Dickey Pearce
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1871-1877)
Dickey Pearce was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1877 for 4 teams, including the New York Mutuals, a span of 7 seasons. In 291 career games, he hit .251 with 333 hits, 2 home runs, and 134 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
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'3" / 161 lb
- Died
- 9/18/1908 in Wareham, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1871-05-18
- Last Game
- 1877-10-06
Full name: Richard J. Pearce
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 | 1,328 | 217 | 333 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 134 | 13 | 33 | 21 | .251 | .269 | .277 | .546 | -1,952 |
Career AVG .251 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.
Career OBP .269 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career SLG .277 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 17.6% below league average.
Career OPS .546 vs. league average .621 across their career seasons — 12.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | NY2 | 33 | 163 | 31 | 44 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 1 | .270 | .286 (-6%) | .311 (-8%) | .383 (-22%) | .695 (-15%) | -349.0 | |
| 1872 | NY2 | 44 | 206 | 32 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .189 | .285 (-34%) | .296 (-31%) | .347 (-36%) | .644 (-34%) | -959.1 | |
| 1873 | BR2 | 55 | 262 | 42 | 72 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 8 | 2 | .275 | .290 (-5%) | .304 (-3%) | .357 (-13%) | .661 (-8%) | -268.5 | |
| 1874 | BR2 | 56 | 255 | 48 | 75 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 6 | 1 | .294 | .273 (+8%) | .282 (+10%) | .333 (-11%) | .615 (-1%) | 41.6 | |
| 1875 | SL2 | 70 | 311 | 51 | 77 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 8 | 7 | 7 | .248 | .253 (-2%) | .260 (+1%) | .309 (-8%) | .570 (-4%) | -95.3 | |
| 1876 | SL3 | NL | 25 | 102 | 12 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 5 | .206 | .265 (-22%) | .277 (-18%) | .320 (-33%) | .598 (-26%) | -321.9 |
| 1877 | SL3 | NL | 8 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .172 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 291 | 1,328 | 217 | 333 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 134 | 13 | 33 | 21 | .251 | — | — | — | — | -1,952 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875 | SL2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.38 | — | 0.0 | |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.38 | — | 0 | ||
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
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| SS | 287 | 130 | 264 | 1076 | 279 | 66 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | NY2 | SS | 33 | 33 | 27 | 115 | 37 | 8 |
| 1872 | NY2 | OF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1872 | NY2 | SS | 42 | 41 | 34 | 144 | 33 | 12 |
| 1873 | BR2 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1873 | BR2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1873 | BR2 | SS | 55 | 0 | 36 | 233 | 77 | 13 |
| 1874 | BR2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1874 | BR2 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1874 | BR2 | SS | 56 | 56 | 63 | 204 | 49 | 7 |
| 1875 | SL2 | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1875 | SL2 | SS | 70 | 0 | 74 | 262 | 69 | 17 |
| 1876 | SL3 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1876 | SL3 | OF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1876 | SL3 | SS | 23 | 0 | 23 | 87 | 12 | 6 |
| 1877 | SL3 | SS | 8 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 2 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 286 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dickey Pearce (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dickey Pearce: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 18, 1871 and the final game on October 6, 1877, Dickey Pearce built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the New York Mutuals (1871 to 1872), the Brooklyn Atlantics (1873 through 1874), and the St. Louis Brown Stockings (1875 to 1877). Born on February 29, 1836, in Brooklyn, NY, USA, Pearce is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5-foot-3 and 161 pounds. Pearce's death is recorded on September 18, 1908, in Wareham, MA, USA. The given name on file is Richard J. Pearce.
Across 291 games at the plate, Pearce's career line reads 333 hits in 1,328 at bats for a .251 average; the totals also include 2 homers and 134 runs batted in. Pearce got on base at a .269 rate and slugged .277 (.546 OPS). Measured against the leagues Pearce played in, the .251 career average compares with a .273 league average over the same seasons, 8.0% below the league.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dickey Pearce
- What years did Dickey Pearce play?
- Dickey Pearce played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1877.
- Was Dickey Pearce a pitcher?
- No. Dickey Pearce was a position player (Shortstop), though he did pitch in 2 career games.
- How many home runs did Dickey Pearce hit?
- Dickey Pearce hit 2 career home runs with 333 hits.
- What teams did Dickey Pearce play for?
- Dickey Pearce played for 4 teams: the New York Mutuals (1871–1872), the Brooklyn Atlantics (1873–1874), the St. Louis Brown Stockings (1875), and the St. Louis Brown Stockings (1876–1877).
- What were Dickey Pearce's career stats?
- In 291 games, Dickey Pearce had 333 hits, 2 home runs, 134 RBI, 217 runs, and 13 stolen bases, with a .251 batting average.
- What position did Dickey Pearce play?
- Dickey Pearce played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Dickey Pearce and how much did he weigh?
- Dickey Pearce was listed at 5 feet 3 inches and 161 pounds.
- How many home runs did Dickey Pearce hit each season?
- Dickey Pearce's home runs by season: 0 in 1871, 1 in 1872, 1 in 1873, 0 in 1874, 0 in 1875, 0 in 1876, and 0 in 1877. His most in one season was 1, in 1872 and 1873.
- What was Dickey Pearce's career batting average?
- Dickey Pearce batted .251 over his career, with 333 hits in 1,328 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dickey Pearce have?
- Dickey Pearce drove in 134 runs in his career.
- What was Dickey Pearce's career ERA?
- Dickey Pearce finished with a 3.38 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
- Is Dickey Pearce in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dickey Pearce has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.