Ducky Holmes

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1895-1905)

Ducky Holmes was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1905 for 7 teams, including the Louisville Colonels, a span of 11 seasons. In 933 career games, he hit .281 with 1,014 hits, 17 home runs, and 375 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,204.

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

AVG .281
HR 17
RBI 375
H 1,014
OPS .703
PIV 2,204
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
5'6" / 170 lb
Born
1/28/1869 in Des Moines, IA, USA
Died
8/5/1932 in Truro, IA, USA
MLB Debut
1895-08-08
Last Game
1905-09-29

Full name: James William Holmes

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Batting Statistics

Ducky Holmes — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
933 3,605 540 1,014 142 58 17 375 236 236 304 .281 .336 .367 .703 2,204

Career AVG .281 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .336 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .367 vs. league average .355 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .703 vs. league average .684 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ducky Holmes (b. 1869) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1895 LS3 NL 40 161 33 60 10 2 3 20 9 12 9 .373 .296 (+26%) .361 (+18%) .399 (+29%) .761 (+24%) 698.4
1896 LS3 NL 47 141 22 38 3 2 0 18 8 13 5 .270 .290 (-7%) .354 (+2%) .387 (-18%) .741 (-8%) -136.7
1897 LS3 NL 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1897 NY1 NL 80 310 52 82 8 6 1 45 30 18 31 .265 .291 (-9%) .354 (-12%) .387 (-13%) .741 (-12%) 0.0
1898 SLN NL 23 101 9 24 1 1 0 0 4 2 11 .238 .270 (-12%) .333 (-22%) .347 (-23%) .680 (-23%) -361.5
1898 BLN NL 113 442 54 126 10 9 1 64 25 23 41 .285 .270 (+5%) .333 (avg) .347 (+2%) .680 (+1%) -361.5
1899 BLN NL 138 553 80 177 31 7 4 66 50 39 58 .320 .282 (+13%) .343 (+11%) .366 (+15%) .710 (+13%) 1517.3
1901 DET AL 131 537 90 158 28 10 4 62 35 37 27 .294 .271 (+8%) .326 (+6%) .359 (+13%) .686 (+10%) 956.5
1902 DET AL 92 362 50 93 15 4 2 33 16 28 28 .257 .266 (-4%) .321 (-1%) .343 (-2%) .665 (-1%) -57.0
1903 WS1 AL 21 71 13 16 3 1 1 8 10 5 9 .225 .261 (-14%) .316 (-10%) .345 (-2%) .662 (-6%) -66.8
1903 CHA AL 86 344 53 96 7 5 0 18 25 25 32 .279 .261 (+7%) .316 (+6%) .345 (-5%) .662 (avg) -66.8
1904 CHA AL 68 251 42 78 11 9 1 19 13 14 21 .311 .246 (+26%) .300 (+18%) .321 (+36%) .622 (+27%) 1014.6
1905 CHA AL 92 328 42 66 15 2 0 22 11 19 30 .201 .248 (-19%) .307 (-16%) .322 (-20%) .629 (-18%) -835.1
Career · 13 seasons 933 3,605 540 1,014 142 58 17 375 236 236 304 .281 — — — — 2,302

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.

Career Pitching Statistics

Ducky Holmes — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 1 4 2 1 0 0 26.0 42 19 1 12 3 6.58 -413.4

Career ERA 6.58 vs. league average 4.57 across their career seasons — 44.0% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ducky Holmes — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1895 LS3 NL 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 14.0 16 9 4 0 5.79 4.77 (-21%) -283.1
1896 LS3 NL 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 12.0 26 10 8 3 7.50 4.36 (-72%) -130.3
Career · 2 seasons 1 1 4 2 1 0 0 26.0 42 19 12 3 6.58 — -413

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 (765 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Ducky Holmes — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home39314912464615149.309
Away37214981883738136.249

Last 10 Games — Batting

Ducky Holmes — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1905-09-29 CHWPHAL 100000001
1905-09-15 CHWSLAL 101000000
1905-09-05 CHWDETL 400000000
1905-09-05 CHWDETL 300000000
1905-09-04 CHWDETL 400000001
1905-09-04 CHWDETL 400000001
1905-09-03 CHWCLEL 400000000
1905-09-02 CHWCLEW 300000002
1905-09-01 CHWCLEW 511000000
1905-08-31 CHWMINW 210000010

