James Stafford
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1890-1899)
James Stafford was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1899 for 5 teams, including the Buffalo Bisons, a span of 10 seasons. In 571 career games, he hit .274 with 585 hits, 21 home runs, and 291 RBI. He also pitched in 12 games, going 3-9 with a 5.14 ERA.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 165 lb
- Died
- 9/18/1923 in Worcester, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1890-08-27
- Last Game
- 1899-10-12
Full name: James Joseph Stafford
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 571 | 2,137 | 341 | 585 | 60 | 19 | 21 | 291 | 118 | 164 | 182 | .274 | .330 | .349 | .680 | -2,257 |
Career AVG .274 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .330 vs. league average .350 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career SLG .349 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.
Career OPS .680 vs. league average .728 across their career seasons — 6.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | BFP | PL | 15 | 49 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | .143 | — | — | — | — | -290.7 |
| 1893 | NY1 | NL | 67 | 281 | 58 | 79 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 19 | 25 | 31 | .281 | .279 (+1%) | .356 (-3%) | .379 (+2%) | .735 (-1%) | -47.3 |
| 1894 | NY1 | NL | 14 | 46 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 7 | .217 | — | — | — | — | -141.1 |
| 1895 | NY1 | NL | 124 | 463 | 79 | 129 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 73 | 42 | 40 | 32 | .279 | .296 (-6%) | .361 (-5%) | .399 (-14%) | .761 (-9%) | -684.1 |
| 1896 | NY1 | NL | 59 | 230 | 28 | 66 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 15 | 13 | 18 | .287 | .290 (-1%) | .354 (-6%) | .387 (-14%) | .741 (-10%) | -363.8 |
| 1897 | NY1 | NL | 7 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .087 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1897 | LS3 | NL | 113 | 441 | 68 | 122 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 54 | 15 | 31 | 35 | .277 | .291 (-5%) | .354 (-7%) | .387 (-1%) | .741 (-4%) | 0.0 |
| 1898 | LS3 | NL | 49 | 181 | 26 | 54 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 7 | 19 | 16 | .298 | .270 (+10%) | .333 (+10%) | .347 (-4%) | .680 (+3%) | 153.0 |
| 1898 | BSN | NL | 37 | 123 | 21 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 8 | .260 | .270 (-4%) | .333 (-13%) | .347 (-13%) | .680 (-13%) | 153.0 |
| 1899 | BSN | NL | 55 | 182 | 29 | 55 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 40 | 9 | 7 | 14 | .302 | .282 (+7%) | .343 (-4%) | .366 (+8%) | .710 (+2%) | 12.9 |
| 1899 | WAS | NL | 31 | 118 | 11 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 12 | .246 | .282 (-13%) | .343 (-20%) | .366 (-10%) | .710 (-15%) | 12.9 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 571 | 2,137 | 341 | 585 | 60 | 19 | 21 | 291 | 118 | 164 | 182 | .274 | — | — | — | — | -1,195 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | BFP | PL | 3 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 98.0 | 123 | 56 | 43 | 21 | 5.14 | 3.88 (-32%) | -2705.1 |
| Career · 1 season | 3 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 98.0 | 123 | 56 | 43 | 21 | 5.14 | — | -2,705 | ||
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 (173 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 84 | 278 | 48 | 84 | 6 | 51 | .302 |
| Away | 89 | 326 | 39 | 87 | 0 | 35 | .267 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899-10-12 | WSN | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-10-12 | WSN | NY1 | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1899-10-09 | WSN | BLN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-10-09 | WSN | BLN | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1899-10-03 | WSN | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-22 | WSN | LS3 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1899-09-21 | WSN | LS3 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-21 | WSN | LS3 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1899-09-20 | WSN | LS3 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-20 | WSN | LS3 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2B | 161 | 0 | 338 | 452 | 78 | 55 |
| 3B | 12 | 0 | 17 | 23 | 8 | 1 |
| OF | 251 | 0 | 436 | 24 | 45 | 9 |
| P | 12 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| SS | 131 | 0 | 266 | 432 | 97 | 47 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | BFP | OF | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1890 | BFP | P | 12 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| 1893 | NY1 | OF | 67 | 0 | 129 | 8 | 15 | 4 |
