Earl Gurley
Left Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Earl Gurley was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 7 teams, including the St. Louis Stars. In 242 career games, he hit .286 with 189 hits, 10 home runs, and 95 RBI. He also pitched in 52 games, going 8-17 with a 5.22 ERA. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 290.
- 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
- Left Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 183 lb
- Died
- 11/6/1968 in Buffalo, NY, USA
Full name: Earl C. Gurley
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 242 | 660 | 87 | 189 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 95 | 7 | 67 | 7 | .286 | .354 | .430 | .784 | 290 |
Career AVG .286 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .354 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .430 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — +8.3% above league average.
Career OPS .784 vs. league average .743 across their career seasons — +5.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | SLS | NNL | 10 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .350 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1923 | SLS | NNL | 24 | 41 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .366 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | MRS | NNL | 58 | 192 | 20 | 52 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 2 | .271 | .283 (-5%) | .345 (-6%) | .389 (-4%) | .734 (-5%) | -180.0 |
| 1925 | MRS | NNL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1925 | CAG | NNL | 23 | 72 | 8 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .319 | .288 (+11%) | .349 (+4%) | .407 (+13%) | .756 (+9%) | 0.0 |
| 1925 | ABC | NNL | 37 | 101 | 20 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 17 | 0 | .347 | .288 (+20%) | .349 (+26%) | .407 (+36%) | .756 (+32%) | 0.0 |
| 1927 | HBG | ECL | 14 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .235 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1927 | BBB | NNL | 10 | 28 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1927 | CAG | NNL | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | MRS | NNL | 30 | 76 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 0 | .250 | .280 (-11%) | .342 (-2%) | .395 (-17%) | .737 (-10%) | -104.2 |
| 1929 | BBB | NNL | 12 | 39 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .205 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1932 | MGS | NSL | 22 | 69 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 5 | .232 | .275 (-16%) | .335 (+1%) | .391 (-26%) | .726 (-14%) | -120.6 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 242 | 660 | 87 | 189 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 95 | 7 | 67 | 7 | .286 | — | — | — | — | -405 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | SLS | NNL | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 | 62 | 34 | 19 | 33 | 5.77 | 4.18 (-38%) | 408.9 |
| 1923 | SLS | NNL | 3 | 8 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 88.0 | 111 | 48 | 40 | 37 | 4.91 | 4.03 (-22%) | -77.5 |
| 1924 | MRS | NNL | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27.2 | 23 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 3.90 | 4.13 (+5%) | 615.7 |
| 1925 | CAG | NNL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 20.25 | — | 0.0 |
| 1925 | ABC | NNL | 1 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 64.0 | 67 | 34 | 24 | 19 | 4.78 | 4.55 (-5%) | 602.8 |
| 1927 | HBG | ECL | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 8.50 | 4.08 (-108%) | -878.4 |
| 1932 | MGS | NSL | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4.24 | 4.13 (-3%) | 275.9 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 8 | 17 | 52 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 269.0 | 311 | 156 | 107 | 119 | 5.22 | — | 947 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 20 | 18 | 182 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| OF | 154 | 94 | 148 | 9 | 13 | 1 |
| P | 52 | 28 | 13 | 54 | 5 | 2 |
| PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | SLS | P | 9 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 1923 | SLS | OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | SLS | P | 20 | 12 | 6 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
| 1924 | MRS | OF | 55 | 52 | 85 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 1924 | MRS | P | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1925 | MRS | PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | CAG | OF | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | CAG | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | ABC | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | ABC | OF | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | ABC | P | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | HBG | OF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | HBG | P | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1927 | BBB | OF | 10 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1927 | CAG | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | MRS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | MRS | OF | 24 | 17 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1929 | BBB | OF | 12 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1932 | MGS | 1B | 18 | 18 | 179 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 1932 | MGS | OF | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | MGS | P | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 52 |
| First Base | 20 |
| Left Field | 93 |
| Center Field | 11 |
| Right Field | 50 |
Earl Gurley: the record in brief
Earl Gurley's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1922 to 1932. The season rows list, in order, the St. Louis Stars (1922 to 1923), the Memphis Red Sox (1924 through 1928), the Chicago American Giants (1925 through 1927), the Indianapolis ABCs (1925), the Harrisburg Giants (1927), the Birmingham Black Barons (1927 through 1929), and the Montgomery Grey Sox (1932). Gurley is listed as a left fielder at 183 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio says Gurley both batted and threw left-handed. Gurley was born on August 6, 1898, in Chattanooga, TN, USA. The bio records the death on November 6, 1968, in Buffalo, NY, USA. Gurley's full given name, per the bio, is Earl C. Gurley.
Across 242 games at the plate, Gurley's career line reads 189 hits in 660 at bats for a .286 average, adding 10 homers and 95 runs batted in. Gurley's career OPS of .784 combines a .354 on-base mark with .430 slugging.
Frequently Asked Questions about Earl Gurley
- Was Earl Gurley a pitcher?
- Both. Earl Gurley pitched in 52 games, going 8-17 with a 5.22 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Left Fielder.
- How many home runs did Earl Gurley hit?
- Earl Gurley hit 10 career home runs with 189 hits.
- What teams did Earl Gurley play for?
- Earl Gurley played for 7 teams: the St. Louis Stars (1922–1923), the Memphis Red Sox (1924–1925, 1928), the Chicago American Giants (1925, 1927), the Indianapolis ABCs (1925), the Harrisburg Giants (1927), the Birmingham Black Barons (1927, 1929), and the Montgomery Grey Sox (1932).
- What were Earl Gurley's career stats?
- In 242 games, Earl Gurley had 189 hits, 10 home runs, 95 RBI, 87 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .286 batting average. As a pitcher, in 52 games, he went 8-17 with a 5.22 ERA, 119 strikeouts, 269.0 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Earl Gurley play?
- Earl Gurley played primarily as a left fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Earl Gurley and how much did he weigh?
- Earl Gurley was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 183 pounds.
- How many home runs did Earl Gurley hit each season?
- Earl Gurley's home runs by season: 1 in 1922, 3 in 1923, 1 in 1924, 4 in 1925, 0 in 1927, 0 in 1928, 1 in 1929, and 0 in 1932. His most in one season was 4, in 1925.
- What was Earl Gurley's career batting average?
- Earl Gurley batted .286 over his career, with 189 hits in 660 at bats.
- How many RBI did Earl Gurley have?
- Earl Gurley drove in 95 runs in his career.
- What was Earl Gurley's career ERA?
- Earl Gurley finished with a 5.22 career ERA, going 8-17 with 119 strikeouts.
- Is Earl Gurley in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Earl Gurley has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.