Hardy Peterson

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1955-1959)

Hardy Peterson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1959 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 5 seasons. In 66 career games, he hit .273 with 44 hits, 3 home runs, and 21 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 83.

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 .273
HR 3
RBI 21
H 44
OPS .736
PIV 83
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 205 lb
Born
10/17/1929 in Perth Amboy, NJ, USA
Died
4/16/2019 in Union, NJ, USA
MLB Debut
1955-05-05
Last Game
1959-08-08

Full name: Harding William Peterson

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Career Batting Statistics

Hardy Peterson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
66 161 17 44 8 1 3 21 0 17 17 .273 .344 .391 .736 83

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.

Career OBP .344 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +5.6% above league average.

Career SLG .391 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .736 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Hardy Peterson — 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
1955 PIT NL 32 81 7 20 6 0 1 10 0 7 7 .247 .258 (-4%) .332 (-6%) .393 (-9%) .726 (-8%) -110.1
1957 PIT NL 30 73 10 22 2 1 2 11 0 9 10 .301 .257 (+17%) .323 (+17%) .391 (+12%) .715 (+14%) 193.3
1958 PIT NL 2 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 — — — — 0.0
1959 PIT NL 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 66 161 17 44 8 1 3 21 0 17 17 .273 — — — — 83

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 (66 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Hardy Peterson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home3177627010.351
Away35841117311.202

Last 10 Games — Batting

Hardy Peterson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1959-08-08 PITCHCW 100000000
1959-07-18 PITSFGL 000000000
1958-05-07 PITSFGL 401000000
1958-05-04 PITSFGL 201000010
1957-09-29 PITNY1W 502000200
1957-09-24 PITBROL 301000000
1957-09-22 PITNY1W 311000100
1957-09-21 PITNY1W 402000000
1957-09-18 PITCINL 400000000
1957-09-17 PITCINL 200000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Hardy Peterson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 65 49 244 36 7 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Hardy Peterson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1955 PIT C 31 22 117 21 5 4
1957 PIT C 30 25 116 14 2 3
1958 PIT C 2 2 7 1 0 0
1959 PIT C 2 0 4 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Hardy Peterson — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 65

College History

Hardy Peterson — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick NJ 1948, 1949, 1950

Hardy Peterson: the record in brief

According to the bio, Hardy Peterson debuted on May 5, 1955 and played a final game on August 8, 1959. The team column never changes: it is the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1959. Peterson is listed as a catcher at 6-foot-0 and 205 pounds. Peterson both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is October 17, 1929, in Perth Amboy, NJ, USA. Peterson's death is recorded on April 16, 2019, in Union, NJ, USA. Hardy Peterson was the playing name; the full given name is Harding William.

Across 66 games at the plate, Peterson's career line reads 44 hits in 161 at bats for a .273 average, along with 3 home runs and 21 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .344 and .391 give Peterson a career OPS of .736. Set against a .258 league average for the same years, Peterson's .273 average sits 6.1% above it. The hits column peaks at 22, in 1957. 1957 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .301 against a league .257, a 17% edge.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hardy Peterson

What years did Hardy Peterson play?
Hardy Peterson played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1959.
Was Hardy Peterson a pitcher?
No. Hardy Peterson was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Hardy Peterson hit?
Hardy Peterson hit 3 career home runs with 44 hits.
What teams did Hardy Peterson play for?
Hardy Peterson played for one team, the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955, 1957–1959).
What were Hardy Peterson's career stats?
In 66 games, Hardy Peterson had 44 hits, 3 home runs, 21 RBI, and 17 runs, with a .273 batting average.
What position did Hardy Peterson play?
Hardy Peterson played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Hardy Peterson and how much did he weigh?
Hardy Peterson was listed at 6 feet and 205 pounds.
How many home runs did Hardy Peterson hit each season?
Hardy Peterson's home runs by season: 1 in 1955, 2 in 1957, 0 in 1958, and 0 in 1959. His most in one season was 2, in 1957.
What was Hardy Peterson's career batting average?
Hardy Peterson batted .273 over his career, with 44 hits in 161 at bats.
How many RBI did Hardy Peterson have?
Hardy Peterson drove in 21 runs in his career.
Is Hardy Peterson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Hardy Peterson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.