Dick Harley
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1897-1903)
Dick Harley was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1903 for 5 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 7 seasons. In 741 career games, he hit .262 with 755 hits, 10 home runs, and 236 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 165 lb
- Died
- 4/3/1952 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1897-06-02
- Last Game
- 1903-09-21
Full name: Richard Joseph Harley
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 741 | 2,882 | 389 | 755 | 59 | 27 | 10 | 236 | 139 | 223 | 250 | .262 | .332 | .312 | .644 | -2,242 |
Career AVG .262 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .332 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .312 vs. league average .358 across their career seasons — 12.9% below league average.
Career OPS .644 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — 6.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | SLN | NL | 90 | 333 | 43 | 96 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 23 | 36 | 23 | .288 | .291 (-1%) | .354 (+7%) | .387 (-8%) | .741 (-1%) | 117.0 |
| 1898 | SLN | NL | 142 | 549 | 74 | 135 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 42 | 13 | 34 | 53 | .246 | .270 (-9%) | .333 (-5%) | .347 (-21%) | .680 (-13%) | -976.4 |
| 1899 | CL4 | NL | 142 | 567 | 70 | 142 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 50 | 15 | 40 | 40 | .250 | .282 (-11%) | .343 (-8%) | .366 (-16%) | .710 (-13%) | -1078.8 |
| 1900 | CIN | NL | 5 | 21 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .429 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | CIN | NL | 133 | 535 | 69 | 146 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 37 | 31 | 55 | .273 | .271 (avg) | .326 (-1%) | .359 (-9%) | .686 (-5%) | -346.4 |
| 1902 | DET | AL | 125 | 491 | 59 | 138 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 44 | 20 | 36 | 29 | .281 | .266 (+5%) | .321 (+7%) | .343 (avg) | .665 (+4%) | 452.5 |
| 1903 | CHN | NL | 104 | 386 | 72 | 89 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 27 | 45 | 49 | .231 | .261 (-12%) | .316 (+4%) | .345 (-25%) | .662 (-11%) | -410.2 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 741 | 2,882 | 389 | 755 | 59 | 27 | 10 | 236 | 139 | 223 | 250 | .262 | — | — | — | — | -2,242 | ||
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 (652 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 273 | 1033 | 144 | 254 | 4 | 83 | .246 |
| Away | 379 | 1520 | 202 | 405 | 3 | 114 | .266 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903-09-21 | CHC | NY1 | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-09 | CHC | PIT | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-08 | CHC | PIT | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1903-09-01 | CHC | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-31 | CHC | CIN | W | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903-08-24 | CHC | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1903-08-24 | CHC | NY1 | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1903-08-22 | CHC | NY1 | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-21 | CHC | BRO | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903-08-20 | CHC | BRO | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 539 |
| Center Field | 94 |
| Right Field | 106 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | Washington | DC | 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dick Harley (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dick Harley: the record in brief
June 2, 1897 and September 21, 1903 bracket Dick Harley's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the St. Louis Browns (1897 to 1898), the Cleveland Spiders (1899), the Cincinnati Reds (1900 to 1901), the Detroit Tigers (1902), and the Chicago Cubs (1903). Harley is listed as an outfielder at 165 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The bio says Harley batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Harley was born on September 25, 1872, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Harley died on April 3, 1952, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. On the record, Dick Harley was born Richard Joseph Harley.
The batting record for Harley: 741 games, 755 hits in 2,882 at bats, and a .262 average, adding 10 home runs, 236 RBI, and 139 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .332 and .312 give Harley a career OPS of .644. The .262 career average is close to the .274 the league hit across the same seasons. Harley collected a career-high 146 hits in 1901. The RBI column peaks at 50 in 1899. Harley stole 37 bases in 1901, the most of any season listed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dick Harley
- What years did Dick Harley play?
- Dick Harley played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1903.
- Was Dick Harley a pitcher?
- No. Dick Harley was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Dick Harley hit?
- Dick Harley hit 10 career home runs with 755 hits.
- What teams did Dick Harley play for?
- Dick Harley played for 5 teams: the St. Louis Browns (1897–1898), the Cleveland Spiders (1899), the Cincinnati Reds (1900–1901), the Detroit Tigers (1902), and the Chicago Cubs (1903).
- What were Dick Harley's career stats?
- In 741 games, Dick Harley had 755 hits, 10 home runs, 236 RBI, 389 runs, and 139 stolen bases, with a .262 batting average.
- What position did Dick Harley play?
- Dick Harley played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Dick Harley and how much did he weigh?
- Dick Harley was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Dick Harley hit each season?
- Dick Harley's home runs by season: 3 in 1897, 0 in 1898, 1 in 1899, 0 in 1900, 4 in 1901, 2 in 1902, and 0 in 1903. His most in one season was 4, in 1901.
- What was Dick Harley's career batting average?
- Dick Harley batted .262 over his career, with 755 hits in 2,882 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dick Harley have?
- Dick Harley drove in 236 runs in his career.
- Is Dick Harley in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dick Harley has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.