Henry Gruber, baseball player, 1887-1891

Henry Gruber

Born: 12/14/1863 in Hamden, CT, USA

Died: 9/26/1932 in New Haven, CT, USA

MLB Debut: 1887-07-28 | Final Game: 1891-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: Henry John Gruber

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Biography

Henry Gruber was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1887 to 1891 during the early years of Major League Baseball. Born in 1863, Gruber made a name for himself in a time when the game was evolving, transitioning from the rough-and-tumble days of the deadball era to a more structured form of play. Over his five-season career, he compiled a record of 61 wins and 78 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.67. Gruber's skill on the mound earned him a total of 346 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to overpower batters and contribute significantly to his teams. Gruber's tenure in the league was marked by his competitive spirit and versatility as a pitcher. He also recorded one save, indicating his capability to close out games when the situation demanded it. His performance during the late 19th century helped lay the groundwork for the future of pitching in baseball, as players began to focus more on strategy and technique. Although he did not achieve the fame of some of his contemporaries, Gruber's contributions to the sport during its formative years remain a noteworthy part of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
61 78 151 139 129 5 1 1239.3 1328 505 42 479 346 3.67 0

Career ERA 3.67 vs. league average 3.70 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1887 DTN NL 4 3 7 7 7 0 0 62.3 63 19 21 12 2.74 4.17 (+34%) -562.4
1888 DTN NL 11 14 27 25 25 3 0 240.0 196 61 41 71 2.29 2.95 (+22%) -267.4
1889 CL4 NL 7 16 25 23 23 0 1 205.0 198 83 94 74 3.64 3.93 (+7%) -1205.5
1890 CLP PL 22 23 48 44 39 1 0 383.3 464 182 204 110 4.27 3.88 (-10%) -7126.0
1891 CL4 NL 17 22 44 40 35 1 0 348.7 407 160 119 79 4.13 3.52 (-17%) -58.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
155 489 56 83 10 7 1 37 0 73 111 0.170 0.281 0.225 0.506 -1769.6

Career AVG .170 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 34.1% below league average.

Career OBP .281 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 13.7% below league average.

Career SLG .225 vs. league average .349 across their career seasons — 35.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.506 vs. league average 0.676 across their career seasons — 25.0% 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
1887 DTN NL 7 24 3 4 0 1 0 0 0 6 6 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1888 DTN NL 27 92 8 13 2 1 0 4 0 6 23 0.141 .238 (-41%) .290 (-31%) .319 (-42%) .610 (-37%) -481.0
1889 CL4 NL 25 69 7 7 2 0 0 4 0 14 18 0.101 .263 (-62%) .334 (-22%) .357 (-64%) .691 (-43%) -449.7
1890 CLP PL 50 163 21 36 3 3 0 9 0 26 29 0.221 .260 (-15%) .336 (-3%) .351 (-21%) .687 (-12%) -287.1
1891 CL4 NL 46 141 17 23 3 2 1 20 0 21 35 0.163 .254 (-36%) .331 (-17%) .343 (-32%) .675 (-24%) -551.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 1 0 1 1 1 0
OF 5 0 1 1 0 0
P 151 0 26 307 39 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1887 DTN P 7 0 0 7 1 0
1888 DTN P 27 0 4 61 8 2
1889 CL4 P 25 0 6 40 6 2
1890 CLP 3B 1 0 1 1 1 0
1890 CLP OF 3 0 0 1 0 0
1890 CLP P 48 0 8 109 14 3
1891 CL4 OF 2 0 1 0 0 0
1891 CL4 P 44 0 8 90 10 5

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 151
Third Base 1
Center Field 1
Right Field 4