John Smith
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1873-1875)
John Smith was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1873 to 1875 for the Baltimore Marylands, the Baltimore Canaries, and the New Haven Elm Citys, a span of 3 seasons. In 12 career games, he hit .140 with 6 hits and 2 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
- MLB Debut
- 1873-04-14
- Last Game
- 1875-05-21
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 43 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .140 | .159 | .163 | .322 | 0 |
Career AVG .140 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — 48.3% below league average.
Career OBP .159 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — 43.0% below league average.
Career SLG .163 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 50.6% below league average.
Career OPS .322 vs. league average .609 across their career seasons — 47.1% 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 | 5 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .105 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1874 | BL1 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1875 | NH1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| Career · 3 seasons | 12 | 43 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .140 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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.
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Shortstop | 10 |
| Left Field | 2 |
John Smith: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 14, 1873 and the final game on May 21, 1875, John Smith built the record summarized on this page. By club, Smith's seasons break down as the Baltimore Marylands (1873), the Baltimore Canaries (1874), and the New Haven Elm Citys (1875). The bio lists Smith's primary position as shortstop.
Smith collected 6 hits in 43 at bats across 12 games, good for a .140 batting average, plus 2 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .159 and .163 give Smith a career OPS of .322. Measured against the leagues Smith played in, the .140 career average compares with a .270 league average over the same seasons, 48.3% below the league. The highest hit total in a season was 4, in 1874. The best average in the busiest seasons was .190, in 1874.
Most of Smith's defensive work, 10 games, came at shortstop; the rest of the position table shows left field (2). At shortstop, the fielding record shows 15 errors alongside 17 putouts and 22 assists.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Smith
- What years did John Smith play?
- John Smith played in Major League Baseball from 1873 to 1875.
- Was John Smith a pitcher?
- No. John Smith was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did John Smith hit?
- John Smith hit 0 career home runs with 6 hits.
- What was John Smith's career batting average?
- John Smith batted .140 over his career, with 6 hits in 43 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Smith have?
- John Smith drove in 2 runs in his career.
- Is John Smith in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Smith has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.