Dave Birdsall

Born: 7/16/1838 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 12/30/1896 in Boston, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1871-05-05 | Final Game: 1873-05-17

Height: 5'9" | Weight: 126 lbs

Full name: David Solomon Birdsall

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Biography

Dave Birdsall was a 19th-century professional baseball player, born in 1838, who made his mark in the early days of the sport during a time characterized by the transition from the amateur game to a more organized professional structure. Birdsall's career spanned from May 5, 1871, to May 17, 1873, during which he played a total of 48 games. As a versatile position player, he showcased his skills at the plate, finishing his career with 63 hits and a batting average of .264. Birdsall's offensive contributions included 39 runs batted in and 7 stolen bases, reflecting his ability to not only hit but also to be a threat on the basepaths. While Birdsall did not record any home runs, his overall performance was indicative of the era's playing style, which emphasized contact hitting and base-running prowess over power. His contributions came during a formative period in baseball history, where the foundations of modern gameplay were being established. Despite a relatively brief career, Birdsall's achievements remain a testament to the evolution of baseball and the players who laid the groundwork for future generations.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
48 239 66 63 6 3 0 39 7 7 4 0.264 0.285 0.314 0.598 -327.8

Career AVG .264 vs. league average .288 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.

Career OBP .285 vs. league average .303 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.

Career SLG .314 vs. league average .360 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.598 vs. league average 0.664 across their career seasons — 9.9% 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
1871 BS1 29 152 51 46 3 3 0 24 6 4 4 0.303 .286 (+6%) .311 (+3%) .383 (-6%) .695 (-2%) -31.3
1872 BS1 16 76 11 16 3 0 0 15 0 1 0 0.211 .285 (-26%) .296 (-26%) .347 (-28%) .644 (-27%) -296.5
1873 BS1 3 11 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.091 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 19 12 53 19 14 0
OF 37 30 33 3 14 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1871 BS1 C 7 4 9 6 2 0
1871 BS1 OF 27 25 27 3 9 1
1872 BS1 C 12 8 44 13 12 0
1872 BS1 OF 7 5 5 0 1 0
1873 BS1 OF 3 0 1 0 4 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 19
Left Field 5
Right Field 34