Halley Harding
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Halley Harding was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the Indianapolis ABCs. In 386 career games, he hit .298 with 447 hits, 4 home runs, and 160 RBI. 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 944.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/1/1967 in Chicago, IL, USA
Full name: William Claire Halley Harding
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 386 | 1,500 | 270 | 447 | 77 | 22 | 4 | 160 | 60 | 157 | 5 | .298 | .370 | .387 | .757 | 944 |
Career AVG .298 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — +5.4% above league average.
Career OBP .370 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — +7.0% above league average.
Career SLG .387 vs. league average .402 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .757 vs. league average .748 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | ABC | NNL | 72 | 270 | 52 | 102 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 15 | 30 | 1 | .378 | .279 (+35%) | .345 (+30%) | .390 (+22%) | .735 (+25%) | 1404.8 |
| 1927 | DS | NNL | 87 | 341 | 57 | 91 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 10 | 30 | 0 | .267 | .282 (-5%) | .344 (-5%) | .392 (-16%) | .736 (-11%) | -553.2 |
| 1928 | DS | NNL | 45 | 175 | 38 | 51 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 6 | 22 | 1 | .291 | .280 (+4%) | .342 (+9%) | .395 (+4%) | .737 (+6%) | 235.5 |
| 1928 | KCM | NNL | 22 | 76 | 9 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 0 | .276 | .280 (-2%) | .342 (+5%) | .395 (-23%) | .737 (-10%) | 235.5 |
| 1929 | KCM | NNL | 74 | 299 | 63 | 97 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 36 | 14 | 32 | 0 | .324 | .289 (+12%) | .353 (+13%) | .415 (+10%) | .769 (+11%) | 684.5 |
| 1930 | KCM | NNL | 60 | 240 | 40 | 59 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 10 | 28 | 3 | .246 | .293 (-16%) | .354 (-7%) | .429 (-27%) | .784 (-18%) | -697.9 |
| 1931 | CC2 | NNL | 15 | 67 | 7 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .299 | .276 (+8%) | .338 (avg) | .388 (-8%) | .726 (-4%) | -43.3 |
| 1931 | BBS | IND | 7 | 24 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | -43.3 |
| 1937 | PS | NN2 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 386 | 1,500 | 270 | 447 | 77 | 22 | 4 | 160 | 60 | 157 | 5 | .298 | — | — | — | — | 1,222 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .400 |
Last 5 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937-05-31 | PH5 | PTC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1937-05-31 | PH5 | PTC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-05-29 | PH5 | PTC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-05-16 | PH5 | NY5 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-06-29 | KCM | CAG | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 20 | 20 | 53 | 62 | 6 | 7 |
| 3B | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 58 | 53 | 91 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| SS | 301 | 300 | 574 | 918 | 129 | 143 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | ABC | SS | 72 | 72 | 129 | 204 | 28 | 30 |
| 1927 | DS | OF | 19 | 19 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927 | DS | SS | 69 | 68 | 142 | 206 | 45 | 27 |
| 1928 | DS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | DS | SS | 44 | 44 | 88 | 160 | 21 | 17 |
| 1928 | KCM | OF | 21 | 17 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1928 | KCM | SS | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1929 | KCM | SS | 74 | 74 | 139 | 236 | 21 | 48 |
| 1930 | KCM | 3B | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | KCM | OF | 18 | 17 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1930 | KCM | SS | 37 | 37 | 65 | 101 | 14 | 18 |
| 1931 | CC2 | 2B | 13 | 13 | 38 | 39 | 4 | 5 |
| 1931 | CC2 | SS | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931 | BBS | 2B | 5 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 1937 | PS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1937 | PS | SS | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 20 |
| Third Base | 4 |
| Shortstop | 301 |
| Left Field | 46 |
| Center Field | 5 |
| Right Field | 7 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Halley Harding: the record in brief
Halley Harding's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1926 to 1937. By club, Harding's seasons break down as the Indianapolis ABCs (1926), the Detroit Stars (1927 through 1928), the Kansas City Monarchs (1928 through 1930), the Chicago Columbia Giants (1931), the Baltimore Black Sox (1931), and the Philadelphia Stars (1937). The bio lists Harding as a shortstop who switch-hit and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5 feet, 9 inches and 180 pounds. The birth record reads November 13, 1904, in Wichita, KS, USA. Harding's death is recorded on April 1, 1967, in Chicago, IL, USA. Halley Harding was the playing name; the full given name is William Claire Halley.
Harding's career batting table shows 386 games, 1,500 at bats and 447 hits, a .298 average; the totals also include 4 home runs, 160 runs batted in, and 60 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .370 and .387 give Harding a career OPS of .757.
Frequently Asked Questions about Halley Harding
- Was Halley Harding a pitcher?
- No. Halley Harding was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Halley Harding hit?
- Halley Harding hit 4 career home runs with 447 hits.
- What teams did Halley Harding play for?
- Halley Harding played for 6 teams: the Indianapolis ABCs (1926), the Detroit Stars (1927–1928), the Kansas City Monarchs (1928–1930), the Chicago Columbia Giants (1931), the Baltimore Black Sox (1931), and the Philadelphia Stars (1937).
- What were Halley Harding's career stats?
- In 386 games, Halley Harding had 447 hits, 4 home runs, 160 RBI, 270 runs, and 60 stolen bases, with a .298 batting average.
- What position did Halley Harding play?
- Halley Harding played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Halley Harding and how much did he weigh?
- Halley Harding was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Halley Harding hit each season?
- Halley Harding's home runs by season: 1 in 1926, 1 in 1927, 2 in 1928, 0 in 1929, 0 in 1930, 0 in 1931, and 0 in 1937. His most in one season was 2, in 1928.
- What was Halley Harding's career batting average?
- Halley Harding batted .298 over his career, with 447 hits in 1,500 at bats.
- How many RBI did Halley Harding have?
- Halley Harding drove in 160 runs in his career.
- Is Halley Harding in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Halley Harding has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.