Harry Danning, baseball player, 1933-1942

Harry Danning

Born: 9/6/1911 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Died: 11/29/2004 in Valparaiso, IN, USA

MLB Debut: 1933-07-30 | Final Game: 1942-09-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs

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Biography

Harry Danning was a prominent American professional baseball player, born in 1911, who made his mark in Major League Baseball as a catcher and outfielder from 1933 until his retirement in 1942. Known for his strong offensive capabilities, Danning played a total of 890 games throughout his career, amassing 847 hits and achieving a batting average of .285. He contributed significantly to his teams with 57 home runs and 397 RBIs, showcasing his ability to drive in runs during crucial moments. Danning also demonstrated speed on the base paths, accumulating 13 stolen bases, which was notable for a player in his position during the era. Danning was selected as an All-Star four times, highlighting his status as one of the elite players of his time. He played during a competitive period in baseball history, marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven game. His contributions were especially vital during the late 1930s and early 1940s, a time when many players were called to serve in World War II, which impacted the league's talent pool. Danning's legacy remains as a skilled hitter and a respected figure in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
8.0 7.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.286 0.375 0.286 0.661

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1934 8.0 7.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.286 0.375 0.286 0.661

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
890 2971 363 847 162 26 57 397 13 187 217 0.285 0.330 0.415 0.745 1461.6

Career AVG .285 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .330 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .415 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.

Career OPS 0.745 vs. league average 0.725 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
1933 NY1 NL 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1934 NY1 NL 53 97 8 32 7 0 1 7 1 1 9 0.330 .278 (+19%) .340 (-1%) .392 (+10%) .733 (+5%) 54.5
1935 NY1 NL 65 152 16 37 11 1 2 20 0 9 16 0.243 .279 (-13%) .342 (-17%) .399 (-8%) .742 (-12%) -373.6
1936 NY1 NL 32 69 3 11 2 2 0 4 0 1 5 0.159 .283 (-44%) .349 (-48%) .404 (-39%) .753 (-43%) -548.8
1937 NY1 NL 93 292 30 84 12 4 8 51 0 18 20 0.288 .276 (+4%) .342 (-3%) .398 (+10%) .740 (+4%) 150.2
1938 NY1 NL 120 448 59 137 26 3 9 60 1 23 40 0.306 .272 (+12%) .341 (+1%) .392 (+11%) .734 (+7%) 490.9
1939 NY1 NL 135 520 79 163 28 5 16 74 4 35 42 0.313 .274 (+14%) .342 (+5%) .393 (+22%) .735 (+14%) 1358.2
1940 NY1 NL 140 524 65 157 34 4 13 91 3 35 31 0.300 .267 (+12%) .335 (+4%) .387 (+17%) .722 (+11%) 1077.0
1941 NY1 NL 130 459 58 112 22 4 7 56 1 30 25 0.244 .262 (-7%) .332 (-12%) .373 (-5%) .705 (-8%) -868.2
1942 NY1 NL 119 408 45 114 20 3 1 34 3 34 29 0.279 .253 (+10%) .323 (+4%) .349 (avg) .672 (+2%) 121.5

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 14 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 3 0.214

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1937 WS NY1 3 12 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 2 0.250
1936 WS NY1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
C 801 0 3257 455 57 64

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1933 NY1 C 1 0 2 0 0 0
1934 NY1 C 37 0 78 13 1 1
1935 NY1 C 44 0 153 22 4 6
1936 NY1 C 24 0 70 10 1 2
1937 NY1 C 86 0 332 57 7 7
1938 NY1 C 114 0 449 50 8 7
1939 NY1 C 132 0 550 80 6 13
1940 NY1 C 131 0 634 91 15 13
1941 NY1 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1941 NY1 C 116 0 530 77 4 8
1942 NY1 C 116 0 459 55 11 7

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 798
First Base 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star C
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star C
1940 TSN All-Star C
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star C
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star C2

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 35th 2.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 64.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 33.0 336 0
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 13.0 336 0
1937 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 10.0 80 1