Charles Zimmer

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1903)

Charles Zimmer was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1903 for 7 teams, including the Detroit Wolverines, a span of 20 seasons. In 1,280 career games, he hit .269 with 1,225 hits, 26 home runs, and 625 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,412.

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 .269
HR 26
RBI 625
H 1,225
OPS .708
PIV 1,412
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 190 lb
Born
11/23/1860 in Marietta, OH, USA
Died
8/22/1949 in Cleveland, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1884-07-18
Last Game
1903-09-27

Full name: Charles Louis Zimmer

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Career Batting Statistics

Charles Zimmer — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,280 4,546 617 1,225 222 76 26 625 151 390 511 .269 .339 .369 .708 1,412

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .339 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .369 vs. league average .357 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .708 vs. league average .686 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Charles Zimmer Stats, Bio & Career Records
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 DTN NL 8 29 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 14 .069 — — — — 0.0
1886 NY4 AA 6 19 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 .158 — — — — 0.0
1887 CL3 AA 14 52 9 12 5 0 0 4 1 4 4 .231 .270 (-15%) .331 (-10%) .373 (-13%) .705 (-11%) -92.7
1888 CL3 AA 65 212 27 51 11 4 0 22 15 18 39 .241 .238 (+1%) .290 (+7%) .319 (+3%) .610 (+5%) 201.1
1889 CL4 NL 84 259 47 67 9 9 1 21 14 44 35 .259 .263 (-2%) .334 (+10%) .357 (+5%) .691 (+7%) 427.2
1890 CL4 NL 125 444 54 95 16 6 2 57 15 46 54 .214 .260 (-18%) .336 (-10%) .351 (-17%) .687 (-14%) -902.6
1891 CL4 NL 116 440 55 112 21 4 3 69 15 33 49 .255 .254 (avg) .331 (-6%) .343 (-1%) .675 (-3%) -285.0
1892 CL4 NL 111 413 63 109 29 13 1 64 18 32 47 .264 .244 (+8%) .316 (+3%) .327 (+23%) .644 (+14%) 823.9
1893 CL4 NL 57 227 27 70 13 7 2 41 4 16 15 .308 .279 (+10%) .356 (avg) .379 (+20%) .735 (+10%) 317.9
1894 CL4 NL 90 341 55 97 20 5 4 65 14 17 31 .284 .309 (-8%) .379 (-14%) .435 (-6%) .814 (-10%) -653.8
1895 CL4 NL 88 315 60 107 21 2 5 56 14 33 30 .340 .296 (+15%) .361 (+15%) .399 (+17%) .761 (+16%) 1116.4
1896 CL4 NL 91 336 46 93 18 3 3 46 4 31 48 .277 .290 (-5%) .354 (avg) .387 (-3%) .741 (-2%) -53.3
1897 CL4 NL 80 294 50 93 22 3 0 40 8 25 29 .316 .291 (+8%) .354 (+7%) .387 (+6%) .741 (+6%) 374.9
1898 CL4 NL 20 63 5 15 2 0 0 4 2 5 7 .238 .270 (-12%) .333 (-9%) .347 (-22%) .680 (-16%) -140.1
1899 CL4 NL 20 73 9 25 2 1 2 14 1 5 5 .342 .282 (+21%) .343 (+19%) .366 (+31%) .710 (+25%) 310.4
1899 LS3 NL 75 262 43 78 11 3 2 29 9 22 17 .298 .282 (+5%) .343 (+8%) .366 (+5%) .710 (+6%) 310.4
1900 PIT NL 82 271 27 80 7 10 0 35 4 17 28 .295 .279 (+6%) .338 (+7%) .366 (+8%) .705 (+7%) 363.0
1901 PIT NL 69 236 17 52 7 3 0 21 6 20 31 .220 .271 (-19%) .326 (-11%) .359 (-23%) .686 (-17%) -586.6
1902 PIT NL 42 142 13 38 4 2 0 17 4 11 14 .268 .266 (avg) .321 (+5%) .343 (-6%) .665 (-1%) 23.8
1903 PHI NL 37 118 9 26 3 1 1 19 3 9 14 .220 .261 (-16%) .316 (-8%) .345 (-17%) .662 (-12%) -192.7
Career · 20 seasons 1,280 4,546 617 1,225 222 76 26 625 151 390 511 .269 — — — — 1,362

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.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Charles Zimmer — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 23 2 6 1 1 0 2 0 3 .261

Playoff Batting by Year

Charles Zimmer — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1892 CS CL4 6 23 2 6 1 1 0 2 0 3 .261

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (346 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Charles Zimmer — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home17458050147268.253
Away17258473167364.286

