Clint Hurdle
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1987)
Clint Hurdle was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1987 for 4 teams, including the Kansas City Royals, a span of 11 seasons. In 515 career games, he hit .259 with 360 hits, 32 home runs, and 193 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,662.
- 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
- 6'3" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-09-18
- Last Game
- 1987-06-26
Full name: Clinton Merrick Hurdle
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 515 | 1,391 | 162 | 360 | 81 | 12 | 32 | 193 | 1 | 176 | 261 | .259 | .341 | .403 | .745 | 1,662 |
Career AVG .259 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .341 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .403 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .745 vs. league average .718 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | KCA | AL | 9 | 26 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 7 | .308 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | KCA | AL | 133 | 417 | 48 | 110 | 25 | 5 | 7 | 56 | 1 | 56 | 84 | .264 | .257 (+2%) | .323 (+8%) | .378 (+5%) | .702 (+6%) | 549.3 |
| 1979 | KCA | AL | 59 | 171 | 16 | 41 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 28 | 24 | .240 | .265 (-10%) | .329 (+4%) | .397 (-3%) | .727 (avg) | 23.3 |
| 1980 | KCA | AL | 130 | 395 | 50 | 116 | 31 | 2 | 10 | 60 | 0 | 34 | 61 | .294 | .264 (+11%) | .326 (+7%) | .387 (+18%) | .714 (+13%) | 932.7 |
| 1981 | KCA | AL | 28 | 76 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 13 | 10 | .329 | .255 (+29%) | .320 (+33%) | .368 (+50%) | .688 (+42%) | 554.0 |
| 1982 | CIN | NL | 19 | 34 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .206 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | NYN | NL | 13 | 33 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | 43 | 82 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 | .195 | .257 (-24%) | .323 (-3%) | .390 (-10%) | .714 (-7%) | -62.4 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | 78 | 154 | 18 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 26 | 38 | .195 | .257 (-24%) | .325 (-4%) | .395 (-24%) | .720 (-15%) | -335.1 |
| 1987 | NYN | NL | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 515 | 1,391 | 162 | 360 | 81 | 12 | 32 | 193 | 1 | 176 | 261 | .259 | — | — | — | — | 1,662 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (515 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 252 | 660 | 89 | 182 | 11 | 109 | .276 |
| Away | 263 | 731 | 73 | 178 | 21 | 84 | .244 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-06-26 | NYN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-06-17 | NYN | WSN | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-04-12 | NYN | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-10-04 | STL | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-10-01 | STL | PIT | L | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-09-27 | STL | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-26 | STL | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-23 | STL | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-13 | STL | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-12 | STL | WSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 92 | 79 | 714 | 47 | 8 | 78 |
| 3B | 15 | 9 | 4 | 23 | 5 | 2 |
| C | 22 | 15 | 98 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 329 | 279 | 568 | 19 | 21 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | KCA | OF | 9 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | KCA | 1B | 52 | 49 | 412 | 25 | 6 | 47 |
| 1978 | KCA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | KCA | OF | 78 | 68 | 132 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 1979 | KCA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | KCA | OF | 50 | 47 | 88 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1980 | KCA | OF | 126 | 109 | 233 | 8 | 10 | 1 |
| 1981 | KCA | OF | 28 | 26 | 59 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | CIN | OF | 17 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | NYN | 3B | 9 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 2 |
| 1983 | NYN | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | NYN | C | 17 | 12 | 79 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | NYN | OF | 10 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | SLN | 1B | 39 | 30 | 301 | 22 | 2 | 31 |
| 1986 | SLN | 3B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | SLN | C | 5 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | SLN | OF | 10 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | NYN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 22 |
| First Base | 92 |
| Third Base | 15 |
| Left Field | 96 |
| Right Field | 240 |
| Designated Hitter | 5 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-07-21 |
Salary History
Clint Hurdle's recorded salaries total $120,000 over 1 season, in 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Hurdle's career ran from 1977 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985 and 1987.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | SLN | NL | $120,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $120,000 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Clint Hurdle (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Clint Hurdle: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 18, 1977 and the final game on June 26, 1987, Clint Hurdle built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Kansas City Royals (1977 to 1981), the Cincinnati Reds (1982), the New York Mets (1983 to 1987), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1986). Hurdle played primarily as an outfielder and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Born on July 30, 1957, in Big Rapids, MI, USA, Hurdle was listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 195 pounds. Clint Hurdle was the playing name; the full given name is Clinton Merrick.
Across 515 games at the plate, Hurdle's career line reads 360 hits in 1,391 at bats for a .259 average, plus 32 home runs and 193 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .341 and the slugging percentage .403, for an OPS of .745. The .259 career average is close to the .261 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clint Hurdle
- What years did Clint Hurdle play?
- Clint Hurdle played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1987.
- Was Clint Hurdle a pitcher?
- No. Clint Hurdle was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Clint Hurdle hit?
- Clint Hurdle hit 32 career home runs with 360 hits.
- What teams did Clint Hurdle play for?
- Clint Hurdle played for 4 teams: the Kansas City Royals (1977–1981), the Cincinnati Reds (1982), the New York Mets (1983, 1985, 1987), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1986).
- What were Clint Hurdle's career stats?
- In 515 games, Clint Hurdle had 360 hits, 32 home runs, 193 RBI, 162 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .259 batting average.
- How much did Clint Hurdle earn in his career?
- Clint Hurdle's recorded salaries total $120,000 over 1 season, in 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Hurdle's career ran from 1977 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985 and 1987.
- What was Clint Hurdle's salary?
- Clint Hurdle's recorded salary was $120,000 in 1986.
- What position did Clint Hurdle play?
- Clint Hurdle played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Clint Hurdle and how much did he weigh?
- Clint Hurdle was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 195 pounds.
- How many home runs did Clint Hurdle hit each season?
- Clint Hurdle's home runs by season: 2 in 1977, 7 in 1978, 3 in 1979, 10 in 1980, 4 in 1981, 0 in 1982, 0 in 1983, 3 in 1985, 3 in 1986, and 0 in 1987. His most in one season was 10, in 1980.
- What was Clint Hurdle's career batting average?
- Clint Hurdle batted .259 over his career, with 360 hits in 1,391 at bats.
- How many RBI did Clint Hurdle have?
- Clint Hurdle drove in 193 runs in his career.
- Is Clint Hurdle in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Clint Hurdle has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.