Barney Gilligan

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1875-1888)

Barney Gilligan was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1875 to 1888 for 4 teams, including the Cleveland Blues, a span of 14 seasons. In 521 career games, he hit .207 with 386 hits, 3 home runs, and 167 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

AVG .207
HR 3
RBI 167
H 386
OPS .538
PIV -2,987
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'6" / 130 lb
Born
1/3/1856 in Cambridge, MA, USA
Died
4/1/1934 in Lynn, MA, USA
MLB Debut
1875-09-25
Last Game
1888-04-27

Full name: Andrew Bernard Gilligan

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Career Batting Statistics

Barney Gilligan — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
521 1,865 215 386 68 23 3 167 8 147 235 .207 .265 .273 .538 -2,987

Career AVG .207 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 17.2% below league average.

Career OBP .265 vs. league average .292 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.

Career SLG .273 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 18.5% below league average.

Career OPS .538 vs. league average .627 across their career seasons — 14.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Barney Gilligan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1879 CL2 NL 52 205 20 35 6 2 0 11 0 0 13 .171 .255 (-33%) .270 (-37%) .328 (-33%) .599 (-35%) -948.4
1880 CL2 NL 30 99 9 17 4 3 1 13 0 6 12 .172 .244 (-30%) .267 (-18%) .319 (-5%) .586 (-11%) -151.4
1881 PRO NL 46 183 19 40 7 2 0 20 0 9 24 .219 .260 (-16%) .290 (-12%) .338 (-18%) .628 (-15%) -370.1
1882 PRO NL 56 201 32 45 7 6 0 26 0 4 26 .224 .248 (-10%) .275 (-13%) .329 (-3%) .605 (-8%) -258.5
1883 PRO NL 74 263 34 52 13 3 0 24 0 26 32 .198 .257 (-23%) .285 (-6%) .345 (-22%) .631 (-14%) -447.7
1884 PRO NL 82 294 47 72 13 2 1 38 0 35 41 .245 .243 (+1%) .278 (+17%) .327 (-4%) .606 (+5%) 433.1
1885 PRO NL 71 252 23 54 7 3 0 12 0 23 33 .214 .244 (-12%) .287 (-3%) .325 (-18%) .613 (-11%) -314.7
1886 WS8 NL 81 273 23 52 9 2 0 17 6 39 35 .190 .246 (-23%) .302 (-4%) .331 (-28%) .634 (-16%) -515.6
1887 WS8 NL 28 90 7 18 2 0 1 6 2 5 18 .200 .270 (-26%) .331 (-27%) .373 (-32%) .705 (-29%) -414.0
1888 DTN NL 1 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .200 — — — — 0.0
Career · 10 seasons 521 1,865 215 386 68 23 3 167 8 147 235 .207 — — — — -2,987

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.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Barney Gilligan — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 9 3 4 2 0 0 2 0 1 .444

Playoff Batting by Year

Barney Gilligan — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1884 WS PRO 3 9 3 4 2 0 0 2 0 1 .444

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Barney Gilligan — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 8 0 1 0
2B 1 0 2 2 2 0
3B 2 0 1 2 2 0
C 458 0 2488 624 299 62
OF 44 0 60 12 15 3
SS 27 0 25 82 17 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Barney Gilligan — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1879 CL2 C 27 0 147 41 28 0
1879 CL2 OF 23 0 32 6 8 0
1879 CL2 SS 2 0 3 7 1 0
1880 CL2 C 23 0 124 33 5 4
1880 CL2 OF 4 0 5 1 0 1
1880 CL2 SS 4 0 3 14 1 2
1881 PRO C 36 0 184 41 17 9
1881 PRO OF 1 0 2 0 1 0
1881 PRO SS 10 0 8 32 7 0
1882 PRO C 54 0 287 82 27 8
1882 PRO SS 2 0 0 5 2 1
1883 PRO C 74 0 379 108 54 10
1884 PRO 1B 1 0 8 0 1 0
1884 PRO 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1884 PRO C 81 0 605 94 54 7
1885 PRO 2B 1 0 2 2 2 0
1885 PRO C 65 0 305 84 57 13
1885 PRO OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1885 PRO SS 5 0 7 16 4 0
1886 WS8 3B 1 0 1 2 2 0
1886 WS8 C 71 0 358 101 37 7
1886 WS8 OF 14 0 20 5 6 2
1886 WS8 SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1887 WS8 C 26 0 94 38 19 3
1887 WS8 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1887 WS8 SS 3 0 4 8 2 1
1888 DTN C 1 0 5 2 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Barney Gilligan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 458
First Base 1
Second Base 1
Third Base 2
Shortstop 27
Left Field 23
Center Field 14
Right Field 7

