Henry Kessler

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1873-1877)

Henry Kessler was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1873 to 1877 for the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 5 seasons. In 105 career games, he hit .253 with 110 hits and 23 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

AVG .253
HR 0
RBI 23
H 110
OPS .542
PIV -252
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'10" / 144 lb
Born
7/27/1851 in Brooklyn, NY, USA
Died
1/8/1900 in Franklin, PA, USA
MLB Debut
1873-08-04
Last Game
1877-06-16
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Career Batting Statistics

Henry Kessler — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
105 434 51 110 8 0 0 23 0 10 15 .253 .270 .272 .542 -252

Career AVG .253 vs. league average .269 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career OBP .270 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .272 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 17.4% below league average.

Career OPS .542 vs. league average .609 across their career seasons — 11.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Henry Kessler — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1873 BR2 1 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1874 BR2 14 56 8 17 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 .304 .273 (+11%) .282 (+8%) .333 (-4%) .615 (+2%) 18.2
1875 BR2 25 105 17 26 2 0 0 7 0 1 2 .248 .253 (-2%) .260 (-2%) .309 (-14%) .570 (-9%) -97.1
1876 CN1 NL 59 248 26 64 5 0 0 11 0 7 10 .258 .265 (-3%) .277 (avg) .320 (-13%) .598 (-7%) -173.4
1877 CN1 NL 6 20 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 .100 — — — — 0.0
Career · 5 seasons 105 434 51 110 8 0 0 23 0 10 15 .253 — — — — -252

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.

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Henry Kessler — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 0 23 1 2 1
2B 5 3 15 6 12 0
3B 1 1 0 2 1 2
C 17 8 51 15 33 2
OF 27 1 33 9 16 2
SS 64 0 81 171 67 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Henry Kessler — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1873 BR2 1B 1 0 14 1 2 0
1874 BR2 2B 4 3 12 5 10 0
1874 BR2 3B 1 1 0 2 1 2
1874 BR2 C 9 8 36 6 15 0
1874 BR2 OF 4 1 4 0 3 0
1875 BR2 1B 1 0 3 0 0 0
1875 BR2 2B 1 0 3 1 2 0
1875 BR2 C 3 0 8 1 3 1
1875 BR2 OF 7 0 9 2 8 0
1875 BR2 SS 18 0 24 53 20 1
1876 CN1 OF 16 0 20 7 5 2
1876 CN1 SS 46 0 57 118 47 11
1877 CN1 1B 1 0 6 0 0 1
1877 CN1 C 5 0 7 8 15 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Henry Kessler — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 17
First Base 3
Second Base 5
Third Base 1
Shortstop 64
Left Field 2
Center Field 8
Right Field 17

Henry Kessler: the record in brief

According to the bio, Henry Kessler debuted on August 4, 1873 and played a final game on June 16, 1877. By club, Kessler's seasons break down as the Brooklyn Atlantics (1873 to 1875) and the Cincinnati Reds (1876 to 1877). Born on July 27, 1851, in Brooklyn, NY, USA, Kessler is listed as a shortstop and threw and hit right-handed. Kessler's listed size is 5'10" and 144 pounds. Kessler's death is recorded on January 8, 1900, in Franklin, PA, USA.

The batting record for Kessler: 105 games, 110 hits in 434 at bats, and a .253 average, plus 23 runs batted in. Kessler got on base at a .270 rate and slugged .272 (.542 OPS). Measured against the leagues Kessler played in, the .253 career average compares with a .269 league average over the same seasons, 5.8% below the league. The OPS comparison is .542 to a league .609, 11.0% below average. No season topped the 64 hits of 1876. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .258 in 1876, did not top the league's .265.

Frequently Asked Questions about Henry Kessler

What years did Henry Kessler play?
Henry Kessler played in Major League Baseball from 1873 to 1877.
Was Henry Kessler a pitcher?
No. Henry Kessler was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Henry Kessler hit?
Henry Kessler hit 0 career home runs with 110 hits.
What teams did Henry Kessler play for?
Henry Kessler played for 2 teams: the Brooklyn Atlantics (1873–1875) and the Cincinnati Reds (1876–1877).
What were Henry Kessler's career stats?
In 105 games, Henry Kessler had 110 hits, 23 RBI, and 51 runs, with a .253 batting average.
What position did Henry Kessler play?
Henry Kessler played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Henry Kessler and how much did he weigh?
Henry Kessler was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 144 pounds.
What was Henry Kessler's career batting average?
Henry Kessler batted .253 over his career, with 110 hits in 434 at bats.
How many RBI did Henry Kessler have?
Henry Kessler drove in 23 runs in his career.
Is Henry Kessler in the Hall of Fame?
No. Henry Kessler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.