Jimmy Knowles

Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1892)

Jimmy Knowles was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1892 for 6 teams, including the Pittsburg Alleghenys, a span of 9 seasons. In 357 career games, he hit .241 with 334 hits, 9 home runs, and 132 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 .241
HR 9
RBI 132
H 334
OPS .618
PIV -1,099
Position
Third Baseman
Bats / Throws
R / —
Height / Weight
5'9" / 160 lb
Born
9/5/1856 in Toronto, ON, CAN
Died
2/11/1912 in Jersey City, NJ, USA
MLB Debut
1884-05-02
Last Game
1892-10-12

Full name: James Knowles

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Batting Statistics

Jimmy Knowles — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
357 1,388 185 334 40 28 9 132 83 89 83 .241 .288 .329 .618 -1,099

Career AVG .241 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .288 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 7.9% below league average.

Career SLG .329 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .618 vs. league average .655 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jimmy Knowles — 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
1884 PT1 AA 46 182 19 42 5 7 0 0 0 5 0 .231 .243 (-5%) .278 (-7%) .327 (+2%) .606 (-2%) -89.4
1884 BR3 AA 41 153 19 36 5 1 1 0 0 3 0 .235 .243 (-3%) .278 (-9%) .327 (-8%) .606 (-8%) -89.4
1886 WS8 NL 115 443 43 94 16 11 3 35 20 15 73 .212 .246 (-14%) .302 (-21%) .331 (-4%) .634 (-12%) -932.8
1887 NY4 AA 16 60 12 15 1 1 0 6 6 1 2 .250 .270 (-8%) .331 (-21%) .373 (-20%) .705 (-20%) -200.3
1890 RC2 AA 123 491 83 138 12 8 5 84 55 59 0 .281 .260 (+8%) .336 (+7%) .351 (+5%) .687 (+6%) 616.2
1892 NY1 NL 16 59 9 9 1 0 0 7 2 6 8 .153 .244 (-38%) .316 (-27%) .327 (-48%) .644 (-38%) -315.2
Career · 6 seasons 357 1,388 185 334 40 28 9 132 83 89 83 .241 — — — — -1,011

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

Jimmy Knowles — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 76 0 809 33 37 38
2B 78 0 245 260 53 36
3B 203 0 252 469 116 30
SS 1 0 1 1 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Jimmy Knowles — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 PT1 1B 46 0 499 15 21 20
1884 BR3 1B 30 0 310 18 16 18
1884 BR3 3B 11 0 9 18 8 0
1886 WS8 2B 62 0 196 224 47 32
1886 WS8 3B 53 0 68 122 34 9
1887 NY4 2B 16 0 49 36 6 4
1887 NY4 3B 1 0 0 1 1 0
1890 RC2 3B 123 0 162 303 63 19
1892 NY1 3B 15 0 13 25 10 2
1892 NY1 SS 1 0 1 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Jimmy Knowles — Career Games by Position
Position Games
First Base 76
Second Base 78
Third Base 203
Shortstop 1

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Jimmy Knowles (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Bill White
    .240 avg, 6 HR
  2. 92
    Emil Batch
    .251 avg, 7 HR
  3. 90
    Kiko Garcia
    .239 avg, 12 HR
  4. 89
    Bert Niehoff
    .240 avg, 12 HR
  5. 87
    Rusty Peters
    .236 avg, 8 HR
  6. 86
    Sport McAllister
    .247 avg, 5 HR

Jimmy Knowles: the record in brief

The profile opens with Jimmy Knowles's first major league game on May 2, 1884; the last one listed came on October 12, 1892. The team column moves through the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1884), the Brooklyn Atlantics (1884), the Washington Nationals (1886), the New York Metropolitans (1887), the Rochester Broncos (1890), and the New York Giants (1892). At 160 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame, Knowles is listed as a third baseman. The recorded birth is September 5, 1856, in Toronto, ON, CAN. Knowles died on February 11, 1912, in Jersey City, NJ, USA. The given name on file is James Knowles.

The batting record for Knowles: 357 games, 334 hits in 1,388 at bats, and a .241 average, adding 9 home runs, 132 RBI, and 83 stolen bases. Knowles got on base at a .288 rate and slugged .329 (.618 OPS). Knowles hit .241 while the league hit .253 over the same span, a figure close to average. In OPS terms, Knowles's .618 stands 5.8% below the league's .655. 1890 produced Knowles's most hits, 138 of them for the Rochester Broncos. On the bases, the high point was 55 steals in 1890.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Knowles

What years did Jimmy Knowles play?
Jimmy Knowles played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1892.
Was Jimmy Knowles a pitcher?
No. Jimmy Knowles was a position player (Third Baseman).
How many home runs did Jimmy Knowles hit?
Jimmy Knowles hit 9 career home runs with 334 hits.
What was Jimmy Knowles's career batting average?
Jimmy Knowles batted .241 over his career, with 334 hits in 1,388 at bats.
How many RBI did Jimmy Knowles have?
Jimmy Knowles drove in 132 runs in his career.
Is Jimmy Knowles in the Hall of Fame?
No. Jimmy Knowles has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.