Harry Decker, baseball player, 1884-1890

Harry Decker

Born: 9/3/1864 in Lockport, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-08-23 | Final Game: 1890-10-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Earle Harry Decker

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Biography

Harry Decker was a professional baseball player born in 1864, whose career spanned from 1884 to 1890. Primarily a position player, Decker appeared in 156 games throughout his time in Major League Baseball. He finished his career with a batting average of .242, accumulating 138 hits, including 5 home runs and 49 RBIs. Decker also showcased his speed on the base paths, recording 13 stolen bases, a notable achievement during an era when base stealing was gaining popularity as a strategic element of the game. Playing during the late 19th century, Decker was part of a transformative period in baseball history. This era marked the transition from the deadball style of play to a more offensive approach, setting the stage for future generations of players. While not among the most celebrated stars of his time, Decker's contributions to the teams he played for reflected the evolving dynamics of the sport, and his statistics highlight the competitive nature of the league during his active years. His legacy remains a testament to the early days of professional baseball and the players who laid the groundwork for the game's future.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
156 570 72 138 20 4 5 49 13 41 56 0.242 0.293 0.318 0.611 -615.6

Career AVG .242 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .293 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 6.4% below league average.

Career SLG .318 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.611 vs. league average 0.655 across their career seasons — 6.8% 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 IN2 AA 4 15 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.267 — — — — 0.0
1884 KCU UA 23 75 8 10 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0.133 .243 (-45%) .278 (-33%) .327 (-51%) .606 (-43%) 0.0
1886 DTN NL 14 54 2 12 1 0 0 6 0 2 9 0.222 .246 (-10%) .302 (-17%) .331 (-27%) .634 (-23%) -176.1
1886 WS8 NL 7 23 0 5 1 1 0 1 0 1 5 0.217 — — — — -176.1
1889 PHI NL 11 30 4 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 5 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1890 PHI NL 5 19 5 7 1 0 0 2 4 4 1 0.368 — — — — 0.0
1890 PIT NL 92 354 52 97 14 3 5 38 8 26 36 0.274 .260 (+5%) .336 (-4%) .351 (+6%) .687 (+1%) 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 18 0 173 7 5 15
2B 8 0 14 19 7 3
3B 2 0 4 3 0 0
C 107 0 465 132 64 10
OF 24 0 36 6 12 1
SS 2 0 1 7 5 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 IN2 C 4 0 17 3 3 1
1884 KCU C 11 0 53 12 4 2
1884 KCU OF 16 0 20 6 6 1
1886 DTN C 14 0 89 32 18 1
1886 DTN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1886 WS8 3B 2 0 4 3 0 0
1886 WS8 C 4 0 25 10 2 0
1886 WS8 SS 1 0 0 1 3 0
1889 PHI 2B 7 0 13 17 5 3
1889 PHI C 3 0 12 3 3 1
1889 PHI OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1890 PHI 1B 2 0 14 1 1 2
1890 PHI C 1 0 2 0 0 0
1890 PHI OF 2 0 3 0 4 0
1890 PIT 1B 16 0 159 6 4 13
1890 PIT 2B 1 0 1 2 2 0
1890 PIT C 70 0 267 72 34 5
1890 PIT OF 4 0 12 0 2 0
1890 PIT SS 1 0 1 6 2 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 107
First Base 18
Second Base 8
Third Base 2
Shortstop 2
Left Field 12
Center Field 4
Right Field 8