Jim Donnelly

Born: 7/19/1865 in New Haven, CT, USA

Died: 3/5/1915 in New Haven, CT, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-08-11 | Final Game: 1898-05-12

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: James B. Donnelly

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Jim Donnelly, born in 1865, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century, a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more modern style of play. His career spanned from 1884 to 1898, during which he participated in 654 games. Donnelly was known for his speed on the base paths, amassing a total of 173 stolen bases, which was a notable achievement at a time when the game was heavily focused on small ball tactics and bunting. Over the course of his career, Donnelly recorded 549 hits and drove in 237 runs, finishing with a batting average of .23. Although he hit only 2 home runs, his contributions to the game extended beyond power hitting, as he was valued for his overall offensive capabilities and speed. Jim Donnelly's impact on the game is remembered as part of the rich tapestry of baseball history, reflecting the evolution of strategy and player roles during a formative time in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
654	2388	322	549	56	28	2	237	173	169	154	0.230	0.285	0.279	0.565	-6561.6

Career AVG .230 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.

Career OBP .285 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 10.8% below league average.

Career SLG .279 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 19.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.565 vs. league average 0.668 across their career seasons — 15.5% 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	40	134	22	34	2	2	0	0	0	5	0	0.254	.243 (+4%)	.278 (+8%)	.327 (-9%)	.606 (-1%)	19.0
1885	DTN	NL	56	211	24	49	4	3	1	22	0	10	29	0.232	.244 (-5%)	.287 (-7%)	.325 (-10%)	.613 (-9%)	-278.0
1886	KCN	NL	113	438	51	88	11	3	0	38	16	36	57	0.201	.246 (-18%)	.302 (-14%)	.331 (-28%)	.634 (-21%)	-1538.9
1887	WS8	NL	117	425	51	85	9	6	1	46	42	16	26	0.200	.270 (-26%)	.331 (-29%)	.373 (-31%)	.705 (-30%)	-2582.9
1888	WS8	NL	122	428	43	86	9	4	0	23	44	20	16	0.201	.238 (-16%)	.290 (-17%)	.319 (-25%)	.610 (-21%)	-1542.7
1889	WS8	NL	4	13	3	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0.154	—	—	—	—	0.0
1890	SL4	AA	11	42	11	14	0	0	0	3	5	8	0	0.333	—	—	—	—	149.9
1891	CL6	AA	17	54	6	13	0	0	0	9	7	13	5	0.241	.254 (-5%)	.331 (+17%)	.343 (-30%)	.675 (-7%)	11.0
1896	BLN	NL	106	396	70	130	14	10	0	71	38	34	11	0.328	.290 (+13%)	.354 (+9%)	.387 (+7%)	.741 (+8%)	658.1
1897	PIT	NL	44	161	22	31	4	0	0	14	14	16	5	0.193	.291 (-34%)	.354 (-24%)	.387 (-44%)	.741 (-34%)	-967.1
1897	NY1	NL	23	85	19	16	3	0	0	11	6	9	5	0.188	.291 (-35%)	.354 (-25%)	.387 (-42%)	.741 (-34%)	-967.1
1898	STL	NL	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
2B	2	1	4	2	0
3B	631	756	1288	318	83
OF	6	7	3	1	0
SS	15	12	47	15	1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1884	IN2	2B	2	1	4	2	0
1884	IN2	3B	24	23	28	9	2
1884	IN2	OF	6	7	3	1	0
1884	IN2	SS	8	2	27	9	0
1885	DTN	3B	56	73	102	31	4
1886	KCN	3B	113	153	245	73	13
1887	WS8	3B	115	136	275	63	21
1887	WS8	SS	2	3	7	1	0
1888	WS8	3B	117	126	230	51	15
1888	WS8	SS	5	7	13	5	1
1889	WS8	3B	4	2	6	4	1
1890	SL4	3B	11	15	16	8	4
1891	CL6	3B	17	19	46	11	5
1896	BLN	3B	106	140	217	47	15
1897	PIT	3B	44	51	87	12	1
1897	NY1	3B	23	18	35	8	2
1898	SLN	3B	1	0	1	1	0