Farmer Steelman
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1899-1902)
Farmer Steelman was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1899 to 1902 for the Louisville Colonels, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 4 seasons. In 43 career games, he hit .218 with 31 hits and 15 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / —
- Died
- 9/16/1944 in Merchantville, NJ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1899-09-15
- Last Game
- 1902-05-22
Full name: Morris James Steelman
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 142 | 8 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 14 | 21 | .218 | .297 | .254 | .551 | -49 |
Career AVG .218 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — 20.3% below league average.
Career OBP .297 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 10.2% below league average.
Career SLG .254 vs. league average .358 across their career seasons — 29.1% below league average.
Career OPS .551 vs. league average .689 across their career seasons — 20.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | LS3 | NL | 4 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1900 | BRO | NL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | BRO | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | PHA | AL | 27 | 88 | 5 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 9 | .261 | .271 (-4%) | .326 (+7%) | .359 (-21%) | .686 (-8%) | 0.0 |
| 1902 | PHA | AL | 10 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | .188 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 43 | 142 | 8 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 14 | 21 | .218 | — | — | — | — | 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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (44 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 22 | 73 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 11 | .233 |
| Away | 22 | 71 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 4 | .197 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902-05-22 | PHA | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1902-05-20 | PHA | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1902-05-15 | PHA | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1902-05-12 | PHA | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1902-05-10 | PHA | BLA | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1902-05-09 | PHA | BLA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1902-05-08 | PHA | BLA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1902-05-07 | PHA | BLA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1902-04-29 | PHA | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1902-04-26 | PHA | BLA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 25 |
| Right Field | 17 |
Farmer Steelman: the record in brief
According to the bio, Farmer Steelman debuted on September 15, 1899 and played a final game on May 22, 1902. Club by club, the record runs the Louisville Colonels (1899), the Brooklyn Superbas (1900 through 1901), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1901 to 1902). Steelman, born on June 29, 1875, in Millville, NJ, USA, is listed as a catcher. Steelman's death is recorded on September 16, 1944, in Merchantville, NJ, USA. The given name on file is Morris James Steelman.
Steelman finished with 31 hits from 142 at bats in 43 games, which works out to .218, plus 15 RBI. Reaching base at a .297 clip and slugging .254, Steelman finished with a .551 OPS. Measured against the leagues Steelman played in, the .218 career average compares with a .274 league average over the same seasons, 20.3% below the league. By OPS the gap is 20.0% below league average (.551 against .689). 1901 produced Steelman's most hits, 23 of them for the Philadelphia Athletics. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .261 in 1901, did not top the league's .271.
Frequently Asked Questions about Farmer Steelman
- What years did Farmer Steelman play?
- Farmer Steelman played in Major League Baseball from 1899 to 1902.
- Was Farmer Steelman a pitcher?
- No. Farmer Steelman was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Farmer Steelman hit?
- Farmer Steelman hit 0 career home runs with 31 hits.
- What was Farmer Steelman's career batting average?
- Farmer Steelman batted .218 over his career, with 31 hits in 142 at bats.
- How many RBI did Farmer Steelman have?
- Farmer Steelman drove in 15 runs in his career.
- Is Farmer Steelman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Farmer Steelman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.