Steve Toole

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1886-1890)

Steve Toole was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1886 to 1890 for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, the Kansas City Cowboys, and the Brooklyn Gladiators, a span of 5 seasons. Across 55 career appearances, he went 27-26 with a 4.79 ERA and 141 strikeouts. He also batted .263 with 1 home runs.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

W–L 27–26
ERA 4.79
WHIP 1.62
SO 141
Pitcher PIV -9012.4
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / L
Height / Weight
6'0" / 170 lb
Born
4/9/1859 in New Orleans, LA, USA
Died
3/28/1919 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA
MLB Debut
1886-04-20
Last Game
1890-08-09

Full name: Stephen John Toole

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Pitching Statistics

Steve Toole — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
27 26 55 52 49 1 0 443.0 457 236 5 259 141 4.79 -9012.4

Career ERA 4.79 vs. league average 3.62 across their career seasons — 32.5% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Steve Toole — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1886 BR3 AA 6 6 13 12 11 0 0 104.0 100 51 64 48 4.41 3.37 (-31%) -2300.9
1887 BR3 AA 14 10 24 24 22 1 0 194.0 186 93 106 48 4.31 4.17 (-3%) -2430.9
1888 KC2 AA 5 6 12 10 10 0 0 91.2 124 68 50 35 6.68 2.95 (-127%) -2845.4
1890 BR4 AA 2 4 6 6 6 0 0 53.1 47 24 39 10 4.05 3.88 (-4%) -1435.3
Career · 4 seasons 27 26 55 52 49 1 0 443.0 457 236 259 141 4.79 — -9,012

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.

Career Batting Statistics

Steve Toole — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
59 228 34 60 15 2 1 31 9 5 20 .263 .282 .360 .642 -140

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .282 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.

Career SLG .360 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .642 vs. league average .663 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Steve Toole — 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
1886 BR3 AA 14 57 7 20 4 0 0 9 3 1 0 .351 .246 (+42%) .302 (+20%) .331 (+27%) .634 (+23%) 177.6
1887 BR3 AA 26 103 19 24 6 0 1 13 4 3 11 .233 .270 (-14%) .331 (-23%) .373 (-14%) .705 (-18%) -317.7
1888 KC2 AA 13 48 6 10 2 2 0 7 2 1 9 .208 — — — — 0.0
1890 BR4 AA 6 20 2 6 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 .300 — — — — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 59 228 34 60 15 2 1 31 9 5 20 .263 — — — — -140

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

Steve Toole — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 0 19 0 0 2
OF 5 0 7 1 3 0
P 55 0 38 90 19 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Steve Toole — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1886 BR3 OF 3 0 3 0 1 0
1886 BR3 P 13 0 8 25 5 1
1887 BR3 1B 3 0 19 0 0 2
1887 BR3 P 24 0 17 32 10 1
1888 KC2 OF 2 0 4 1 2 0
1888 KC2 P 12 0 8 20 1 0
1890 BR4 P 6 0 5 13 3 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Steve Toole — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 55
First Base 3
Left Field 3
Center Field 1
Right Field 1

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Steve Toole (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Rube Fischer
    16-34, 5.10 ERA
  2. 95
    Marlin Stuart
    23-17, 4.65 ERA
  3. 94
    Hal McKain
    18-23, 4.93 ERA
  4. 91
    Bob Chakales
    15-25, 4.54 ERA
  5. 89
    Joe Cascarella
    27-48, 4.84 ERA
  6. 86
    Orville Jorgens
    21-27, 4.70 ERA

Steve Toole: the record in brief

According to the bio, Steve Toole debuted on April 20, 1886 and played a final game on August 9, 1890. The team column moves through the Brooklyn Grays (1886 through 1887), the Kansas City Cowboys (1888), and the Brooklyn Gladiators (1890). Toole, a pitcher by primary position, batted right-handed and threw left-handed. Height and weight on file: 6 feet, 0 inches and 170 pounds. The birth record reads April 9, 1859, in New Orleans, LA, USA. The bio records the death on March 28, 1919, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. The given name on file is Stephen John Toole.

Toole went 27-26 with a 4.79 ERA in 55 games, 52 of them starts. The totals include 141 strikeouts and 49 complete games. Against a 3.62 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.79 mark was 32.5% worse. 1887 brought Toole a season-high 14 wins. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 4.31 in 1887, when the league's was 4.17.

Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Toole

What years did Steve Toole play?
Steve Toole played in Major League Baseball from 1886 to 1890.
Was Steve Toole a pitcher?
Yes. Steve Toole pitched in the major leagues, recording 27 wins and 141 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Steve Toole hit?
Steve Toole hit 1 career home run with 60 hits.
What teams did Steve Toole play for?
Steve Toole played for 3 teams: the Brooklyn Grays (1886–1887), the Kansas City Cowboys (1888), and the Brooklyn Gladiators (1890).
What were Steve Toole's career stats?
In 55 games, Steve Toole went 27-26 with a 4.79 ERA, 141 strikeouts, and 443.0 innings pitched. At the plate he had 60 hits and 1 home runs.
What position did Steve Toole play?
Steve Toole played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Steve Toole and how much did he weigh?
Steve Toole was listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds.
What was Steve Toole's career ERA?
Steve Toole finished with a 4.79 career ERA, going 27-26 with 141 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Steve Toole have?
Steve Toole recorded 141 career strikeouts.
Is Steve Toole in the Hall of Fame?
No. Steve Toole has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.