Fran Matthews
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Fran Matthews was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Newark Eagles. In 123 career games, he hit .265 with 114 hits, 8 home runs, and 58 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 374.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 180 lb
- Died
- 8/24/1999 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Full name: Francis Oliver Matthews
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | 431 | 93 | 114 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 58 | 8 | 54 | 5 | .265 | .350 | .390 | .740 | 374 |
Career AVG .265 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .350 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +5.4% above league average.
Career SLG .390 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .740 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — +5.1% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | NE | NN2 | 15 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .360 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | NE | NN2 | 36 | 128 | 34 | 41 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 2 | 20 | 1 | .320 | .267 (+20%) | .335 (+24%) | .387 (+23%) | .722 (+23%) | 561.1 |
| 1941 | NE | NN2 | 56 | 219 | 43 | 51 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 5 | 28 | 4 | .233 | .262 (-11%) | .332 (-3%) | .373 (-8%) | .705 (-6%) | -164.7 |
| 1942 | NE | NN2 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .154 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | NE | NN2 | 12 | 46 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .239 | — | — | — | — | -22.1 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 123 | 431 | 93 | 114 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 58 | 8 | 54 | 5 | .265 | — | — | — | — | 374 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (118 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 65 | 227 | 47 | 65 | 6 | 17 | .286 |
| Away | 53 | 165 | 49 | 50 | 4 | 13 | .303 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-09 | NW2 | BLG | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-02 | NW2 | HOM | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-30 | NW2 | PH5 | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-08-26 | NW2 | HOM | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-22 | NW2 | NY5 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-08-19 | NW2 | PH5 | W | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1945-08-05 | NW2 | BLG | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-05 | NW2 | BLG | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-04 | NW2 | BLG | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-07-24 | NW2 | NY5 | W | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 110 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 6 |
Fran Matthews: the record in brief
Fran Matthews's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1938 to 1945. Matthews spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Newark Eagles. Matthews is listed as a first baseman at 180 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. The bio says Matthews both batted and threw left-handed. The recorded birth is November 2, 1916, in Cambridge, MA, USA. Matthews's death is recorded on August 24, 1999, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Fran Matthews was the playing name; the full given name is Francis Oliver.
In 123 games and 431 at bats, Matthews batted .265 with 114 hits; the totals also include 8 homers and 58 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .350 clip and slugging .390, Matthews finished with a .740 OPS. Against a .263 league average for those years, Matthews's .265 average was near the norm. The hits column peaks at 51, in 1941. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .233 in 1941, did not top the league's .262.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fran Matthews
- Was Fran Matthews a pitcher?
- No. Fran Matthews was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Fran Matthews hit?
- Fran Matthews hit 8 career home runs with 114 hits.
- What teams did Fran Matthews play for?
- Fran Matthews played for one team, the Newark Eagles (1938, 1940–1942, 1945).
- What were Fran Matthews's career stats?
- In 123 games, Fran Matthews had 114 hits, 8 home runs, 58 RBI, 93 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .265 batting average.
- What position did Fran Matthews play?
- Fran Matthews played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Fran Matthews and how much did he weigh?
- Fran Matthews was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Fran Matthews hit each season?
- Fran Matthews's home runs by season: 0 in 1938, 2 in 1940, 5 in 1941, 0 in 1942, and 1 in 1945. His most in one season was 5, in 1941.
- What was Fran Matthews's career batting average?
- Fran Matthews batted .265 over his career, with 114 hits in 431 at bats.
- How many RBI did Fran Matthews have?
- Fran Matthews drove in 58 runs in his career.
- Is Fran Matthews in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Fran Matthews has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.