John Kirby
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1888)
John Kirby was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1888 for 5 teams, including the Kansas City Cowboys, a span of 5 seasons. Across 75 career appearances, he went 18-50 with a 4.09 ERA and 200 strikeouts. He also batted .105 with 0 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 172 lb
- Died
- 10/6/1931 in St. Louis, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-08-01
- Last Game
- 1888-06-29
Full name: John F. Kirby
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | KCU | UA | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4.09 | 3.11 (-32%) | -145.5 |
| 1885 | SL5 | NL | 5 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 129.1 | 118 | 51 | 44 | 46 | 3.55 | 3.03 (-17%) | -511.1 |
| 1886 | SL5 | NL | 11 | 26 | 41 | 41 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 325.0 | 329 | 119 | 134 | 129 | 3.30 | 3.37 (+2%) | -4340.2 |
| 1887 | IN3 | NL | 1 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 62.0 | 70 | 42 | 43 | 7 | 6.10 | 4.17 (-46%) | -2611.7 |
| 1887 | CL3 | AA | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 | 62 | 41 | 28 | 6 | 9.00 | 4.17 (-116%) | -1356.9 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 43.0 | 48 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 4.19 | 2.95 (-42%) | 342.6 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 18 | 50 | 75 | 75 | 68 | 1 | 0 | 611.1 | 640 | 278 | 258 | 200 | 4.09 | — | -8,623 | ||
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 Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 256 | 17 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 81 | .105 | .123 | .137 | .259 | -1,637 |
Career AVG .105 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 57.5% below league average.
Career OBP .123 vs. league average .297 across their career seasons — 58.7% below league average.
Career SLG .137 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 59.2% below league average.
Career OPS .259 vs. league average .632 across their career seasons — 59.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | KCU | UA | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1885 | SL5 | NL | 14 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .060 | .244 (-75%) | .287 (-73%) | .325 (-82%) | .613 (-77%) | -521.9 |
| 1886 | SL5 | NL | 42 | 136 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 47 | .110 | .246 (-55%) | .302 (-57%) | .331 (-58%) | .634 (-58%) | -1115.5 |
| 1887 | IN3 | NL | 8 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .138 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1887 | CL3 | AA | 5 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1888 | KC2 | AA | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .062 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 76 | 256 | 17 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 81 | .105 | — | — | — | — | -1,637 | ||
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 Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 75 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John Kirby (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
John Kirby: the record in brief
According to the bio, John Kirby debuted on August 1, 1884 and played a final game on June 29, 1888. By club, Kirby's seasons break down as the Kansas City Cowboys (1884 through 1888), the St. Louis Maroons (1885 through 1886), the Indianapolis Hoosiers (1887), and the Cleveland Blues (1887). The bio lists Kirby's primary position as pitcher. The recorded size is 172 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. Kirby was born on January 13, 1865, in St. Louis, MO, USA. The bio records the death on October 6, 1931, in St. Louis, MO, USA. John Kirby was the playing name; the full given name is John F.
Kirby pitched in 75 games, starting 75, and finished with a 18-50 record and 4.09 ERA. Kirby had 200 strikeouts and 68 complete games. The league ERA over Kirby's seasons was 3.31, so the 4.09 figure ran 23.6% worse than average. Kirby won 11 games in 1886, the most of any season listed.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Kirby
- What years did John Kirby play?
- John Kirby played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1888.
- Was John Kirby a pitcher?
- Yes. John Kirby pitched in the major leagues, recording 18 wins and 200 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did John Kirby hit?
- John Kirby hit 0 career home runs with 27 hits.
- What was John Kirby's career batting average?
- John Kirby batted .105 over his career, with 27 hits in 256 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Kirby have?
- John Kirby drove in 7 runs in his career.
- What was John Kirby's career ERA?
- John Kirby finished with a 4.09 career ERA, going 18-50 with 200 strikeouts.