Mike Roarke

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1961-1964)

Mike Roarke was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1964 for the Detroit Tigers, a span of 4 seasons. In 194 career games, he hit .230 with 113 hits, 6 home runs, and 44 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

AVG .230
HR 6
RBI 44
H 113
OPS .594
PIV -1,263
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'2" / 195 lb
Born
11/8/1930 in West Warwick, RI, USA
Died
7/27/2019 in Cranston, RI, USA
MLB Debut
1961-04-19
Last Game
1964-10-03

Full name: Michael Thomas Roarke

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Career Batting Statistics

Mike Roarke — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
194 491 41 113 11 2 6 44 0 45 61 .230 .296 .297 .594 -1,263

Career AVG .230 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.

Career OBP .296 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.

Career SLG .297 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 22.8% below league average.

Career OPS .594 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — 15.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Mike Roarke — 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
1961 DET AL 86 229 21 51 6 1 2 22 0 20 31 .223 .258 (-14%) .328 (-14%) .399 (-29%) .727 (-22%) -805.5
1962 DET AL 56 136 11 29 4 1 4 14 0 13 17 .213 .257 (-17%) .326 (-12%) .393 (-12%) .719 (-12%) -261.3
1963 DET AL 23 44 5 14 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 .318 — — — — 0.0
1964 DET AL 29 82 4 19 1 0 0 7 0 10 10 .232 .250 (-7%) .312 (+1%) .377 (-35%) .690 (-19%) -196.1
Career · 4 seasons 194 491 41 113 11 2 6 44 0 45 61 .230 — — — — -1,263

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 (194 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Mike Roarke — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1002582266324.256
Away942331947320.202

Last 10 Games — Batting

Mike Roarke — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1964-10-03 DETBALL 412000101
1964-08-06 DETCHWW 401000000
1964-07-31 DETCLEL 200000001
1964-07-25 DETNYYL 200000021
1964-07-20 DETBOSW 300000000
1964-07-18 DETBALW 401000000
1964-07-15 DETLAAL 200000010
1964-07-12 DETBALW 403000210
1964-07-10 DETBOSW 212100020
1964-07-10 DETBOSL 000000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Mike Roarke — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 181 140 863 62 12 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Mike Roarke — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1961 DET C 85 67 383 22 5 5
1962 DET C 53 39 247 24 5 1
1963 DET C 16 9 68 5 1 1
1964 DET C 27 25 165 11 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Mike Roarke — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 181

College History

Mike Roarke — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Boston College Chestnut Hill MA 1950, 1951, 1952

Mike Roarke: the record in brief

Mike Roarke played a first major league game on April 19, 1961 and a last one on October 3, 1964. Every season row on the page belongs to the Detroit Tigers, from 1961 through 1964. Born on November 8, 1930, in West Warwick, RI, USA, Roarke is listed as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6'2" and 195 pounds. The bio records the death on July 27, 2019, in Cranston, RI, USA. The bio lists the given name Michael Thomas.

Across 194 games at the plate, Roarke's career line reads 113 hits in 491 at bats for a .230 average, plus 6 homers and 44 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .296 clip and slugging .297, Roarke finished with a .594 OPS. Measured against the leagues Roarke played in, the .230 career average compares with a .253 league average over the same seasons, 9.0% below the league. By OPS the gap is 15.7% below league average (.594 against .704). No season topped the 51 hits of 1961. 1961 brought the most runs batted in, 22. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .223 in 1961, did not top the league's .258.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Roarke

What years did Mike Roarke play?
Mike Roarke played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1964.
Was Mike Roarke a pitcher?
No. Mike Roarke was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Mike Roarke hit?
Mike Roarke hit 6 career home runs with 113 hits.
What teams did Mike Roarke play for?
Mike Roarke played for one team, the Detroit Tigers (1961–1964).
What were Mike Roarke's career stats?
In 194 games, Mike Roarke had 113 hits, 6 home runs, 44 RBI, and 41 runs, with a .230 batting average.
What position did Mike Roarke play?
Mike Roarke played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Mike Roarke and how much did he weigh?
Mike Roarke was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 195 pounds.
How many home runs did Mike Roarke hit each season?
Mike Roarke's home runs by season: 2 in 1961, 4 in 1962, 0 in 1963, and 0 in 1964. His most in one season was 4, in 1962.
What was Mike Roarke's career batting average?
Mike Roarke batted .230 over his career, with 113 hits in 491 at bats.
How many RBI did Mike Roarke have?
Mike Roarke drove in 44 runs in his career.
Is Mike Roarke in the Hall of Fame?
No. Mike Roarke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.