Frank Gibson
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1913-1927)
Frank Gibson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1927 for the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Braves, a span of 15 seasons. In 471 career games, he hit .274 with 317 hits, 8 home runs, and 146 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 172 lb
- Died
- 4/27/1961 in Edna, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1913-04-22
- Last Game
- 1927-10-02
Full name: Frank Gilbert Gibson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 471 | 1,155 | 121 | 317 | 57 | 19 | 8 | 146 | 12 | 55 | 127 | .274 | .310 | .377 | .688 | -1,524 |
Career AVG .274 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .310 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 9.7% below league average.
Career SLG .377 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .688 vs. league average .734 across their career seasons — 6.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | AL | 23 | 57 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | .140 | .259 (-46%) | .325 (-40%) | .345 (-54%) | .670 (-47%) | -399.1 |
| 1921 | BSN | NL | 63 | 125 | 14 | 33 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 17 | .264 | .286 (-8%) | .344 (-15%) | .395 (+5%) | .739 (-4%) | -135.4 |
| 1922 | BSN | NL | 66 | 164 | 15 | 49 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 10 | 27 | .299 | .285 (+5%) | .345 (-2%) | .397 (+6%) | .743 (+2%) | 41.5 |
| 1923 | BSN | NL | 41 | 50 | 13 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 7 | .300 | .282 (+6%) | .344 (+12%) | .390 (-18%) | .734 (-4%) | -1.4 |
| 1924 | BSN | NL | 90 | 229 | 25 | 71 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 10 | 23 | .310 | .283 (+9%) | .345 (-1%) | .389 (+13%) | .734 (+7%) | 188.2 |
| 1925 | BSN | NL | 104 | 316 | 36 | 88 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 50 | 3 | 15 | 28 | .278 | .288 (-3%) | .349 (-10%) | .407 (-1%) | .756 (-5%) | -374.6 |
| 1926 | BSN | NL | 24 | 47 | 3 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 6 | .340 | — | — | — | — | 92.3 |
| 1927 | BSN | NL | 60 | 167 | 7 | 37 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 10 | .222 | .282 (-21%) | .344 (-32%) | .392 (-36%) | .736 (-34%) | -935.5 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 471 | 1,155 | 121 | 317 | 57 | 19 | 8 | 146 | 12 | 55 | 127 | .274 | — | — | — | — | -1,524 | ||
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 (472 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 227 | 494 | 43 | 135 | 1 | 72 | .273 |
| Away | 245 | 662 | 78 | 182 | 7 | 76 | .275 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-10-02 | BSN | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-10-01 | BSN | PHI | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-29 | BSN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-25 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-24 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-23 | BSN | STL | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-22 | BSN | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-20 | BSN | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-19 | BSN | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-18 | BSN | CHC | W | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 32 | 0 | 273 | 13 | 7 | 18 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| C | 301 | 0 | 879 | 231 | 38 | 27 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | C | 19 | 0 | 57 | 17 | 7 | 1 |
| 1913 | DET | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1921 | BSN | C | 41 | 0 | 111 | 31 | 3 | 4 |
| 1922 | BSN | 1B | 20 | 0 | 162 | 9 | 3 | 9 |
| 1922 | BSN | C | 29 | 0 | 83 | 19 | 2 | 5 |
| 1923 | BSN | C | 20 | 0 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 1924 | BSN | 1B | 10 | 0 | 106 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 1924 | BSN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1924 | BSN | C | 46 | 0 | 159 | 52 | 6 | 4 |
| 1925 | BSN | 1B | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BSN | C | 86 | 0 | 271 | 60 | 11 | 7 |
| 1926 | BSN | C | 13 | 0 | 37 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 1927 | BSN | C | 47 | 0 | 130 | 35 | 6 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 298 |
| First Base | 32 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Right Field | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Frank Gibson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frank Gibson: the record in brief
The profile opens with Frank Gibson's first major league game on April 22, 1913; the last one listed came on October 2, 1927. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1913) and the Boston Braves (1921 to 1927). Gibson is listed as a catcher at 172 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. The bio says Gibson batted from both sides and threw right-handed. Gibson was born on September 27, 1890, in Omaha, NE, USA. Gibson died on April 27, 1961, in Edna, TX, USA. The bio lists the given name Frank Gilbert.
Gibson collected 317 hits in 1,155 at bats across 471 games, good for a .274 batting average, adding 8 home runs and 146 RBI. Gibson got on base at a .310 rate and slugged .377 (.688 OPS). Gibson hit .274 while the league hit .282 over the same span, a figure close to average. In OPS terms, Gibson's .688 stands 6.3% below the league's .734. Gibson collected a career-high 88 hits in 1925. 1925 brought the most runs batted in, 50.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Gibson
- What years did Frank Gibson play?
- Frank Gibson played in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1927.
- Was Frank Gibson a pitcher?
- No. Frank Gibson was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Frank Gibson hit?
- Frank Gibson hit 8 career home runs with 317 hits.
- What teams did Frank Gibson play for?
- Frank Gibson played for 2 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1913) and the Boston Braves (1921–1927).
- What were Frank Gibson's career stats?
- In 471 games, Frank Gibson had 317 hits, 8 home runs, 146 RBI, 121 runs, and 12 stolen bases, with a .274 batting average.
- What position did Frank Gibson play?
- Frank Gibson played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Frank Gibson and how much did he weigh?
- Frank Gibson was listed at 6 feet and 172 pounds.
- How many home runs did Frank Gibson hit each season?
- Frank Gibson's home runs by season: 0 in 1913, 2 in 1921, 3 in 1922, 0 in 1923, 1 in 1924, 2 in 1925, 0 in 1926, and 0 in 1927. His most in one season was 3, in 1922.
- What was Frank Gibson's career batting average?
- Frank Gibson batted .274 over his career, with 317 hits in 1,155 at bats.
- How many RBI did Frank Gibson have?
- Frank Gibson drove in 146 runs in his career.
- Is Frank Gibson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Frank Gibson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.