Dave Zearfoss
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1896-1905)
Dave Zearfoss was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1905 for the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 10 seasons. In 72 career games, he hit .208 with 42 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
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 174 lb
- Died
- 9/12/1945 in Wilmington, DE, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1896-04-17
- Last Game
- 1905-07-08
Full name: David William Tilden Zearfoss
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 202 | 15 | 42 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 19 | 17 | .208 | .279 | .252 | .532 | -607 |
Career AVG .208 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 21.9% below league average.
Career OBP .279 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 14.4% below league average.
Career SLG .252 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 27.5% below league average.
Career OPS .532 vs. league average .674 across their career seasons — 21.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | NY1 | NL | 19 | 60 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | .217 | .290 (-25%) | .354 (-19%) | .387 (-31%) | .741 (-25%) | -246.1 |
| 1897 | NY1 | NL | 5 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .300 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1898 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1904 | SLN | NL | 27 | 80 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 6 | .212 | .246 (-14%) | .300 (avg) | .321 (-26%) | .622 (-14%) | -114.0 |
| 1905 | SLN | NL | 20 | 51 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .157 | .248 (-37%) | .307 (-29%) | .322 (-39%) | .629 (-34%) | -247.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 72 | 202 | 15 | 42 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 19 | 17 | .208 | — | — | — | — | -607 | ||
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 (48 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 28 | 75 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 4 | .200 |
| Away | 20 | 57 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 1 | .193 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905-07-08 | STL | CIN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-07-07 | STL | CIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1905-07-06 | STL | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-07-05 | STL | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1905-07-04 | STL | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1905-07-04 | STL | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-07-02 | STL | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-07-02 | STL | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-06-19 | STL | BSN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905-06-17 | STL | NY1 | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 70 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington College | Chestertown | MD | 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895 |
Dave Zearfoss: the record in brief
April 17, 1896 and July 8, 1905 bracket Dave Zearfoss's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Zearfoss's seasons break down as the New York Giants (1896 to 1898) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1904 to 1905). Zearfoss played primarily as a catcher. Born on January 1, 1868, in Schenectady, NY, USA, Zearfoss was listed at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds. Zearfoss's death is recorded on September 12, 1945, in Wilmington, DE, USA. Zearfoss's full given name, per the bio, is David William Tilden Zearfoss.
The batting record for Zearfoss: 72 games, 42 hits in 202 at bats, and a .208 average; the totals also include 17 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .279 and .252 give Zearfoss a career OPS of .532. Set against a .266 league average for the same years, Zearfoss's .208 average sits 21.9% below it. In OPS terms, Zearfoss's .532 stands 21.2% below the league's .674. No season topped the 17 hits of 1904. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .217 in 1896, did not top the league's .290.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Zearfoss
- What years did Dave Zearfoss play?
- Dave Zearfoss played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1905.
- Was Dave Zearfoss a pitcher?
- No. Dave Zearfoss was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Dave Zearfoss hit?
- Dave Zearfoss hit 0 career home runs with 42 hits.
- What was Dave Zearfoss's career batting average?
- Dave Zearfoss batted .208 over his career, with 42 hits in 202 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Zearfoss have?
- Dave Zearfoss drove in 17 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Zearfoss in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Zearfoss has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.