Frank Hankinson, baseball player, 1878-1888

Frank Hankinson

Born: 4/29/1856 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 4/5/1911 in Palisades Park, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1878-05-01 | Final Game: 1888-10-14

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 168 lbs

Full name: Frank Edward Hankinson

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Biography

Frank Hankinson was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the late 19th century, a time characterized by the early evolution of the game and the transition from the deadball era to more offensive play. Born in 1856, Hankinson's career spanned from 1878 until his retirement on October 14, 1888. Over the course of his tenure in Major League Baseball, he compiled a record of 16 wins and 12 losses, showcasing his competitive spirit and skill on the mound. Hankinson finished his career with a notable earned run average (ERA) of 2.5, which highlighted his effectiveness as a pitcher during an era when the game was still developing its offensive metrics. He struck out 81 batters and recorded one save, demonstrating his ability to handle pressure situations. Although not as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries, Hankinson's contributions to the game during its formative years helped lay the groundwork for future generations of pitchers. His career remains a testament to the early days of professional baseball and the athletes who shaped its history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
16 12 32 28 28 2 1 266.7 281 74 1 31 81 2.50 0

Career ERA 2.50 vs. league average 2.72 across their career seasons — 8.3% better than 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
1878 CHC NL 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 11 6 0 4 6.00 2.30 (-160%) -
1879 CHC NL 15 10 26 25 25 2 0 230.7 248 64 27 69 2.50 2.50 (avg) -
1880 CL2 NL 1 1 4 2 2 0 1 25.0 20 3 3 8 1.08 2.37 (+55%) 76.5
1885 NY4 AA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 0 4.50 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
849 3272 410 747 122 39 13 344 31 170 266 0.228 0.267 0.301 0.568 -5265.1

Career AVG .228 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.

Career OBP .267 vs. league average .293 across their career seasons — 8.9% below league average.

Career SLG .301 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 10.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.568 vs. league average 0.628 across their career seasons — 9.5% 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
1878 CHC NL 58 240 38 64 8 3 1 27 0 5 36 0.267 .259 (+3%) .278 (+1%) .319 (+6%) .597 (+4%) 109.4
1879 CHC NL 44 171 14 31 4 0 0 8 0 2 14 0.181 .255 (-29%) .270 (-30%) .328 (-38%) .599 (-34%) -813.6
1880 CL2 NL 69 263 32 55 7 4 1 19 0 1 23 0.209 .244 (-15%) .267 (-21%) .319 (-13%) .586 (-17%) -681.4
1881 TRN NL 85 321 34 62 15 0 1 19 0 10 41 0.193 .260 (-26%) .290 (-25%) .338 (-26%) .628 (-26%) -1346.4
1883 NY1 NL 94 337 40 74 13 6 2 30 0 19 38 0.220 .257 (-15%) .285 (-9%) .345 (-10%) .631 (-9%) -503.7
1884 NY1 NL 105 389 44 90 16 7 2 43 0 23 59 0.231 .243 (-5%) .278 (-2%) .327 (-1%) .606 (-1%) -88.0
1885 NY4 AA 94 362 43 81 12 2 2 44 0 12 0 0.224 .244 (-8%) .287 (-13%) .325 (-13%) .613 (-13%) -773.8
1886 NY4 AA 136 522 66 126 14 5 2 63 10 49 0 0.241 .246 (-2%) .302 (+1%) .331 (-10%) .634 (-5%) -307.1
1887 NY4 AA 127 512 79 137 29 11 1 71 19 38 43 0.268 .270 (-1%) .331 (-4%) .373 (avg) .705 (-2%) -307.0
1888 KC2 AA 37 155 20 27 4 1 1 20 2 11 12 0.174 .238 (-27%) .290 (-21%) .319 (-27%) .610 (-24%) -553.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 18 0 0 2
2B 13 0 32 40 4 3
3B 764 0 1029 1579 373 116
OF 35 0 39 6 4 0
P 32 0 19 75 6 1
SS 10 0 9 30 6 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1878 CHN 3B 57 0 94 138 33 9
1878 CHN P 1 0 1 0 0 0
1879 CHN 3B 5 0 5 17 6 0
1879 CHN OF 14 0 21 3 2 0
1879 CHN P 26 0 16 67 6 1
1880 CL2 3B 56 0 68 89 29 7
1880 CL2 OF 12 0 9 2 0 0
1880 CL2 P 4 0 2 8 0 0
1881 TRN 3B 84 0 151 169 33 21
1881 TRN SS 1 0 1 1 1 1
1883 NY1 3B 93 0 122 166 43 9
1883 NY1 OF 1 0 1 0 1 0
1884 NY1 3B 105 0 135 182 47 8
1884 NY1 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1885 NY4 3B 94 0 106 212 33 9
1885 NY4 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1886 NY4 3B 136 0 181 316 72 26
1887 NY4 3B 127 0 161 276 69 26
1888 KC2 1B 2 0 18 0 0 2
1888 KC2 2B 13 0 32 40 4 3
1888 KC2 3B 7 0 6 14 8 1
1888 KC2 OF 7 0 8 1 1 0
1888 KC2 SS 9 0 8 29 5 6

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 32
First Base 2
Second Base 13
Third Base 764
Shortstop 10
Left Field 26
Center Field 8
Right Field 1