | .392 (+9%) | .715 (+11%) | 790.3 |
| 1960 | CHN | NL | 52 | 96 | 8 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 19 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .323 (-1%) | .387 (-27%) | .711 (-15%) | -201.0 |
| 1960 | DET | AL | 21 | 50 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .300 | .255 (+18%) | .323 (+9%) | .387 (+13%) | .711 (+11%) | -201.0 |
| 1961 | DET | AL | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | CIN | NL | 40 | 63 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 9 | .302 | .258 (+17%) | .328 (+10%) | .399 (-20%) | .727 (-7%) | 0.0 |
| 1962 | HOU | NL | 10 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 835 | 2,493 | 357 | 632 | 104 | 8 | 103 | 402 | 10 | 363 | 462 | .254 | — | — | — | — | 4,357 | ||
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 (835 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 430 | 1251 | 211 | 339 | 67 | 233 | .271 |
| Away | 405 | 1242 | 146 | 293 | 36 | 171 | .236 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-05-09 | HOU | LAD | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962-05-08 | HOU | LAD | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1962-05-06 | HOU | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962-05-04 | HOU | ATL | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962-05-03 | HOU | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-04-25 | HOU | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-19 | HOU | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-18 | HOU | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962-04-13 | HOU | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-12 | HOU | CHC | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 604 | 321 | 5235 | 423 | 60 | 584 |
| OF | 102 | 78 | 129 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BOS | 1B | 99 | 0 | 877 | 67 | 12 | 104 |
| 1953 | BOS | 1B | 136 | 0 | 1223 | 84 | 19 | 139 |
| 1954 | BOS | 1B | 6 | 4 | 47 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 1955 | BOS | 1B | 5 | 4 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1956 | BOS | 1B | 37 | 35 | 307 | 37 | 3 | 36 |
| 1956 | BOS | OF | 50 | 40 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1957 | BOS | 1B | 71 | 68 | 681 | 50 | 8 | 82 |
| 1957 | BOS | OF | 16 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1958 | BOS | 1B | 114 | 113 | 1101 | 93 | 11 | 118 |
| 1959 | BOS | 1B | 75 | 54 | 552 | 49 | 3 | 54 |
| 1959 | BOS | OF | 25 | 20 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960 | CHN | 1B | 18 | 14 | 132 | 16 | 2 | 13 |
| 1960 | CHN | OF | 5 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | DET | 1B | 13 | 8 | 93 | 4 | 0 | 13 |
| 1960 | DET | OF | 6 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961 | CIN | 1B | 21 | 14 | 125 | 17 | 1 | 9 |
| 1962 | HOU | 1B | 9 | 7 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 604 |
| Left Field | 97 |
| Right Field | 7 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple University | Philadelphia | PA | 1949 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 25th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dick Gernert (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dick Gernert: the record in brief
April 16, 1952 and May 9, 1962 bracket Dick Gernert's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Gernert played for the Boston Red Sox (1952 through 1959), the Chicago Cubs (1960), the Detroit Tigers (1960 through 1961), the Cincinnati Reds (1961), and the Houston Colt .45's (1962). Gernert played primarily as a first baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Born on September 28, 1928, in Reading, PA, USA, Gernert was listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 209 pounds. The bio records the death on November 30, 2017, in Reading, PA, USA. On the record, Dick Gernert was born Richard Edward Gernert.
Gernert collected 632 hits in 2,493 at bats across 835 games, good for a .254 batting average, plus 103 home runs and 402 RBI. Gernert's career OPS of .776 combines a .351 on-base mark with .426 slugging. Against a .258 league average for those years, Gernert's .254 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 7.8% above league average (.776 against .720).
Frequently Asked Questions about Dick Gernert
- What years did Dick Gernert play?
- Dick Gernert played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1962.
- Was Dick Gernert a pitcher?
- No. Dick Gernert was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Dick Gernert hit?
- Dick Gernert hit 103 career home runs with 632 hits.
- What teams did Dick Gernert play for?
- Dick Gernert played for 5 teams: the Boston Red Sox (1952–1959), the Chicago Cubs (1960), the Detroit Tigers (1960–1961), the Cincinnati Reds (1961), and the Houston Colt .45's (1962).
- What were Dick Gernert's career stats?
- In 835 games, Dick Gernert had 632 hits, 103 home runs, 402 RBI, 357 runs, and 10 stolen bases, with a .254 batting average.
- What position did Dick Gernert play?
- Dick Gernert played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Dick Gernert and how much did he weigh?
- Dick Gernert was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 209 pounds.
- How many home runs did Dick Gernert hit each season?
- Dick Gernert's home runs by season: 19 in 1952, 21 in 1953, 0 in 1954, 0 in 1955, 16 in 1956, 14 in 1957, 20 in 1958, 11 in 1959, 1 in 1960, 1 in 1961, and 0 in 1962. His most in one season was 21, in 1953.
- What was Dick Gernert's career batting average?
- Dick Gernert batted .254 over his career, with 632 hits in 2,493 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dick Gernert have?
- Dick Gernert drove in 402 runs in his career.
- Is Dick Gernert in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dick Gernert has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.