Horace Ford, baseball player, 1919-1933

Horace Ford

Born: 7/23/1897 in New Haven, CT, USA

Died: 1/29/1977 in Winchester, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1919-09-08 | Final Game: 1933-05-08

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Horace Hills Ford

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Biography

Horace Ford was a professional baseball player born in 1897, who made significant contributions to the game during his career from 1919 to 1933. Primarily a position player, Ford appeared in 1,446 games and recorded 1,269 hits, showcasing his ability to consistently reach base. He finished his career with a batting average of .263, highlighting his role as a reliable hitter in an era that often emphasized contact over power. While he hit 16 home runs and drove in 494 runs, Ford's game was characterized more by his versatility and ability to contribute in various facets, including his 21 stolen bases, which illustrated his speed on the bases. Playing during a transformative period in baseball history, Ford navigated the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded approach of the 1930s. His contributions during this time were crucial as the sport began to evolve and embrace a more dynamic style of play. Though not a Hall of Famer, Ford's career reflects the hard-nosed, gritty spirit of early 20th-century baseball, and he remains a notable figure for those who appreciate the game's rich history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1446 4833 484 1269 200 55 16 494 21 351 354 0.263 0.316 0.337 0.652 -11783.7

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 7.9% below league average.

Career SLG .337 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 14.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.652 vs. league average 0.735 across their career seasons — 11.3% 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
1919 BSN NL 10 28 4 6 0 1 0 3 0 2 6 0.214 — — — — 0.0
1920 BSN NL 88 257 16 62 12 5 1 30 3 18 25 0.241 .271 (-11%) .331 (-11%) .363 (-7%) .694 (-9%) -449.5
1921 BSN NL 152 555 50 155 29 5 2 61 2 36 49 0.279 .286 (-2%) .344 (-5%) .395 (-9%) .739 (-7%) -822.3
1922 BSN NL 143 515 58 140 23 9 2 60 2 30 36 0.272 .285 (-5%) .345 (-8%) .397 (-9%) .743 (-8%) -992.1
1923 BSN NL 111 380 27 103 16 7 2 50 1 31 30 0.271 .282 (-4%) .344 (-5%) .390 (-6%) .734 (-6%) -477.9
1924 PHI NL 145 530 58 144 27 5 3 53 1 27 40 0.272 .283 (-4%) .345 (-11%) .389 (-8%) .734 (-9%) -1127.1
1925 BRO NL 66 216 32 59 11 0 1 15 0 26 15 0.273 .288 (-5%) .349 (+2%) .407 (-17%) .756 (-8%) -250.8
1926 CIN NL 57 197 14 55 6 1 0 18 1 14 12 0.279 .279 (avg) .345 (-3%) .390 (-18%) .735 (-11%) -347.1
1927 CIN NL 115 409 45 112 16 2 1 46 0 33 34 0.274 .282 (-3%) .344 (-4%) .392 (-16%) .736 (-10%) -778.2
1928 CIN NL 149 506 49 122 17 4 0 54 1 47 31 0.241 .280 (-14%) .342 (-10%) .395 (-27%) .737 (-19%) -1915.3
1929 CIN NL 148 529 68 146 14 6 3 50 8 41 25 0.276 .289 (-5%) .353 (-7%) .415 (-18%) .769 (-13%) -1418.3
1930 CIN NL 132 424 36 98 16 7 1 34 2 24 28 0.231 .293 (-21%) .354 (-23%) .429 (-28%) .784 (-26%) -2425.8
1931 CIN NL 84 175 18 40 8 1 0 13 0 13 13 0.229 .276 (-17%) .338 (-16%) .388 (-26%) .726 (-21%) -691.7
1932 STL NL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1932 BSN NL 40 95 9 26 5 2 0 6 0 6 9 0.274 .275 (-1%) .335 (-4%) .391 (-6%) .726 (-5%) 0.0
1933 BSN NL 5 15 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 0.067 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 4 0 24 1 0 2
2B 589 0 1338 2009 88 328
3B 5 0 4 10 0 0
SS 846 0 1821 2644 185 565

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1919 BSN 3B 2 0 3 6 0 0
1919 BSN SS 8 0 10 25 2 3
1920 BSN 1B 4 0 24 1 0 2
1920 BSN 2B 59 0 122 219 10 21
1920 BSN SS 18 0 28 65 9 3
1921 BSN 2B 119 0 297 417 20 48
1921 BSN SS 33 0 96 109 6 17
1922 BSN 2B 28 0 68 94 3 13
1922 BSN SS 115 0 267 387 32 58
1923 BSN 2B 95 0 213 300 16 61
1923 BSN SS 19 0 39 52 6 6
1924 PHI 2B 145 0 337 543 27 96
1925 BRO SS 66 0 126 185 11 33
1926 CIN SS 57 0 152 190 13 57
1927 CIN 2B 12 0 21 31 0 5
1927 CIN SS 104 0 218 323 27 75
1928 CIN SS 149 0 355 508 25 128
1929 CIN 2B 42 0 94 152 5 30
1929 CIN SS 108 0 239 368 30 86
1930 CIN 2B 66 0 152 217 6 45
1930 CIN SS 74 0 139 198 9 45
1931 CIN 2B 3 0 4 6 0 2
1931 CIN 3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1931 CIN SS 73 0 107 162 13 41
1932 SLN SS 1 0 2 1 1 1
1932 BSN 2B 20 0 30 30 1 7
1932 BSN 3B 2 0 1 3 0 0
1932 BSN SS 16 0 26 48 1 8
1933 BSN SS 5 0 17 23 0 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 4
Second Base 593
Third Base 5
Shortstop 845

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Tufts University Medford MA 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1928 Most Valuable Player NL 22th 2.0 80 0