Steve Behel

Born: 11/6/1860 in Earlville, IL, USA

Died: 2/15/1945 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-09-27 | Final Game: 1886-08-26

Full name: Stephen Arnold Douglas Behel

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Biography

Steve Behel was a professional baseball player who made his mark in the late 19th century, participating in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1886. Born in 1860, Behel played primarily as a position player during a time when the game was evolving rapidly, transitioning from the deadball era into a more organized and commercially viable sport. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 68 games and recorded 54 hits, showcasing his ability to make contact at the plate despite finishing with a batting average of .21. Though Behel did not register any home runs, he contributed to his teams with 17 RBIs and demonstrated notable speed on the basepaths, amassing 16 stolen bases. His playing style reflected the gritty, fast-paced nature of the game during the 1880s, where small ball tactics and aggressive baserunning were essential components of competitive play. Behel's career, albeit brief, was part of the foundation of professional baseball, a time when players helped shape the future of the sport that would grow in popularity and significance in the years to come.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
68	257	37	54	6	2	0	17	16	25	0	0.210	0.283	0.249	0.532	-551.7

Career AVG .210 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — 14.1% below league average.

Career OBP .283 vs. league average .289 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .249 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 24.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.532 vs. league average 0.618 across their career seasons — 13.9% below league average.

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
1884	MLU	UA	9	33	5	8	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0.242	—	—	—	—	0.0
1886	NY4	AA	59	224	32	46	5	2	0	17	16	22	0	0.205	.246 (-17%)	.302 (-8%)	.331 (-26%)	.634 (-17%)	-551.7

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	68	0	88	8	15	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1884	MLU	OF	9	0	4	1	0	0
1886	NY4	OF	59	0	84	7	15	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Left Field	35
Center Field	33