Elmer Sutcliffe
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1892)
Elmer Sutcliffe was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1892 for 7 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 9 seasons. In 344 career games, he hit .288 with 381 hits, 6 home runs, and 174 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,631.
- 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 170 lb
- Died
- 2/13/1893 in Wheaton, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-10-02
- Last Game
- 1892-10-06
Full name: Elmer Ellsworth Sutcliffe
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 344 | 1,322 | 177 | 381 | 43 | 24 | 6 | 174 | 41 | 92 | 87 | .288 | .336 | .371 | .707 | 1,631 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.
Career OBP .336 vs. league average .312 across their career seasons — +7.7% above league average.
Career SLG .371 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +10.0% above league average.
Career OPS .707 vs. league average .649 across their career seasons — +8.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | CHN | NL | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1885 | CHN | NL | 11 | 43 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .186 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1885 | SL5 | NL | 16 | 49 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 10 | .122 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1888 | DTN | NL | 49 | 191 | 17 | 49 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 14 | .257 | .238 (+8%) | .290 (-5%) | .319 (-2%) | .610 (-3%) | -131.8 |
| 1889 | CL4 | NL | 46 | 161 | 17 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 5 | 14 | 6 | .248 | .263 (-6%) | .334 (-8%) | .357 (-13%) | .691 (-10%) | -262.1 |
| 1890 | CLP | PL | 99 | 386 | 62 | 127 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 60 | 10 | 33 | 16 | .329 | .260 (+26%) | .336 (+13%) | .351 (+20%) | .687 (+17%) | 1150.9 |
| 1891 | WS9 | AA | 53 | 201 | 29 | 71 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 33 | 8 | 17 | 17 | .353 | .254 (+39%) | .331 (+23%) | .343 (+32%) | .675 (+28%) | 927.1 |
| 1892 | BLN | NL | 66 | 276 | 41 | 77 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 27 | 12 | 14 | 15 | .279 | .244 (+14%) | .316 (avg) | .327 (+15%) | .644 (+8%) | 220.9 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 344 | 1,322 | 177 | 381 | 43 | 24 | 6 | 174 | 41 | 92 | 87 | .288 | — | — | — | — | 1,905 | ||
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 | 79 | 0 | 806 | 29 | 37 | 48 |
| 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 186 | 0 | 722 | 281 | 128 | 21 |
| OF | 58 | 0 | 75 | 12 | 13 | 2 |
| SS | 31 | 0 | 45 | 100 | 24 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | CHN | C | 4 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1885 | CHN | C | 11 | 0 | 46 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 1885 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | SL5 | C | 14 | 0 | 59 | 15 | 10 | 0 |
| 1885 | SL5 | OF | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1888 | DTN | 1B | 5 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 1888 | DTN | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1888 | DTN | C | 14 | 0 | 75 | 34 | 16 | 5 |
| 1888 | DTN | OF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | DTN | SS | 24 | 0 | 39 | 88 | 14 | 6 |
| 1889 | CL4 | 1B | 8 | 0 | 74 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 1889 | CL4 | C | 37 | 0 | 179 | 70 | 30 | 3 |
| 1889 | CL4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | CLP | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | CLP | C | 84 | 0 | 264 | 115 | 50 | 9 |
| 1890 | CLP | OF | 15 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1890 | CLP | SS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 1891 | WS9 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | WS9 | C | 22 | 0 | 65 | 30 | 10 | 3 |
| 1891 | WS9 | OF | 35 | 0 | 50 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 1891 | WS9 | SS | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 1892 | BLN | 1B | 66 | 0 | 678 | 24 | 31 | 39 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 186 |
| First Base | 79 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Shortstop | 31 |
| Left Field | 10 |
| Center Field | 5 |
| Right Field | 43 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Elmer Sutcliffe (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Elmer Sutcliffe: the record in brief
Between the debut on October 2, 1884 and the final game on October 6, 1892, Elmer Sutcliffe built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Stockings (1884 to 1885), the St. Louis Maroons (1885), the Detroit Wolverines (1888), the Cleveland Spiders (1889), the Cleveland Infants (1890), the Washington Statesmen (1891), and the Baltimore Orioles (1892). The bio lists Sutcliffe as a catcher who threw and hit left-handed. The recorded size is 6'2" and 170 pounds. The birth record reads April 15, 1862, in Wheaton, IL, USA. The bio records the death on February 13, 1893, in Wheaton, IL, USA. The given name on file is Elmer Ellsworth Sutcliffe.
Across 344 games at the plate, Sutcliffe's career line reads 381 hits in 1,322 at bats for a .288 average, adding 6 home runs, 174 RBI, and 41 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .336 and the slugging percentage .371, for an OPS of .707.
Frequently Asked Questions about Elmer Sutcliffe
- What years did Elmer Sutcliffe play?
- Elmer Sutcliffe played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1892.
- Was Elmer Sutcliffe a pitcher?
- No. Elmer Sutcliffe was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Elmer Sutcliffe hit?
- Elmer Sutcliffe hit 6 career home runs with 381 hits.
- What teams did Elmer Sutcliffe play for?
- Elmer Sutcliffe played for 7 teams: the Chicago White Stockings (1884–1885), the St. Louis Maroons (1885), the Detroit Wolverines (1888), the Cleveland Spiders (1889), the Cleveland Infants (1890), the Washington Statesmen (1891), and the Baltimore Orioles (1892).
- What were Elmer Sutcliffe's career stats?
- In 344 games, Elmer Sutcliffe had 381 hits, 6 home runs, 174 RBI, 177 runs, and 41 stolen bases, with a .288 batting average.
- What position did Elmer Sutcliffe play?
- Elmer Sutcliffe played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Elmer Sutcliffe and how much did he weigh?
- Elmer Sutcliffe was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Elmer Sutcliffe hit each season?
- Elmer Sutcliffe's home runs by season: 0 in 1884, 0 in 1885, 0 in 1888, 1 in 1889, 2 in 1890, 2 in 1891, and 1 in 1892. His most in one season was 2, in 1890 and 1891.
- What was Elmer Sutcliffe's career batting average?
- Elmer Sutcliffe batted .288 over his career, with 381 hits in 1,322 at bats.
- How many RBI did Elmer Sutcliffe have?
- Elmer Sutcliffe drove in 174 runs in his career.
- Is Elmer Sutcliffe in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Elmer Sutcliffe has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.