Last 10 Games — Batting

Charles Zimmer — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1903-09-27 PHISTLW 300000000
1903-09-19 PHICINL 201000120
1903-09-18 PHICHCW 401100002
1903-09-11 PHIPITW 311000000
1903-09-06 PHIBSNL 302000000
1903-08-31 PHINY1L 400000001
1903-08-26 PHIBROL 300000011
1903-07-16 PHICINL 000000000
1903-07-14 PHISTLW 200000010
1903-07-13 PHISTLW 402000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Charles Zimmer — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 25 0 231 9 10 9
3B 3 0 1 3 0 0
C 1239 0 4883 1580 328 135
OF 5 0 6 1 2 1
SS 1 0 0 1 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Charles Zimmer — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 DTN C 6 0 28 11 8 3
1884 DTN OF 2 0 3 0 0 0
1886 NY4 C 6 0 33 17 6 0
1887 CL3 1B 2 0 17 0 2 1
1887 CL3 C 12 0 47 13 5 1
1888 CL3 1B 3 0 31 2 0 0
1888 CL3 C 59 0 311 111 38 6
1888 CL3 OF 3 0 3 1 2 1
1888 CL3 SS 1 0 0 1 0 0
1889 CL4 1B 3 0 21 0 2 1
1889 CL4 C 81 0 315 131 33 10
1890 CL4 C 125 0 480 188 45 14
1891 CL4 3B 1 0 1 3 0 0
1891 CL4 C 116 0 476 181 45 7
1892 CL4 C 111 0 514 122 42 11
1893 CL4 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1893 CL4 C 56 0 169 73 8 10
1894 CL4 C 89 0 289 100 15 16
1895 CL4 1B 3 0 21 2 1 3
1895 CL4 C 84 0 318 77 10 2
1896 CL4 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1896 CL4 C 91 0 338 81 12 9
1897 CL4 C 80 0 278 81 9 10
1898 CL4 C 19 0 78 20 3 2
1899 CL4 C 20 0 58 30 4 4
1899 LS3 1B 11 0 116 4 5 3
1899 LS3 C 62 0 184 77 4 6
1900 PIT 1B 2 0 25 1 0 1
1900 PIT C 78 0 318 100 17 8
1901 PIT C 68 0 285 69 9 4
1902 PIT 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1902 PIT C 41 0 202 48 8 8
1903 PHI C 35 0 162 50 7 4

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Charles Zimmer Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 1239
First Base 25
Third Base 3
Shortstop 1
Center Field 1
Right Field 4

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Charles Zimmer (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Heinie Peitz
    .271 avg, 16 HR
  2. 97
    Johnny Kling
    .272 avg, 20 HR
  3. 86
    Wilbert Robinson HOF
    .273 avg, 18 HR
  4. 80
    Deacon McGuire
    .278 avg, 45 HR
  5. 79
    Jimmie Wilson
    .284 avg, 32 HR
  6. 76
    Ivey Wingo
    .260 avg, 25 HR

Charles Zimmer: the record in brief

Charles Zimmer's major league career runs from a debut on July 18, 1884 to a final game on September 27, 1903. Club by club, the record runs the Detroit Wolverines (1884), the New York Metropolitans (1886), the Cleveland Blues (1887 through 1888), the Cleveland Spiders (1889 through 1899), the Louisville Colonels (1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900 through 1902), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1903). At 6 feet, 0 inches and 190 pounds, Zimmer is listed as a catcher. The bio says Zimmer threw and hit right-handed. Zimmer was born on November 23, 1860, in Marietta, OH, USA. Zimmer died on August 22, 1949, in Cleveland, OH, USA. The given name on file is Charles Louis Zimmer.

The batting record for Zimmer: 1,280 games, 1,225 hits in 4,546 at bats, and a .269 average, adding 26 home runs, 625 runs batted in, and 151 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .339 and .369 give Zimmer a career OPS of .708. Against a .267 league average for those years, Zimmer's .269 average was near the norm.

Frequently Asked Questions about Charles Zimmer

What years did Charles Zimmer play?
Charles Zimmer played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1903.
Was Charles Zimmer a pitcher?
No. Charles Zimmer was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Charles Zimmer hit?
Charles Zimmer hit 26 career home runs with 1,225 hits.
What teams did Charles Zimmer play for?
Charles Zimmer played for 6 teams: the Detroit Wolverines (1884), the New York Metropolitans (1886), the Cleveland Spiders (1887–1899), the Louisville Colonels (1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900–1902), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1903).
What were Charles Zimmer's career stats?
In 1,280 games, Charles Zimmer had 1,225 hits, 26 home runs, 625 RBI, 617 runs, and 151 stolen bases, with a .269 batting average.
What position did Charles Zimmer play?
Charles Zimmer played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Charles Zimmer and how much did he weigh?
Charles Zimmer was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
How many home runs did Charles Zimmer hit each season?
Charles Zimmer's home runs by season: 0 in 1884, 0 in 1886, 0 in 1887, 0 in 1888, 1 in 1889, 2 in 1890, 3 in 1891, 1 in 1892, 2 in 1893, 4 in 1894, 5 in 1895, 3 in 1896, 0 in 1897, 0 in 1898, 4 in 1899, 0 in 1900, 0 in 1901, 0 in 1902, and 1 in 1903. His most in one season was 5, in 1895.
What was Charles Zimmer's career batting average?
Charles Zimmer batted .269 over his career, with 1,225 hits in 4,546 at bats.
How many RBI did Charles Zimmer have?
Charles Zimmer drove in 625 runs in his career.
Is Charles Zimmer in the Hall of Fame?
No. Charles Zimmer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.