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Ducky Holmes — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 3 0 5 5 3 0
3B 11 0 11 16 6 0
OF 884 149 1607 137 143 30
P 4 0 1 7 0 0
SS 11 0 16 30 15 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Ducky Holmes — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1895 LS3 3B 4 0 5 4 3 0
1895 LS3 OF 29 0 32 7 11 1
1895 LS3 P 2 0 1 4 0 0
1895 LS3 SS 8 0 11 17 7 1
1896 LS3 2B 1 0 0 2 1 0
1896 LS3 OF 33 0 43 6 13 1
1896 LS3 P 2 0 0 3 0 0
1896 LS3 SS 1 0 1 3 5 2
1897 LS3 SS 1 0 4 4 0 2
1897 NY1 OF 78 0 115 9 13 2
1897 NY1 SS 1 0 0 6 3 0
1898 SLN OF 22 0 39 6 5 3
1898 BLN OF 113 0 247 13 18 4
1899 BLN OF 138 0 321 24 27 5
1901 DET OF 131 0 217 18 24 5
1902 DET OF 92 0 155 16 9 5
1903 WS1 2B 2 0 5 3 2 0
1903 WS1 3B 4 0 3 7 1 0
1903 WS1 OF 14 0 26 5 3 0
1903 CHA 3B 3 0 3 5 2 0
1903 CHA OF 82 0 151 14 6 0
1904 CHA OF 63 61 111 8 3 3
1905 CHA OF 89 88 150 11 11 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Ducky Holmes (b. 1869) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 4
Second Base 3
Third Base 11
Shortstop 11
Left Field 562
Center Field 38
Right Field 286

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Ducky Holmes (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Rebel Oakes
    .279 avg, 15 HR
  2. 97
    Jack McCarthy
    .287 avg, 8 HR
  3. 97
    Carson Bigbee
    .287 avg, 17 HR
  4. 94
    Eddie Burke
    .280 avg, 30 HR
  5. 94
    Lee Magee
    .276 avg, 12 HR
  6. 92
    Scott Podsednik
    .281 avg, 42 HR

Ducky Holmes: the record in brief

Ducky Holmes's major league career runs from a debut on August 8, 1895 to a final game on September 29, 1905. Club by club, the record runs the Louisville Colonels (1895 through 1897), the New York Giants (1897), the St. Louis Browns (1898), the Baltimore Orioles (1898 to 1899), the Detroit Tigers (1901 to 1902), the Washington Senators (1903), and the Chicago White Sox (1903 to 1905). At 5'6" and 170 pounds, Holmes is listed as an outfielder. The bio says Holmes threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Holmes was born on January 28, 1869, in Des Moines, IA, USA. The bio records the death on August 5, 1932, in Truro, IA, USA.

Across 933 games at the plate, Holmes's career line reads 1,014 hits in 3,605 at bats for a .281 average; the totals also include 17 homers, 375 runs batted in, and 236 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .336 clip and slugging .367, Holmes finished with a .703 OPS.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ducky Holmes

What years did Ducky Holmes play?
Ducky Holmes played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1905.
Was Ducky Holmes a pitcher?
No. Ducky Holmes was a position player (Outfielder), though he did pitch in 4 career games.
How many home runs did Ducky Holmes hit?
Ducky Holmes hit 17 career home runs with 1,014 hits.
What teams did Ducky Holmes play for?
Ducky Holmes played for 7 teams: the Louisville Colonels (1895–1897), the New York Giants (1897), the St. Louis Browns (1898), the Baltimore Orioles (1898–1899), the Detroit Tigers (1901–1902), the Washington Senators (1903), and the Chicago White Sox (1903–1905).
What were Ducky Holmes's career stats?
In 933 games, Ducky Holmes had 1,014 hits, 17 home runs, 375 RBI, 540 runs, and 236 stolen bases, with a .281 batting average.
What position did Ducky Holmes play?
Ducky Holmes played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Ducky Holmes and how much did he weigh?
Ducky Holmes was listed at 5 feet 6 inches and 170 pounds.
How many home runs did Ducky Holmes hit each season?
Ducky Holmes's home runs by season: 3 in 1895, 0 in 1896, 1 in 1897, 1 in 1898, 4 in 1899, 4 in 1901, 2 in 1902, 1 in 1903, 1 in 1904, and 0 in 1905. His most in one season was 4, in 1899 and 1901.
What was Ducky Holmes's career batting average?
Ducky Holmes batted .281 over his career, with 1,014 hits in 3,605 at bats.
How many RBI did Ducky Holmes have?
Ducky Holmes drove in 375 runs in his career.
What was Ducky Holmes's career ERA?
Ducky Holmes finished with a 6.58 career ERA, going 1-1 with 3 strikeouts.
Is Ducky Holmes in the Hall of Fame?
No. Ducky Holmes has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.