Asa Brainard

Born: 1841 in Albany, NY, USA

Died: 12/29/1888 in Denver, CO, USA

MLB Debut: 1871-05-05 | Final Game: 1874-10-14

Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 150 lbs

Full name: Asahel Brainard

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Biography

Asa Brainard was a pioneering pitcher in the early years of professional baseball, born in 1841. His career spanned from May 5, 1871, to October 14, 1874, during a transformative period in the sport as it transitioned from amateur play to a more structured, professional league system. Brainard played in an era marked by the development of pitching techniques and strategies, laying the groundwork for future generations of hurlers. Throughout his career, Brainard recorded a win-loss record of 24-53, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.4 and 25 strikeouts. While his statistics may not reflect dominance on the mound, his contributions to the game were significant during an era that was still defining its rules and roles. Asa Brainard's presence on the field and his role in the early formation of baseball as a professional sport underscore his importance in the history of the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
24	53	85	82	77	0	0	699.7	1109	342	6	78	25	4.40	0

Career ERA 4.40 vs. league average 3.22 across their career seasons — 36.5% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	W	L	G	GS	CG	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1871	WS3	12	15	30	30	30	264.0	361	132	37	13	4.50	4.22 (-7%)	849.2
1872	WS3	2	7	9	9	9	79.0	148	56	5	1	6.38	3.66 (-74%)	122.0
1872	MID	0	2	2	2	1	8.0	13	5	0	0	5.62	—	0.0
1873	BL1	5	7	14	14	12	108.7	182	50	9	3	4.14	3.40 (-22%)	285.5
1874	BL1	5	22	30	27	25	240.0	405	99	27	8	3.71	2.19 (-69%)	-1270.4

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
108	467	71	116	11	0	0	45	4	10	7	0.248	0.264	0.272	0.536	-1208.3

Career AVG .248 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 12.3% below league average.

Career OBP .264 vs. league average .297 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.

Career SLG .272 vs. league average .352 across their career seasons — 22.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.536 vs. league average 0.649 across their career seasons — 17.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1871	WS3	30	134	24	30	4	21	4	7	2	0.224	.286 (-22%)	.311 (-16%)	.383 (-34%)	.695 (-26%)	-519.6
1872	WS3	9	43	8	16	3	6	0	0	0	0.372	—	—	—	—	0.0
1872	MID	6	25	2	5	0	1	0	1	0	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0
1873	BL1	16	69	18	18	1	9	0	0	2	0.261	.290 (-10%)	.304 (-14%)	.357 (-23%)	.661 (-19%)	-187.9
1874	BL1	47	196	19	47	3	8	0	2	3	0.240	.273 (-12%)	.282 (-12%)	.333 (-23%)	.615 (-18%)	-500.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	26	23	32	53	29	1
OF	5	1	1	0	0	0
P	85	68	29	86	28	3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1871	WS3	P	30	30	18	28	8	1
1872	WS3	P	9	9	1	9	6	0
1872	MID	2B	4	4	8	10	6	0
1872	MID	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1872	MID	P	2	2	0	2	0	0
1873	BL1	2B	1	0	0	2	1	0
1873	BL1	OF	2	0	0	0	0	0
1873	BL1	P	14	0	2	14	5	0
1874	BL1	2B	21	19	24	41	22	1
1874	BL1	OF	2	1	1	0	0	0
1874	BL1	P	30	27	8	33	9	2