Herman Long

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1889-1904)

Herman Long was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1889 to 1904 for 5 teams, including the Kansas City Cowboys, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,875 career games, he hit .277 with 2,129 hits, 91 home runs, and 1,055 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,876.

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 .277
HR 91
RBI 1,055
H 2,129
OPS .718
PIV 2,876
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
5'8" / 160 lb
Born
4/13/1866 in Chicago, IL, USA
Died
9/16/1909 in Denver, CO, USA
MLB Debut
1889-04-17
Last Game
1904-07-13

Full name: Herman C. Long

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Career Batting Statistics

Herman Long — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,875 7,678 1,456 2,129 342 97 91 1,055 537 612 462 .277 .335 .383 .718 2,876

Career AVG .277 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .335 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .383 vs. league average .360 across their career seasons — +6.2% above league average.

Career OPS .718 vs. league average .696 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Herman Long 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
1889 KC2 AA 136 574 137 158 32 6 3 60 89 64 63 .275 .263 (+4%) .334 (+7%) .357 (+3%) .691 (+5%) 684.3
1890 BSN NL 101 431 95 108 15 3 8 52 49 40 34 .251 .260 (-4%) .336 (-5%) .351 (+1%) .687 (-2%) -151.2
1891 BSN NL 139 577 129 163 21 12 9 75 60 80 51 .282 .254 (+11%) .331 (+14%) .343 (+19%) .675 (+16%) 1976.5
1892 BSN NL 151 646 115 181 33 6 6 78 57 44 36 .280 .244 (+14%) .316 (+5%) .327 (+15%) .644 (+10%) 1136.5
1893 BSN NL 128 552 149 159 22 6 6 58 38 73 32 .288 .279 (+3%) .356 (+6%) .379 (+1%) .735 (+3%) 492.9
1894 BSN NL 104 475 136 154 28 11 12 79 24 35 17 .324 .309 (+5%) .379 (-1%) .435 (+16%) .814 (+8%) 710.0
1895 BSN NL 125 540 109 170 23 10 9 75 36 31 13 .315 .296 (+6%) .361 (-2%) .399 (+11%) .761 (+5%) 432.4
1896 BSN NL 120 502 106 173 26 8 6 101 38 26 16 .345 .290 (+19%) .354 (+8%) .387 (+20%) .741 (+14%) 1355.7
1897 BSN NL 107 450 89 145 32 7 3 69 22 23 17 .322 .291 (+10%) .354 (+1%) .387 (+15%) .741 (+8%) 590.0
1898 BSN NL 144 589 99 156 21 10 6 99 20 39 24 .265 .270 (-2%) .333 (-7%) .347 (+5%) .680 (-1%) -220.1
1899 BSN NL 145 578 91 153 30 8 6 100 20 45 27 .265 .282 (-6%) .343 (-7%) .366 (+2%) .710 (-2%) -272.6
1900 BSN NL 125 486 80 127 19 4 12 66 26 44 23 .261 .279 (-6%) .338 (-4%) .366 (+7%) .705 (+2%) 107.9
1901 BSN NL 138 518 54 112 14 6 3 68 20 25 56 .216 .271 (-20%) .326 (-22%) .359 (-21%) .686 (-22%) -1774.1
1902 BSN NL 120 437 40 101 11 0 2 44 24 31 18 .231 .266 (-13%) .321 (-12%) .343 (-21%) .665 (-17%) -1044.0
1903 NYA AL 22 80 6 15 3 0 0 8 3 2 14 .188 .261 (-28%) .316 (-35%) .345 (-35%) .662 (-35%) -417.4
1903 DET AL 69 239 21 53 12 0 0 23 11 10 21 .222 .261 (-15%) .316 (-19%) .345 (-21%) .662 (-20%) -417.4
1904 PHI NL 1 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 — — — — 0.0
Career · 17 seasons 1,875 7,678 1,456 2,129 342 97 91 1,055 537 612 462 .277 — — — — 3,189

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

Herman Long — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 27 4 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 .222

Playoff Batting by Year

Herman Long — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1892 CS BSN 6 27 4 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 .222

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (764 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Herman Long — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home395151624340026225.264
Away36914141483183185.225

Last 10 Games — Batting

Herman Long — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1904-07-13 PHIPITL 401000000
1903-09-29 DETNYYL 111000000
1903-09-26 DETNYYL 202000000
1903-09-26 DETNYYW 600000100
1903-09-25 DETBOSL 604000101
1903-09-24 DETBOSL 401000000
1903-09-21 DETPHAL 401000001
1903-09-19 DETPHAL 401100100
1903-09-18 DETMINL 300000010
1903-09-18 DETMINL 300000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Herman Long — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 20 2 0 1
2B 65 1 180 191 22 19
3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
OF 19 0 21 5 4 0
SS 1795 0 4229 6137 1070 765

