John Harkins, baseball player, 1884-1888

John Harkins

Born: 4/12/1859 in New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Died: 11/18/1940 in New Brunswick, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-05-02 | Final Game: 1888-05-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: John Joseph Harkins

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Biography

John Harkins, born in 1859, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1884 to 1888. He played during a transformative period in baseball history, marked by the early establishment of the modern game and the onset of greater offensive strategies. Throughout his career, Harkins compiled a record of 51 wins and 83 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.09. His durability and competitiveness were evident as he struck out 489 batters, showcasing his ability to challenge hitters with a variety of pitches. Harkins' role as a pitcher in the late 19th century placed him in a unique position within the evolving landscape of baseball. Although he did not secure any saves, his contributions on the mound were integral to his teams during an era where pitching styles and strategies were still being defined. While he may not have achieved the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, Harkins remains a notable figure in the history of the sport, representing the grit and determination of early baseball players who laid the groundwork for future generations.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
51 83 139 137 131 4 0 1183.3 1262 538 26 358 489 4.09 0

Career ERA 4.09 vs. league average 3.31 across their career seasons — 23.6% worse 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
1884 CL2 NL 12 32 46 45 42 3 0 391.0 399 160 108 192 3.68 3.11 (-18%) -2615.8
1885 BR3 AA 14 20 34 34 33 1 0 293.0 303 122 56 141 3.75 3.03 (-24%) 1238.3
1886 BR3 AA 15 16 34 33 33 0 0 292.3 286 117 114 118 3.60 3.37 (-7%) -3219.3
1887 BR3 AA 10 14 24 24 22 0 0 199.0 262 133 77 36 6.02 4.17 (-44%) -1931.3
1888 BL2 AA 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 8.0 12 6 3 2 6.75 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
173 631 73 144 17 6 2 66 6 41 57 0.228 0.276 0.284 0.560 -996.5

Career AVG .228 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.

Career OBP .276 vs. league average .297 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.

Career SLG .284 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 15.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.560 vs. league average 0.632 across their career seasons — 11.4% 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 CL2 NL 61 229 24 47 4 2 0 20 0 7 45 0.205 .243 (-16%) .278 (-18%) .327 (-27%) .606 (-23%) -774.0
1885 BR3 AA 43 159 20 42 4 2 1 15 0 9 0 0.264 .244 (+8%) .287 (+5%) .325 (+3%) .613 (+4%) 99.1
1886 BR3 AA 41 142 18 32 4 2 1 15 2 17 0 0.225 .246 (-9%) .302 (+2%) .331 (-9%) .634 (-4%) -40.4
1887 BR3 AA 27 98 10 23 5 0 0 16 4 7 11 0.235 .270 (-13%) .331 (-12%) .373 (-24%) .705 (-18%) -281.1
1888 BL2 AA 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 1 0 1 0 0 1
3B 2 0 3 0 1 0
OF 38 0 41 2 14 0
P 139 0 85 234 40 6
SS 1 0 0 2 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 CL2 3B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1884 CL2 OF 17 0 26 2 6 0
1884 CL2 P 46 0 15 81 17 3
1884 CL2 SS 1 0 0 2 2 0
1885 BR3 3B 1 0 1 0 1 0
1885 BR3 OF 9 0 8 0 4 0
1885 BR3 P 34 0 36 57 10 0
1886 BR3 OF 8 0 5 0 3 0
1886 BR3 P 34 0 24 57 8 2
1887 BR3 2B 1 0 1 0 0 1
1887 BR3 OF 4 0 2 0 1 0
1887 BR3 P 24 0 10 35 5 1
1888 BL2 P 1 0 0 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 139
Second Base 1
Third Base 2
Shortstop 1
Left Field 10
Center Field 7
Right Field 21

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick NJ 1881, 1882