Lou Say
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1873-1884)
Lou Say was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1873 to 1884 for 8 teams, including the Baltimore Marylands, a span of 12 seasons. In 298 career games, he hit .232 with 287 hits, 5 home runs, and 52 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
- 5'7" / 145 lb
- Died
- 6/5/1930 in Fallston, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1873-04-14
- Last Game
- 1884-10-19
Full name: Louis I. Say
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 298 | 1,239 | 181 | 287 | 44 | 8 | 5 | 52 | 0 | 35 | 39 | .232 | .253 | .292 | .545 | -1,623 |
Career AVG .232 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 8.2% below league average.
Career OBP .253 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — 9.4% below league average.
Career SLG .292 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 11.7% below league average.
Career OPS .545 vs. league average .610 across their career seasons — 10.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 | BL4 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1874 | BL1 | 18 | 66 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .212 | .273 (-22%) | .282 (-25%) | .333 (-23%) | .615 (-24%) | -212.0 | |
| 1875 | WS6 | 11 | 38 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .263 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1880 | CN1 | NL | 48 | 191 | 14 | 38 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 31 | .199 | .244 (-19%) | .267 (-19%) | .319 (-21%) | .586 (-20%) | -501.3 |
| 1882 | PH4 | AA | 49 | 199 | 35 | 45 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 8 | 0 | .226 | .248 (-9%) | .275 (-7%) | .329 (-12%) | .605 (-10%) | -242.9 |
| 1883 | BL2 | AA | 74 | 324 | 52 | 83 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .256 | .257 (avg) | .285 (-3%) | .345 (-8%) | .631 (-6%) | -227.6 |
| 1884 | BLU | UA | 78 | 339 | 65 | 81 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | .239 | .243 (-2%) | .278 (-6%) | .327 (-5%) | .606 (-6%) | -264.5 |
| 1884 | KCU | UA | 17 | 70 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .200 | .243 (-18%) | .278 (-20%) | .327 (-17%) | .606 (-19%) | -264.5 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 298 | 1,239 | 181 | 287 | 44 | 8 | 5 | 52 | 0 | 35 | 39 | .232 | — | — | — | — | -1,713 | ||
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 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| SS | 293 | 18 | 359 | 1019 | 319 | 50 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 | BL4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1873 | BL4 | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 1874 | BL1 | SS | 18 | 18 | 16 | 83 | 27 | 0 |
| 1875 | WS6 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1875 | WS6 | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1875 | WS6 | SS | 8 | 0 | 13 | 31 | 19 | 0 |
| 1880 | CN1 | SS | 48 | 0 | 54 | 164 | 44 | 11 |
| 1882 | PH4 | SS | 49 | 0 | 69 | 192 | 40 | 7 |
| 1883 | BL2 | SS | 74 | 0 | 76 | 241 | 82 | 13 |
| 1884 | BLU | SS | 78 | 0 | 103 | 234 | 87 | 16 |
| 1884 | KCU | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | KCU | SS | 16 | 0 | 25 | 67 | 15 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 3 |
| Shortstop | 293 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Lou Say (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Lou Say: the record in brief
Lou Say played a first major league game on April 14, 1873 and a last one on October 19, 1884. By club, Say's seasons break down as the Baltimore Marylands (1873), the Baltimore Canaries (1874), the Washington Nationals (1875), the Cincinnati Reds (1880), the Philadelphia Athletics (1882), the Baltimore Orioles (1883), the Baltimore Monumentals (1884), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1884). Say, born on February 4, 1854, in Baltimore, MD, USA, is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. Say's listed size is 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds. The bio records the death on June 5, 1930, in Fallston, MD, USA. Lou Say was the playing name; the full given name is Louis I.
The batting record for Say: 298 games, 287 hits in 1,239 at bats, and a .232 average, adding 5 homers and 52 runs batted in. Say got on base at a .253 rate and slugged .292 (.545 OPS). Over the seasons Say played, league hitters batted .252; the .232 career figure is 8.2% below that. Say collected a career-high 83 hits in 1883. Say drove in a season-high 28 runs in 1882.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lou Say
- What years did Lou Say play?
- Lou Say played in Major League Baseball from 1873 to 1884.
- Was Lou Say a pitcher?
- No. Lou Say was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Lou Say hit?
- Lou Say hit 5 career home runs with 287 hits.
- What teams did Lou Say play for?
- Lou Say played for 8 teams: the Baltimore Marylands (1873), the Baltimore Canaries (1874), the Washington Nationals (1875), the Cincinnati Reds (1880), the Philadelphia Athletics (1882), the Baltimore Orioles (1883), the Baltimore Monumentals (1884), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1884).
- What were Lou Say's career stats?
- In 298 games, Lou Say had 287 hits, 5 home runs, 52 RBI, and 181 runs, with a .232 batting average.
- What position did Lou Say play?
- Lou Say played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lou Say and how much did he weigh?
- Lou Say was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 145 pounds.
- How many home runs did Lou Say hit each season?
- Lou Say's home runs by season: 0 in 1873, 0 in 1874, 0 in 1875, 0 in 1880, 1 in 1882, 1 in 1883, and 3 in 1884. His most in one season was 3, in 1884.
- What was Lou Say's career batting average?
- Lou Say batted .232 over his career, with 287 hits in 1,239 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lou Say have?
- Lou Say drove in 52 runs in his career.
- Is Lou Say in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lou Say has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.