Season-by-Season Fielding

Herman Long — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1889 KC2 2B 8 0 20 27 5 4
1889 KC2 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1889 KC2 SS 128 0 335 479 117 55
1890 BSN SS 101 0 230 352 66 40
1891 BSN SS 139 0 345 441 85 60
1892 BSN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1892 BSN OF 12 0 16 5 3 0
1892 BSN SS 141 0 297 497 99 65
1893 BSN 2B 5 0 11 18 2 1
1893 BSN SS 123 0 271 469 98 67
1894 BSN 2B 3 0 17 6 2 1
1894 BSN OF 5 0 5 0 1 0
1894 BSN SS 98 0 217 359 75 52
1895 BSN 2B 2 0 9 3 0 1
1895 BSN SS 123 0 283 410 84 48
1896 BSN SS 120 0 311 415 83 52
1897 BSN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1897 BSN SS 107 0 274 353 66 40
1898 BSN 2B 2 0 7 7 0 0
1898 BSN SS 142 0 326 472 67 65
1899 BSN 1B 2 0 20 2 0 1
1899 BSN SS 143 0 351 435 60 68
1900 BSN SS 125 0 257 454 48 34
1901 BSN SS 138 0 304 468 44 55
1902 BSN 2B 13 0 41 35 7 6
1902 BSN SS 107 0 286 366 37 46
1903 NYA SS 22 0 52 60 14 6
1903 DET 2B 31 0 71 91 5 6
1903 DET SS 38 0 90 107 27 12
1904 PHI 2B 1 1 4 4 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Herman Long Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
First Base 2
Second Base 65
Third Base 1
Shortstop 1795
Left Field 18
Center Field 1

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Herman Long (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Jack Glasscock
    .290 avg, 27 HR
  2. 96
    Jack Doyle
    .299 avg, 25 HR
  3. 96
    Jose Reyes
    .283 avg, 145 HR
  4. 96
    John Ward HOF
    .275 avg, 26 HR
  5. 95
    Hal Chase
    .291 avg, 57 HR
  6. 92
    Steve Sax
    .281 avg, 54 HR

Herman Long: the record in brief

According to the bio, Herman Long debuted on April 17, 1889 and played a final game on July 13, 1904. The season rows list, in order, the Kansas City Cowboys (1889), the Boston Beaneaters (1890 through 1902), the New York Highlanders (1903), the Detroit Tigers (1903), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1904). Born on April 13, 1866, in Chicago, IL, USA, Long is listed as a shortstop and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The bio gives 160 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. Long's death is recorded on September 16, 1909, in Denver, CO, USA. Long's full given name, per the bio, is Herman C. Long.

The batting record for Long: 1,875 games, 2,129 hits in 7,678 at bats, and a .277 average, adding 91 home runs, 1,055 runs batted in, and 537 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .335 and .383 give Long a career OPS of .718. The .277 career average is close to the .271 the league hit across the same seasons. No season beat the 12 home runs Long hit in 1894.

Frequently Asked Questions about Herman Long

What years did Herman Long play?
Herman Long played in Major League Baseball from 1889 to 1904.
Was Herman Long a pitcher?
No. Herman Long was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Herman Long hit?
Herman Long hit 91 career home runs with 2,129 hits.
What teams did Herman Long play for?
Herman Long played for 5 teams: the Kansas City Cowboys (1889), the Boston Beaneaters (1890–1902), the New York Highlanders (1903), the Detroit Tigers (1903), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1904).
What were Herman Long's career stats?
In 1,875 games, Herman Long had 2,129 hits, 91 home runs, 1,055 RBI, 1,456 runs, and 537 stolen bases, with a .277 batting average.
What position did Herman Long play?
Herman Long played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Herman Long and how much did he weigh?
Herman Long was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Herman Long hit each season?
Herman Long's home runs by season: 3 in 1889, 8 in 1890, 9 in 1891, 6 in 1892, 6 in 1893, 12 in 1894, 9 in 1895, 6 in 1896, 3 in 1897, 6 in 1898, 6 in 1899, 12 in 1900, 3 in 1901, 2 in 1902, 0 in 1903, and 0 in 1904. His most in one season was 12, in 1894 and 1900.
What was Herman Long's career batting average?
Herman Long batted .277 over his career, with 2,129 hits in 7,678 at bats.
How many RBI did Herman Long have?
Herman Long drove in 1,055 runs in his career.
Is Herman Long in the Hall of Fame?
No. Herman Long has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.