Duke Sims
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1964-1974)
Duke Sims was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1974 for 5 teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 11 seasons. In 843 career games, he hit .239 with 580 hits, 100 home runs, and 310 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 4,999.
- 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
- 6'2" / 197 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1964-09-22
- Last Game
- 1974-09-26
Full name: Duane B. Sims
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 843 | 2,422 | 263 | 580 | 80 | 6 | 100 | 310 | 6 | 338 | 483 | .239 | .340 | .401 | .741 | 4,999 |
Career AVG .239 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .340 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — +7.8% above league average.
Career SLG .401 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — +9.0% above league average.
Career OPS .741 vs. league average .683 across their career seasons — +8.5% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | CLE | AL | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CLE | AL | 48 | 118 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 33 | .178 | .245 (-28%) | .310 (-13%) | .371 (-11%) | .682 (-12%) | -196.5 |
| 1966 | CLE | AL | 52 | 133 | 12 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 11 | 31 | .263 | .248 (+6%) | .309 (+9%) | .376 (+18%) | .685 (+14%) | 327.8 |
| 1967 | CLE | AL | 88 | 272 | 25 | 55 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 37 | 3 | 30 | 64 | .202 | .242 (-17%) | .306 (-4%) | .357 (+6%) | .663 (+1%) | 71.6 |
| 1968 | CLE | AL | 122 | 361 | 48 | 90 | 21 | 0 | 11 | 44 | 1 | 62 | 68 | .249 | .236 (+5%) | .298 (+22%) | .340 (+17%) | .638 (+20%) | 1528.5 |
| 1969 | CLE | AL | 114 | 326 | 40 | 77 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 45 | 1 | 66 | 80 | .236 | .248 (-5%) | .320 (+17%) | .369 (+15%) | .689 (+16%) | 1262.5 |
| 1970 | CLE | AL | 110 | 345 | 46 | 91 | 12 | 0 | 23 | 56 | 0 | 46 | 59 | .264 | .253 (+4%) | .325 (+11%) | .385 (+29%) | .711 (+21%) | 1432.5 |
| 1971 | LAN | NL | 90 | 230 | 23 | 63 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 25 | 0 | 30 | 39 | .274 | .249 (+10%) | .316 (+13%) | .365 (+10%) | .682 (+11%) | 508.7 |
| 1972 | LAN | NL | 51 | 151 | 7 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 23 | .192 | .243 (-21%) | .310 (-10%) | .353 (-21%) | .664 (-16%) | -340.4 |
| 1972 | DET | AL | 38 | 98 | 11 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 18 | .316 | .243 (+30%) | .310 (+39%) | .353 (+36%) | .664 (+37%) | -340.4 |
| 1973 | DET | AL | 80 | 252 | 31 | 61 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 1 | 30 | 36 | .242 | .256 (-6%) | .325 (avg) | .378 (avg) | .703 (avg) | 1.6 |
| 1973 | NYA | AL | 4 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 1.6 |
| 1974 | NYA | AL | 5 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .133 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | TEX | AL | 39 | 106 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 24 | .208 | .256 (-19%) | .324 (-14%) | .369 (-21%) | .693 (-17%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 843 | 2,422 | 263 | 580 | 80 | 6 | 100 | 310 | 6 | 338 | 483 | .239 | — | — | — | — | 4,258 | ||
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 (843 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 428 | 1182 | 151 | 286 | 55 | 150 | .242 |
| Away | 415 | 1240 | 112 | 294 | 45 | 160 | .237 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-09-26 | TEX | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-21 | TEX | KCR | L | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-09 | TEX | LAA | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-09 | TEX | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-05 | TEX | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-02 | TEX | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-08-13 | TEX | MIL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-08-08 | TEX | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-08-04 | TEX | CHW | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1974-07-30 | TEX | OAK | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 61 | 53 | 372 | 37 | 9 | 31 |
| C | 646 | 559 | 3762 | 319 | 58 | 49 |
| OF | 54 | 48 | 72 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | CLE | C | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | CLE | C | 40 | 33 | 228 | 22 | 5 | 2 |
| 1966 | CLE | C | 48 | 31 | 260 | 15 | 7 | 2 |
| 1967 | CLE | C | 85 | 77 | 561 | 56 | 7 | 7 |
| 1968 | CLE | 1B | 31 | 28 | 191 | 19 | 6 | 16 |
| 1968 | CLE | C | 84 | 71 | 523 | 41 | 10 | 7 |
| 1968 | CLE | OF | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | CLE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | CLE | C | 102 | 94 | 634 | 51 | 6 | 8 |
| 1969 | CLE | OF | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | CLE | 1B | 29 | 25 | 180 | 18 | 3 | 15 |
| 1970 | CLE | C | 39 | 38 | 277 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 1970 | CLE | OF | 36 | 34 | 48 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | LAN | C | 74 | 59 | 345 | 33 | 3 | 5 |
| 1972 | LAN | C | 48 | 41 | 244 | 17 | 3 | 4 |
| 1972 | DET | C | 25 | 25 | 145 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 | DET | OF | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1973 | DET | C | 68 | 62 | 375 | 39 | 9 | 7 |
| 1973 | DET | OF | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | NYA | C | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | NYA | C | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | TEX | C | 30 | 26 | 143 | 21 | 5 | 4 |
| 1974 | TEX | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 646 |
| First Base | 61 |
| Left Field | 35 |
| Right Field | 19 |
| Designated Hitter | 7 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Duke Sims (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Duke Sims: the record in brief
Duke Sims played a first major league game on September 22, 1964 and a last one on September 26, 1974. The season rows list, in order, the Cleveland Indians (1964 through 1970), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1971 to 1972), the Detroit Tigers (1972 to 1973), the New York Yankees (1973 through 1974), and the Texas Rangers (1974). At 197 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame, Sims is listed as a catcher. The bio says Sims batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Sims was born on June 5, 1941, in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Duke Sims was the playing name; the full given name is Duane B.
Sims's career batting table shows 843 games, 2,422 at bats and 580 hits, a .239 average, adding 100 homers and 310 RBI. Sims's career OPS of .741 combines a .340 on-base mark with .401 slugging. Sims hit .239 while the league hit .249 over the same span, a figure close to average. The OPS comparison is .741 to a league .683, 8.5% above average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Duke Sims
- What years did Duke Sims play?
- Duke Sims played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1974.
- Was Duke Sims a pitcher?
- No. Duke Sims was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Duke Sims hit?
- Duke Sims hit 100 career home runs with 580 hits.
- What teams did Duke Sims play for?
- Duke Sims played for 5 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1964–1970), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1971–1972), the Detroit Tigers (1972–1973), the New York Yankees (1973–1974), and the Texas Rangers (1974).
- What were Duke Sims's career stats?
- In 843 games, Duke Sims had 580 hits, 100 home runs, 310 RBI, 263 runs, and 6 stolen bases, with a .239 batting average.
- What position did Duke Sims play?
- Duke Sims played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Duke Sims and how much did he weigh?
- Duke Sims was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 197 pounds.
- How many home runs did Duke Sims hit each season?
- Duke Sims's home runs by season: 0 in 1964, 6 in 1965, 6 in 1966, 12 in 1967, 11 in 1968, 18 in 1969, 23 in 1970, 6 in 1971, 6 in 1972, 9 in 1973, and 3 in 1974. His most in one season was 23, in 1970.
- What was Duke Sims's career batting average?
- Duke Sims batted .239 over his career, with 580 hits in 2,422 at bats.
- How many RBI did Duke Sims have?
- Duke Sims drove in 310 runs in his career.
- Is Duke Sims in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Duke Sims has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.