Tom Poorman
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1880-1888)
Tom Poorman was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1888 for 5 teams, including the Buffalo Bisons, a span of 9 seasons. In 496 career games, he hit .244 with 498 hits, 12 home runs, and 172 RBI. He also pitched in 15 games, going 3-9 with a 4.02 ERA.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 135 lb
- Died
- 2/18/1905 in Lock Haven, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1880-05-05
- Last Game
- 1888-09-18
Full name: Thomas Iverson Poorman
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 496 | 2,043 | 396 | 498 | 65 | 43 | 12 | 172 | 165 | 102 | 191 | .244 | .285 | .335 | .620 | -1,113 |
Career AVG .244 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .285 vs. league average .295 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .335 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .620 vs. league average .630 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | NL | 19 | 70 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | .157 | .244 (-36%) | .267 (-41%) | .319 (-46%) | .586 (-44%) | -391.6 |
| 1880 | CHN | NL | 7 | 25 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | — | — | — | — | -391.6 |
| 1884 | TL1 | AA | 94 | 382 | 56 | 89 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .233 | .243 (-4%) | .278 (-9%) | .327 (-11%) | .606 (-10%) | -540.0 |
| 1885 | BSN | NL | 56 | 227 | 44 | 54 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 32 | .238 | .244 (-3%) | .287 (-9%) | .325 (avg) | .613 (-4%) | -169.2 |
| 1886 | BSN | NL | 88 | 371 | 72 | 97 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 31 | 19 | 52 | .261 | .246 (+6%) | .302 (-2%) | .331 (+9%) | .634 (+4%) | 144.6 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 135 | 585 | 140 | 155 | 18 | 19 | 4 | 61 | 88 | 35 | 46 | .265 | .270 (-2%) | .331 (-4%) | .373 (+2%) | .705 (-1%) | -180.5 |
| 1888 | PH4 | AA | 97 | 383 | 76 | 87 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 44 | 46 | 31 | 46 | .227 | .238 (-5%) | .290 (+1%) | .319 (-1%) | .610 (avg) | 23.6 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 496 | 2,043 | 396 | 498 | 65 | 43 | 12 | 172 | 165 | 102 | 191 | .244 | — | — | — | — | -1,505 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | NL | 1 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 85.0 | 117 | 39 | 19 | 13 | 4.13 | 2.37 (-74%) | -2086.5 |
| 1880 | CHN | NL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 2.40 | 2.37 (-1%) | -659.4 |
| 1884 | TL1 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3.00 | 3.11 (+3%) | 0.0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 40.50 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 3 | 9 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 109.2 | 147 | 49 | 30 | 14 | 4.02 | — | -2,746 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 486 | 0 | 722 | 86 | 105 | 19 |
| P | 15 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 5 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | OF | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1880 | BFN | P | 11 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1880 | CHN | OF | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1880 | CHN | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | TL1 | OF | 93 | 0 | 129 | 29 | 29 | 5 |
| 1884 | TL1 | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | BSN | OF | 56 | 0 | 82 | 9 | 14 | 1 |
| 1886 | BSN | OF | 88 | 0 | 145 | 21 | 18 | 6 |
| 1887 | PH4 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | OF | 135 | 0 | 237 | 18 | 25 | 6 |
| 1887 | PH4 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | PH4 | OF | 97 | 0 | 115 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 15 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Center Field | 10 |
| Right Field | 476 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Tom Poorman (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Tom Poorman: the record in brief
Tom Poorman's major league career runs from a debut on May 5, 1880 to a final game on September 18, 1888. By club, Poorman's seasons break down as the Buffalo Bisons (1880), the Chicago White Stockings (1880), the Toledo Blue Stockings (1884), the Boston Beaneaters (1885 to 1886), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1887 to 1888). Born on October 14, 1857, in Lock Haven, PA, USA, Poorman is listed as an outfielder and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Size on record: 5'7" and 135 pounds. Poorman's death is recorded on February 18, 1905, in Lock Haven, PA, USA. Tom Poorman was the playing name; the full given name is Thomas Iverson.
Across 496 games at the plate, Poorman's career line reads 498 hits in 2,043 at bats for a .244 average; the totals also include 12 home runs, 172 runs batted in, and 165 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .285 and .335 give Poorman a career OPS of .620.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Poorman
- What years did Tom Poorman play?
- Tom Poorman played in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1888.
- Was Tom Poorman a pitcher?
- Both. Tom Poorman pitched in 15 games, going 3-9 with a 4.02 ERA, but spent most of his career as an Outfielder.
- How many home runs did Tom Poorman hit?
- Tom Poorman hit 12 career home runs with 498 hits.
- What teams did Tom Poorman play for?
- Tom Poorman played for 5 teams: the Buffalo Bisons (1880), the Chicago White Stockings (1880), the Toledo Blue Stockings (1884), the Boston Beaneaters (1885–1886), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1887–1888).
- What were Tom Poorman's career stats?
- In 496 games, Tom Poorman had 498 hits, 12 home runs, 172 RBI, 396 runs, and 165 stolen bases, with a .244 batting average. As a pitcher, in 15 games, he went 3-9 with a 4.02 ERA, 14 strikeouts, 109.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Tom Poorman play?
- Tom Poorman played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Poorman and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Poorman was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 135 pounds.
- How many home runs did Tom Poorman hit each season?
- Tom Poorman's home runs by season: 0 in 1880, 0 in 1884, 3 in 1885, 3 in 1886, 4 in 1887, and 2 in 1888. His most in one season was 4, in 1887.
- What was Tom Poorman's career batting average?
- Tom Poorman batted .244 over his career, with 498 hits in 2,043 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tom Poorman have?
- Tom Poorman drove in 172 runs in his career.
- What was Tom Poorman's career ERA?
- Tom Poorman finished with a 4.02 career ERA, going 3-9 with 14 strikeouts.
- Is Tom Poorman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Poorman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.