Dave Brain

Born: 1/24/1879 in Hereford, Herefordshire, England

Died: 5/25/1959 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1901-04-24 | Final Game: 1908-10-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: David Leonard Brain

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Biography

Dave Brain was a professional baseball player born in 1879, who made significant contributions to the game during the early 20th century. His career spanned from April 24, 1901, until October 7, 1908, during a time when baseball was evolving rapidly, transitioning from the Deadball Era into a period that would see more emphasis on power hitting. Brain played a total of 679 games, compiling 641 hits, 27 home runs, and 303 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .252. His ability to steal bases was also notable, as he successfully swiped 73 bags throughout his career, showcasing his speed and agility on the field. Primarily recognized as a position player, Brain's versatility and skill set contributed to his teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. He was part of a generation of players who helped shape the game in its formative years, navigating the competitive landscape of Major League Baseball and leaving a mark that would influence future players. Despite the challenges of his era, Brain established himself as a competent hitter and a reliable contributor, earning his place in the annals of baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
679	2543	254	641	97	52	27	303	73	134	216	0.252	0.292	0.363	0.655	1053.4

Career AVG .252 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .292 vs. league average .309 across their career seasons — 5.2% below league average.

Career SLG .363 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +11.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.655 vs. league average 0.634 across their career seasons — near 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
1901	CHW	AL	5	20	2	7	1	0	0	5	0	1	0	0.350	—	—	—	—	0.0
1903	STL	NL	119	464	44	107	8	15	1	60	21	25	29	0.231	.261 (-12%)	.316 (-15%)	.345 (-8%)	.662 (-11%)	-1097.2
1904	STL	NL	127	488	57	130	24	12	7	72	18	17	48	0.266	.246 (+8%)	.300 (-3%)	.321 (+27%)	.622 (+12%)	752.9
1905	STL	NL	44	158	11	36	4	5	1	17	4	8	16	0.228	.248 (-8%)	.307 (-12%)	.322 (+4%)	.629 (-4%)	-156.6
1905	PIT	NL	85	307	31	79	17	6	3	46	8	15	31	0.257	.248 (+4%)	.307 (-4%)	.322 (+18%)	.629 (+8%)	-156.6
1906	BSN	NL	139	525	43	131	19	5	5	45	11	29	47	0.250	.247 (+1%)	.307 (-5%)	.315 (+6%)	.622 (+1%)	-73.0
1907	BSN	NL	133	509	60	142	24	9	10	56	10	29	39	0.279	.245 (+14%)	.304 (+6%)	.308 (+36%)	.613 (+21%)	1697.0
1908	CIN	NL	16	55	4	6	0	0	0	1	0	8	3	0.109	.240 (-55%)	.298 (-26%)	.306 (-64%)	.605 (-45%)	-321.9
1908	NY1	NL	11	17	2	3	0	0	0	1	1	2	3	0.176	—	—	—	—	-321.9

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	4	3	40	3	2	1
2B	21	15	54	79	11	7
3B	431	383	600	1003	152	76
OF	47	46	89	5	2	0
SS	165	88	343	514	80	61

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1901	CHA	2B	5	0	14	16	3	4
1903	SLN	3B	46	0	70	106	22	9
1903	SLN	SS	72	0	163	244	41	34
1904	SLN	1B	4	3	40	3	2	1
1904	SLN	2B	13	13	35	55	6	3
1904	SLN	3B	30	30	40	68	14	1
1904	SLN	OF	19	21	35	0	0	0
1904	SLN	SS	59	57	109	182	23	21
1905	SLN	3B	6	6	8	15	0	0
1905	SLN	OF	6	6	11	3	0	0
1905	SLN	SS	29	27	58	74	13	4
1905	PIT	3B	78	78	82	170	21	13
1905	PIT	SS	4	4	11	12	1	2
1906	BSN	3B	139	139	208	321	48	26
1907	BSN	3B	130	130	191	323	47	27
1907	BSN	OF	3	3	7	2	0	0
1908	CIN	OF	16	16	36	0	2	0
1908	NY1	2B	3	2	5	8	2	0
1908	NY1	3B	2	0	1	0	0	0
1908	NY1	OF	3	0	0	0	0	0
1908	NY1	SS	1	0	2	2	2	0