Dave Van Gorder
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1982-1987)
Dave Van Gorder was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1987 for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 6 seasons. In 183 career games, he hit .212 with 89 hits, 3 home runs, and 38 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 205 lb
- Died
- 2/4/2025 in Tucson, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1982-06-15
- Last Game
- 1987-07-11
Full name: David Thomas Van Gorder
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183 | 420 | 30 | 89 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 1 | 39 | 63 | .212 | .280 | .267 | .547 | -1,350 |
Career AVG .212 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 18.4% below league average.
Career OBP .280 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 13.9% below league average.
Career SLG .267 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 32.5% below league average.
Career OPS .547 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — 24.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | CIN | NL | 51 | 137 | 4 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 19 | .182 | .261 (-30%) | .324 (-19%) | .388 (-44%) | .712 (-32%) | -667.3 |
| 1984 | CIN | NL | 38 | 101 | 10 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 17 | .228 | .259 (-12%) | .322 (-4%) | .384 (-36%) | .707 (-21%) | -291.7 |
| 1985 | CIN | NL | 73 | 151 | 12 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 19 | .238 | .257 (-7%) | .323 (-13%) | .390 (-17%) | .714 (-15%) | -390.9 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | BAL | AL | 12 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .238 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 183 | 420 | 30 | 89 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 1 | 39 | 63 | .212 | — | — | — | — | -1,350 | ||
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 (183 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 97 | 216 | 17 | 47 | 1 | 24 | .218 |
| Away | 86 | 204 | 13 | 42 | 2 | 14 | .206 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-07-11 | BAL | MIN | L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-07-05 | BAL | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-06-27 | BAL | DET | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987-06-21 | BAL | DET | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-18 | BAL | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-09 | BAL | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-08 | BAL | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-05-31 | BAL | SEA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-05-30 | BAL | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-05-28 | BAL | LAA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 176 |
| First Base | 1 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | CIN | NL | $150,000 |
| 1985 | CIN | NL | $60,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $210,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | CA | 1976, 1977, 1978 |
Dave Van Gorder: the record in brief
The profile opens with Dave Van Gorder's first major league game on June 15, 1982; the last one listed came on July 11, 1987. Club by club, the record runs the Cincinnati Reds (1982 through 1986) and the Baltimore Orioles (1987). The bio lists Van Gorder as a catcher who both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6'2" and 205 pounds. The birth record reads March 27, 1957, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Van Gorder died on February 4, 2025, in Tucson, AZ, USA. The given name on file is David Thomas Van Gorder.
Van Gorder finished with 89 hits from 420 at bats in 183 games, which works out to .212, along with 3 homers and 38 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .280 and .267 give Van Gorder a career OPS of .547. Measured against the leagues Van Gorder played in, the .212 career average compares with a .260 league average over the same seasons, 18.4% below the league. By OPS the gap is 24.1% below league average (.547 against .720). 1985 produced Van Gorder's most hits, 36 of them for the Cincinnati Reds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Van Gorder
- What years did Dave Van Gorder play?
- Dave Van Gorder played in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1987.
- Was Dave Van Gorder a pitcher?
- No. Dave Van Gorder was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Dave Van Gorder hit?
- Dave Van Gorder hit 3 career home runs with 89 hits.
- What was Dave Van Gorder's career batting average?
- Dave Van Gorder batted .212 over his career, with 89 hits in 420 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Van Gorder have?
- Dave Van Gorder drove in 38 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Van Gorder in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Van Gorder has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.