El Tappe

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1954-1962)

El Tappe was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1962 for the Chicago Cubs, a span of 9 seasons. In 145 career games, he hit .207 with 63 hits and 17 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

AVG .207
HR 0
RBI 17
H 63
OPS .522
PIV -1,135
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 180 lb
Born
5/21/1927 in Quincy, IL, USA
Died
10/10/1998 in Quincy, IL, USA
MLB Debut
1954-04-24
Last Game
1962-07-17

Full name: Elvin Walter Tappe

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Career Batting Statistics

El Tappe — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
145 304 21 63 10 0 0 17 0 29 25 .207 .282 .240 .522 -1,135

Career AVG .207 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 19.7% below league average.

Career OBP .282 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 14.2% below league average.

Career SLG .240 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 38.9% below league average.

Career OPS .522 vs. league average .721 across their career seasons — 27.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

El Tappe — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1954 CHN NL 46 119 5 22 3 0 0 4 0 10 9 .185 .261 (-29%) .333 (-26%) .390 (-46%) .723 (-37%) -698.4
1955 CHN NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1956 CHN NL 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1958 CHN NL 17 28 2 6 0 0 0 4 0 3 1 .214 — — — — 0.0
1960 CHN NL 51 103 11 24 7 0 0 3 0 11 12 .233 .255 (-9%) .323 (-3%) .387 (-22%) .711 (-14%) -199.1
1962 CHN NL 26 53 3 11 0 0 0 6 0 4 3 .208 .257 (-19%) .326 (-12%) .393 (-47%) .719 (-31%) -237.3
Career · 6 seasons 145 304 21 63 10 0 0 17 0 29 25 .207 — — — — -1,135

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 (145 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

El Tappe — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home85171113109.181
Away60133103209.241

Last 10 Games — Batting

El Tappe — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1962-07-17 CHCSTLL 000000000
1962-07-14 CHCCINW 100000000
1962-07-13 CHCCINW 401000001
1962-07-12 CHCCINL 200000000
1962-07-06 CHCATLL 400000000
1962-07-02 CHCCINW 311000000
1962-06-28 CHCSTLW 200000020
1962-06-27 CHCSTLL 300000000
1962-06-27 CHCSTLL 000000000
1962-06-14 CHCPITL 200000001

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

El Tappe — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 142 102 554 67 7 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

El Tappe — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 CHN C 46 34 185 22 3 2
1955 CHN C 2 0 3 1 0 0
1956 CHN C 3 0 4 0 0 0
1958 CHN C 16 9 46 4 2 0
1960 CHN C 49 38 215 27 2 4
1962 CHN C 26 21 101 13 0 4

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

El Tappe — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 142

El Tappe: the record in brief

According to the bio, El Tappe debuted on April 24, 1954 and played a final game on July 17, 1962. Tappe's only club in the season tables is the Chicago Cubs. Tappe played primarily as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on May 21, 1927, in Quincy, IL, USA, Tappe was listed at 5'11" and 180 pounds. Tappe died on October 10, 1998, in Quincy, IL, USA. The bio lists the given name Elvin Walter.

Tappe collected 63 hits in 304 at bats across 145 games, good for a .207 batting average; the totals also include 17 RBI. Tappe's career OPS of .522 combines a .282 on-base mark with .240 slugging. Measured against the leagues Tappe played in, the .207 career average compares with a .258 league average over the same seasons, 19.7% below the league. By OPS the gap is 27.6% below league average (.522 against .721). Tappe collected a career-high 24 hits in 1960. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .233 in 1960, did not top the league's .255.

Frequently Asked Questions about El Tappe

What years did El Tappe play?
El Tappe played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1962.
Was El Tappe a pitcher?
No. El Tappe was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did El Tappe hit?
El Tappe hit 0 career home runs with 63 hits.
What teams did El Tappe play for?
El Tappe played for one team, the Chicago Cubs (1954–1956, 1958, 1960, 1962).
What were El Tappe's career stats?
In 145 games, El Tappe had 63 hits, 17 RBI, and 21 runs, with a .207 batting average.
What position did El Tappe play?
El Tappe played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was El Tappe and how much did he weigh?
El Tappe was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
What was El Tappe's career batting average?
El Tappe batted .207 over his career, with 63 hits in 304 at bats.
How many RBI did El Tappe have?
El Tappe drove in 17 runs in his career.
Is El Tappe in the Hall of Fame?
No. El Tappe has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.