Ival Goodman
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1935-1944)
Ival Goodman was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1935 to 1944 for the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 10 seasons. In 1,107 career games, he hit .281 with 1,104 hits, 95 home runs, and 525 RBI. Ival Goodman was a 2-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 7,170.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- Died
- 11/25/1984 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1935-04-16
- Last Game
- 1944-08-23
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Ival Richard Goodman
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,107 | 3,928 | 609 | 1,104 | 188 | 85 | 95 | 525 | 49 | 382 | 380 | .281 | .352 | .445 | .797 | 7,170 |
Career AVG .281 vs. league average .269 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .352 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .445 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +17.0% above league average.
Career OPS .797 vs. league average .716 across their career seasons — +11.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | CIN | NL | 148 | 592 | 86 | 159 | 23 | 18 | 12 | 72 | 14 | 35 | 50 | .269 | .279 (-4%) | .342 (-8%) | .399 (+7%) | .742 (avg) | -183.4 |
| 1936 | CIN | NL | 136 | 489 | 81 | 139 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 71 | 6 | 38 | 53 | .284 | .283 (avg) | .349 (-1%) | .404 (+18%) | .753 (+9%) | 817.1 |
| 1937 | CIN | NL | 147 | 549 | 86 | 150 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 55 | 10 | 55 | 58 | .273 | .276 (-1%) | .342 (+1%) | .398 (+8%) | .740 (+5%) | 502.6 |
| 1938 | CIN | NL | 145 | 568 | 103 | 166 | 27 | 10 | 30 | 92 | 3 | 53 | 51 | .292 | .272 (+7%) | .341 (+8%) | .392 (+36%) | .734 (+23%) | 2588.8 |
| 1939 | CIN | NL | 124 | 470 | 85 | 152 | 37 | 16 | 7 | 84 | 2 | 54 | 32 | .323 | .274 (+18%) | .342 (+17%) | .393 (+31%) | .735 (+25%) | 2288.7 |
| 1940 | CIN | NL | 136 | 519 | 78 | 134 | 20 | 6 | 12 | 63 | 9 | 60 | 54 | .258 | .267 (-3%) | .335 (avg) | .387 (avg) | .722 (avg) | 42.9 |
| 1941 | CIN | NL | 42 | 149 | 14 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 15 | .268 | .262 (+2%) | .332 (+3%) | .373 (-6%) | .705 (-2%) | -23.5 |
| 1942 | CIN | NL | 87 | 226 | 21 | 55 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 32 | .243 | .253 (-4%) | .323 (-1%) | .349 (-5%) | .672 (-3%) | -113.0 |
| 1943 | CHN | NL | 80 | 225 | 31 | 72 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 45 | 4 | 24 | 20 | .320 | .255 (+25%) | .324 (+20%) | .346 (+30%) | .671 (+25%) | 981.8 |
| 1944 | CHN | NL | 62 | 141 | 24 | 37 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 23 | 15 | .262 | .261 (avg) | .325 (+16%) | .357 (-1%) | .683 (+7%) | 268.2 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 1,107 | 3,928 | 609 | 1,104 | 188 | 85 | 95 | 525 | 49 | 382 | 380 | .281 | — | — | — | — | 7,170 | ||
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
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1108 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 552 | 1861 | 281 | 531 | 35 | 238 | .285 |
| Away | 556 | 2068 | 327 | 573 | 60 | 289 | .277 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944-08-23 | CHC | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1944-08-22 | CHC | NY1 | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1944-08-21 | CHC | NY1 | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1944-08-20 | CHC | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-08-20 | CHC | NY1 | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1944-08-19 | CHC | BSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1944-08-17 | CHC | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-08-13 | CHC | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-08-13 | CHC | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-08-11 | CHC | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | CIN | OF | 146 | 0 | 322 | 17 | 14 | 4 |
| 1936 | CIN | OF | 120 | 0 | 274 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| 1937 | CIN | OF | 141 | 0 | 291 | 13 | 8 | 0 |
| 1938 | CIN | OF | 142 | 0 | 306 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 1939 | CIN | OF | 123 | 0 | 246 | 16 | 5 | 4 |
| 1940 | CIN | OF | 135 | 0 | 252 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| 1941 | CIN | OF | 40 | 0 | 84 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1942 | CIN | OF | 57 | 0 | 101 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| 1943 | CHN | OF | 61 | 0 | 120 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 1944 | CHN | OF | 35 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 94 |
| Center Field | 26 |
| Right Field | 889 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | RF |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 11.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ival Goodman (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ival Goodman: the record in brief
April 16, 1935 and August 23, 1944 bracket Ival Goodman's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Goodman's seasons break down as the Cincinnati Reds (1935 to 1942) and the Chicago Cubs (1943 to 1944). Goodman played primarily as an outfielder and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Born on July 23, 1908, in Northview, MO, USA, Goodman was listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. Goodman died on November 25, 1984, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. On the record, Ival Goodman was born Ival Richard Goodman.
Across 1,107 games at the plate, Goodman's career line reads 1,104 hits in 3,928 at bats for a .281 average, plus 95 home runs, 525 runs batted in, and 49 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .352 and the slugging percentage .445, for an OPS of .797. The .281 career average is close to the .269 the league hit across the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .797 to a league .716, 11.3% above average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ival Goodman
- What years did Ival Goodman play?
- Ival Goodman played in Major League Baseball from 1935 to 1944.
- Was Ival Goodman a pitcher?
- No. Ival Goodman was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Ival Goodman hit?
- Ival Goodman hit 95 career home runs with 1,104 hits.
- What teams did Ival Goodman play for?
- Ival Goodman played for 2 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1935–1942) and the Chicago Cubs (1943–1944).
- Did Ival Goodman win an MVP award?
- No. Ival Goodman did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Ival Goodman win?
- Ival Goodman was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Ival Goodman's career stats?
- In 1,107 games, Ival Goodman had 1,104 hits, 95 home runs, 525 RBI, 609 runs, and 49 stolen bases, with a .281 batting average.
- What position did Ival Goodman play?
- Ival Goodman played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ival Goodman and how much did he weigh?
- Ival Goodman was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ival Goodman hit each season?
- Ival Goodman's home runs by season: 12 in 1935, 17 in 1936, 12 in 1937, 30 in 1938, 7 in 1939, 12 in 1940, 1 in 1941, 0 in 1942, 3 in 1943, and 1 in 1944. His most in one season was 30, in 1938.
- What was Ival Goodman's career batting average?
- Ival Goodman batted .281 over his career, with 1,104 hits in 3,928 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ival Goodman have?
- Ival Goodman drove in 525 runs in his career.
- Is Ival Goodman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ival Goodman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Ival Goodman make?
- Ival Goodman was selected to 2 All-Star Games.