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Barney Gilligan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Tom Needham
    .209 avg, 8 HR
  2. 95
    Gabby Street
    .208 avg, 2 HR
  3. 91
    Sam Agnew
    .204 avg, 2 HR
  4. 89
    Walter Blair
    .217 avg, 3 HR
  5. 89
    Jeff Torborg
    .214 avg, 8 HR
  6. 84
    Red Kleinow
    .213 avg, 3 HR

Barney Gilligan: the record in brief

The profile opens with Barney Gilligan's first major league game on September 25, 1875; the last one listed came on April 27, 1888. The team column moves through the Cleveland Blues (1879 to 1880), the Providence Grays (1881 through 1885), the Washington Nationals (1886 to 1887), and the Detroit Wolverines (1888). Listed as a catcher, Gilligan threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 130 pounds on a 5-foot-6 frame. The birth record reads January 3, 1856, in Cambridge, MA, USA. The bio records the death on April 1, 1934, in Lynn, MA, USA. On the record, Barney Gilligan was born Andrew Bernard Gilligan.

Gilligan's career batting table shows 521 games, 1,865 at bats and 386 hits, a .207 average, plus 3 home runs and 167 runs batted in. Gilligan got on base at a .265 rate and slugged .273 (.538 OPS). Measured against the leagues Gilligan played in, the .207 career average compares with a .250 league average over the same seasons, 17.2% below the league. The OPS comparison is .538 to a league .627, 14.2% below average. The hits column peaks at 72, in 1884.

Frequently Asked Questions about Barney Gilligan

What years did Barney Gilligan play?
Barney Gilligan played in Major League Baseball from 1875 to 1888.
Was Barney Gilligan a pitcher?
No. Barney Gilligan was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Barney Gilligan hit?
Barney Gilligan hit 3 career home runs with 386 hits.
What teams did Barney Gilligan play for?
Barney Gilligan played for 4 teams: the Cleveland Blues (1879–1880), the Providence Grays (1881–1885), the Washington Nationals (1886–1887), and the Detroit Wolverines (1888).
What were Barney Gilligan's career stats?
In 521 games, Barney Gilligan had 386 hits, 3 home runs, 167 RBI, 215 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .207 batting average.
What position did Barney Gilligan play?
Barney Gilligan played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Barney Gilligan and how much did he weigh?
Barney Gilligan was listed at 5 feet 6 inches and 130 pounds.
How many home runs did Barney Gilligan hit each season?
Barney Gilligan's home runs by season: 0 in 1879, 1 in 1880, 0 in 1881, 0 in 1882, 0 in 1883, 1 in 1884, 0 in 1885, 0 in 1886, 1 in 1887, and 0 in 1888. His most in one season was 1, in 1880, 1884, and 1887.
What was Barney Gilligan's career batting average?
Barney Gilligan batted .207 over his career, with 386 hits in 1,865 at bats.
How many RBI did Barney Gilligan have?
Barney Gilligan drove in 167 runs in his career.
Is Barney Gilligan in the Hall of Fame?
No. Barney Gilligan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.