Dave Rader
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1971-1980)
Dave Rader was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1980 for 5 teams, including the San Francisco Giants, a span of 10 seasons. In 846 career games, he hit .257 with 619 hits, 30 home runs, and 235 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 165 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1971-09-05
- Last Game
- 1980-10-05
Full name: David Martin Rader
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 846 | 2,405 | 254 | 619 | 107 | 12 | 30 | 235 | 8 | 245 | 180 | .257 | .326 | .349 | .675 | -640 |
Career AVG .257 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .326 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .349 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.
Career OPS .675 vs. league average .701 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | SFN | NL | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | SFN | NL | 133 | 459 | 44 | 119 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 41 | 1 | 29 | 31 | .259 | .243 (+6%) | .310 (-1%) | .353 (-6%) | .664 (-4%) | -258.3 |
| 1973 | SFN | NL | 148 | 462 | 59 | 106 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 41 | 0 | 63 | 22 | .229 | .256 (-11%) | .325 (avg) | .378 (-11%) | .703 (-6%) | -310.6 |
| 1974 | SFN | NL | 113 | 323 | 26 | 94 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 31 | 21 | .291 | .256 (+13%) | .324 (+8%) | .369 (-2%) | .693 (+3%) | 209.5 |
| 1975 | SFN | NL | 98 | 292 | 39 | 85 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 1 | 32 | 30 | .291 | .257 (+13%) | .327 (+10%) | .374 (+5%) | .701 (+7%) | 444.2 |
| 1976 | SFN | NL | 88 | 255 | 25 | 67 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 27 | 21 | .263 | .255 (+3%) | .320 (+4%) | .360 (-8%) | .681 (-2%) | -45.1 |
| 1977 | SLN | NL | 66 | 114 | 15 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 10 | .263 | .264 (avg) | .329 (-6%) | .401 (-8%) | .730 (-7%) | -161.6 |
| 1978 | CHN | NL | 116 | 305 | 29 | 62 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 1 | 34 | 26 | .203 | .257 (-21%) | .323 (-13%) | .378 (-22%) | .702 (-18%) | -871.0 |
| 1979 | PHI | NL | 31 | 54 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 7 | .204 | .265 (-23%) | .329 (-14%) | .397 (-21%) | .727 (-18%) | -152.0 |
| 1980 | BOS | AL | 50 | 137 | 14 | 45 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 12 | .328 | .264 (+24%) | .326 (+19%) | .387 (+22%) | .714 (+21%) | 505.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 846 | 2,405 | 254 | 619 | 107 | 12 | 30 | 235 | 8 | 245 | 180 | .257 | — | — | — | — | -640 | ||
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 (846 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 433 | 1228 | 133 | 319 | 15 | 133 | .260 |
| Away | 413 | 1177 | 121 | 300 | 15 | 102 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-10-05 | BOS | TOR | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980-10-04 | BOS | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980-10-02 | BOS | TOR | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980-09-29 | BOS | BAL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980-09-28 | BOS | TOR | W | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1980-09-27 | BOS | TOR | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980-09-26 | BOS | TOR | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980-09-23 | BOS | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-21 | BOS | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980-09-20 | BOS | NYY | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | SFN | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | SFN | C | 127 | 122 | 661 | 45 | 11 | 7 |
| 1973 | SFN | C | 148 | 135 | 701 | 48 | 7 | 5 |
| 1974 | SFN | C | 109 | 88 | 461 | 38 | 8 | 4 |
| 1975 | SFN | C | 94 | 80 | 457 | 37 | 8 | 7 |
| 1976 | SFN | C | 81 | 70 | 349 | 32 | 6 | 4 |
| 1977 | SLN | C | 38 | 23 | 147 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
| 1978 | CHN | C | 114 | 83 | 412 | 51 | 11 | 7 |
| 1979 | PHI | C | 25 | 10 | 62 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 1980 | BOS | C | 34 | 27 | 140 | 15 | 3 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 770 |
| Designated Hitter | 9 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 2nd | 4.0 | 24 | 4 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dave Rader (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dave Rader: the record in brief
The profile opens with Dave Rader's first major league game on September 5, 1971; the last one listed came on October 5, 1980. By club, Rader's seasons break down as the San Francisco Giants (1971 to 1976), the St. Louis Cardinals (1977), the Chicago Cubs (1978), the Philadelphia Phillies (1979), and the Boston Red Sox (1980). The bio lists Rader as a catcher who threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Height and weight on file: 165 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The birth record reads December 26, 1948, in Claremore, OK, USA. Dave Rader was the playing name; the full given name is David Martin.
Rader's career batting table shows 846 games, 2,405 at bats and 619 hits, a .257 average, plus 30 homers and 235 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .326 and the slugging percentage .349, for an OPS of .675. Rader hit .257 while the league hit .257 over the same span, a figure close to average. The hits column peaks at 119, in 1972. 1972 brought the most runs batted in, 41.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Rader
- What years did Dave Rader play?
- Dave Rader played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1980.
- Was Dave Rader a pitcher?
- No. Dave Rader was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Dave Rader hit?
- Dave Rader hit 30 career home runs with 619 hits.
- What was Dave Rader's career batting average?
- Dave Rader batted .257 over his career, with 619 hits in 2,405 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Rader have?
- Dave Rader drove in 235 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Rader in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Rader has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.