Dan Stearns
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1880-1889)
Dan Stearns was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1889 for 5 teams, including the Buffalo Bisons, a span of 10 seasons. In 509 career games, he hit .242 with 491 hits, 8 home runs, and 173 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 466.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 6/28/1944 in Glendale, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1880-08-17
- Last Game
- 1889-10-14
Full name: Daniel Eckford Stearns
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 509 | 2,025 | 295 | 491 | 72 | 36 | 8 | 173 | 67 | 173 | 117 | .242 | .306 | .325 | .631 | 466 |
Career AVG .242 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .306 vs. league average .292 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .325 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .631 vs. league average .628 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | NL | 28 | 104 | 8 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 | .183 | .244 (-25%) | .267 (-23%) | .319 (-19%) | .586 (-21%) | -284.4 |
| 1881 | DTN | NL | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1882 | CN2 | AA | 49 | 214 | 28 | 55 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .257 | .248 (+4%) | .275 (avg) | .329 (-2%) | .605 (-1%) | -29.5 |
| 1883 | BL2 | AA | 93 | 382 | 54 | 94 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | .246 | .257 (-4%) | .285 (+8%) | .345 (-5%) | .631 (+1%) | 170.7 |
| 1884 | BL2 | AA | 100 | 396 | 61 | 94 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | .237 | .243 (-2%) | .278 (+7%) | .327 (-7%) | .606 (avg) | 128.2 |
| 1885 | BL2 | AA | 67 | 253 | 40 | 47 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 29 | 0 | 38 | 0 | .186 | .244 (-24%) | .287 (+6%) | .325 (-16%) | .613 (-6%) | -28.1 |
| 1885 | BFN | NL | 30 | 105 | 7 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 23 | .200 | .244 (-18%) | .287 (-11%) | .325 (-15%) | .613 (-13%) | -28.1 |
| 1889 | KC2 | AA | 139 | 560 | 96 | 160 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 87 | 67 | 56 | 69 | .286 | .263 (+8%) | .334 (+5%) | .357 (+8%) | .691 (+7%) | 692.1 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 509 | 2,025 | 295 | 491 | 72 | 36 | 8 | 173 | 67 | 173 | 117 | .242 | — | — | — | — | 621 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 437 | 0 | 4344 | 169 | 206 | 203 |
| 2B | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 3B | 9 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| C | 12 | 0 | 29 | 17 | 9 | 1 |
| OF | 36 | 0 | 48 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
| SS | 24 | 0 | 35 | 62 | 22 | 6 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | BFN | 3B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1880 | BFN | C | 8 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 1 |
| 1880 | BFN | OF | 20 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 1880 | BFN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1881 | DTN | SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 1882 | CN2 | 1B | 35 | 0 | 305 | 5 | 23 | 16 |
| 1882 | CN2 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1882 | CN2 | OF | 12 | 0 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 1882 | CN2 | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1883 | BL2 | 1B | 92 | 0 | 984 | 38 | 57 | 38 |
| 1883 | BL2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1884 | BL2 | 1B | 100 | 0 | 959 | 48 | 54 | 36 |
| 1884 | BL2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | BL2 | 1B | 63 | 0 | 605 | 19 | 17 | 35 |
| 1885 | BL2 | C | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | BL2 | OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | BFN | 1B | 12 | 0 | 93 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 1885 | BFN | C | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | BFN | SS | 19 | 0 | 32 | 46 | 17 | 4 |
| 1889 | KC2 | 1B | 135 | 0 | 1398 | 56 | 49 | 75 |
| 1889 | KC2 | 3B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 12 |
| First Base | 437 |
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 9 |
| Shortstop | 24 |
| Left Field | 7 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 28 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dan Stearns (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dan Stearns: the record in brief
Dan Stearns played a first major league game on August 17, 1880 and a last one on October 14, 1889. Stearns played for the Buffalo Bisons (1880 through 1885), the Detroit Wolverines (1881), the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1882), the Baltimore Orioles (1883 to 1885), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1889). Stearns played primarily as a first baseman and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on October 17, 1861, in Buffalo, NY, USA and a listed size of 6'1" and 185 pounds. Stearns's death is recorded on June 28, 1944, in Glendale, CA, USA. On the record, Dan Stearns was born Daniel Eckford Stearns.
Stearns's career batting table shows 509 games, 2,025 at bats and 491 hits, a .242 average, along with 8 home runs, 173 RBI, and 67 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .306 and the slugging percentage .325, for an OPS of .631. Stearns hit .242 while the league hit .251 over the same span, a figure close to average. No season topped the 160 hits of 1889.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dan Stearns
- What years did Dan Stearns play?
- Dan Stearns played in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1889.
- Was Dan Stearns a pitcher?
- No. Dan Stearns was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Dan Stearns hit?
- Dan Stearns hit 8 career home runs with 491 hits.
- What was Dan Stearns's career batting average?
- Dan Stearns batted .242 over his career, with 491 hits in 2,025 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dan Stearns have?
- Dan Stearns drove in 173 runs in his career.
- Is Dan Stearns in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dan Stearns has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.