| 1894 | NY1 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1894 | NY1 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1894 | NY1 | 3B | 6 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| 1894 | NY1 | OF | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1895 | NY1 | 2B | 110 | 0 | 242 | 329 | 56 | 44 |
| 1895 | NY1 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1895 | NY1 | OF | 12 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1896 | NY1 | OF | 53 | 0 | 78 | 9 | 10 | 2 |
| 1896 | NY1 | SS | 6 | 0 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 1897 | NY1 | OF | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1897 | NY1 | SS | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 1897 | LS3 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1897 | LS3 | OF | 7 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1897 | LS3 | SS | 105 | 0 | 203 | 358 | 72 | 35 |
| 1898 | LS3 | 2B | 28 | 0 | 58 | 78 | 15 | 6 |
| 1898 | LS3 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | LS3 | OF | 22 | 0 | 33 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 1898 | BSN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | BSN | OF | 35 | 0 | 59 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 1899 | BSN | 2B | 5 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 3 |
| 1899 | BSN | OF | 41 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1899 | BSN | SS | 5 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 1899 | WAS | 2B | 17 | 0 | 27 | 31 | 3 | 2 |
| 1899 | WAS | 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1899 | WAS | SS | 13 | 0 | 35 | 43 | 14 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 12 |
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 161 |
| Third Base | 12 |
| Shortstop | 131 |
| Left Field | 96 |
| Center Field | 111 |
| Right Field | 44 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
James Stafford (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
James Stafford: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 27, 1890 and the final game on October 12, 1899, James Stafford built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Buffalo Bisons (1890), the New York Giants (1893 through 1897), the Louisville Colonels (1897 through 1898), the Boston Beaneaters (1898 through 1899), and the Washington Senators (1899). Stafford played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. Born on January 30, 1868, in Thompson, CT, USA, Stafford was listed at 165 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. Stafford died on September 18, 1923, in Worcester, MA, USA. Stafford's full given name, per the bio, is James Joseph Stafford.
Stafford collected 585 hits in 2,137 at bats across 571 games, good for a .274 batting average; the totals also include 21 homers, 291 RBI, and 118 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .330 and .349 give Stafford a career OPS of .680. Stafford hit .274 while the league hit .282 over the same span, a figure close to average.
Frequently Asked Questions about James Stafford
- What years did James Stafford play?
- James Stafford played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1899.
- Was James Stafford a pitcher?
- Both. James Stafford pitched in 12 games, going 3-9 with a 5.14 ERA, but spent most of his career as an Outfielder.
- How many home runs did James Stafford hit?
- James Stafford hit 21 career home runs with 585 hits.
- What teams did James Stafford play for?
- James Stafford played for 5 teams: the Buffalo Bisons (1890), the New York Giants (1893–1897), the Louisville Colonels (1897–1898), the Boston Beaneaters (1898–1899), and the Washington Senators (1899).
- What were James Stafford's career stats?
- In 571 games, James Stafford had 585 hits, 21 home runs, 291 RBI, 341 runs, and 118 stolen bases, with a .274 batting average. As a pitcher, in 12 games, he went 3-9 with a 5.14 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and 98.0 innings pitched.
- What position did James Stafford play?
- James Stafford played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was James Stafford and how much did he weigh?
- James Stafford was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did James Stafford hit each season?
- James Stafford's home runs by season: 0 in 1890, 5 in 1893, 0 in 1894, 3 in 1895, 0 in 1896, 7 in 1897, 2 in 1898, and 4 in 1899. His most in one season was 7, in 1897.
- What was James Stafford's career batting average?
- James Stafford batted .274 over his career, with 585 hits in 2,137 at bats.
- How many RBI did James Stafford have?
- James Stafford drove in 291 runs in his career.
- What was James Stafford's career ERA?
- James Stafford finished with a 5.14 career ERA, going 3-9 with 21 strikeouts.
- Is James Stafford in the Hall of Fame?
- No. James Stafford has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.