Dave Harper
Right Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Dave Harper was a right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Philadelphia Stars. In 43 career games, he hit .310 with 40 hits and 18 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 344.
- 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
- Right Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'6" / 150 lb
- Died
- 1/15/1996 in Atlanta, GA, USA
Full name: David Thimothy Harper
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 129 | 14 | 40 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 10 | 0 | .310 | .360 | .442 | .802 | 344 |
Career AVG .310 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +19.5% above league average.
Career OBP .360 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — +10.2% above league average.
Career SLG .442 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — +25.2% above league average.
Career OPS .802 vs. league average .679 across their career seasons — +18.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | PS | NN2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | CC | NAL | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .600 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | CIC | NAL | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | KCM | NAL | 27 | 83 | 9 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 0 | .325 | .261 (+24%) | .325 (+16%) | .357 (+42%) | .683 (+29%) | 0.0 |
| 1945 | KCM | NAL | 10 | 32 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 43 | 129 | 14 | 40 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 10 | 0 | .310 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (27 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 43 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 5 | .372 |
| Away | 11 | 32 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 3 | .312 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-05-28 | BIR | MEM | L | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-05-31 | KCM | CAG | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-05-29 | KCM | CAG | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-05-28 | KCM | CAG | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-05-27 | KCM | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-05-25 | KCM | CAG | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-05-13 | KCM | BIR | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-05-09 | KCM | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-09-04 | KCM | MEM | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1944-09-03 | KCM | MEM | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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 | 9 |
| Center Field | 11 |
| Right Field | 22 |
Dave Harper: the record in brief
Dave Harper's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1943 to 1945. Harper played for the Philadelphia Stars (1943), the Cincinnati Clowns (1943), the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns (1944), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1944 through 1945). The bio lists Harper as a right fielder who threw and hit right-handed. Harper is listed at 5 feet, 6 inches and 150 pounds. Harper was born on September 7, 1917, in Conley, GA, USA. Harper died on January 15, 1996, in Atlanta, GA, USA. The given name on file is David Thimothy Harper.
Harper's career batting table shows 43 games, 129 at bats and 40 hits, a .310 average, plus 18 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .360 clip and slugging .442, Harper finished with a .802 OPS. Set against a .259 league average for the same years, Harper's .310 average sits 19.5% above it. Harper collected a career-high 27 hits in 1944. The Lg AVG column puts Harper's 1944 at .325 against .261, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 24%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Harper
- Was Dave Harper a pitcher?
- No. Dave Harper was a position player (Right Fielder).
- How many home runs did Dave Harper hit?
- Dave Harper hit 0 career home runs with 40 hits.
- What was Dave Harper's career batting average?
- Dave Harper batted .310 over his career, with 40 hits in 129 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Harper have?
- Dave Harper drove in 18 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Harper in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Harper has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Dave Harper play for?
- Dave Harper played for the Philadelphia Stars, the Cincinnati Clowns, the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns, and the Kansas City Monarchs.