Babe Herman, baseball player, 181 home runs, 1926-1945

Babe Herman

Born: 6/26/1903 in Buffalo, NY, USA

Died: 11/27/1987 in Glendale, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1926-04-14 | Final Game: 1945-09-16

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Floyd Caves Herman

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Biography

Babe Herman, born in 1903, enjoyed a prolific career as a position player in Major League Baseball from 1926 until his retirement in 1945. Known for his exceptional hitting ability, Herman played in 1,552 games and accumulated 1,818 hits, resulting in a remarkable batting average of .324. His power at the plate was evidenced by his 181 home runs and 997 RBIs, making him one of the era's more formidable offensive threats. Additionally, he showcased his speed on the bases with 94 stolen bases, further adding to his value as a well-rounded player. Herman's career unfolded during a dynamic period in baseball, characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively charged game. His impressive statistics not only highlight his individual talent but also reflect the changing landscape of the sport in the early to mid-20th century. With a keen eye for pitch selection and a powerful swing, Babe Herman left a lasting impact on the game, solidifying his legacy as one of baseball's great hitters of his time.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
122.0 116.0 15.0 32.0 6.0 0 2.0 14.0 6.0 8.0 3.0 0.276 0.311 0.379 0.690

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1925 57.0 53.0 8.0 18.0 2.0 0 1.0 11.0 4.0 2.0 0 0.340 0.386 0.434 0.820
1926 14.0 13.0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 1.0 2.0 0 0.154 0.214 0.231 0.445
1927 16.0 16.0 2.0 5.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 0.312 0.312 0.438 0.750
1928 4.0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1931 17.0 16.0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0 1.0 4.0 0 0.125 0.176 0.125 0.301
1937 4.0 4.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.500
1942 10.0 10.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 0 1.0 2.0 0 0 0 0.400 0.400 0.800 1.200

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1552 5603 882 1818 399 110 181 997 94 520 553 0.324 0.383 0.532 0.915 25825.1

Career AVG .324 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — +16.2% above league average.

Career OBP .383 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — +11.8% above league average.

Career SLG .532 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — +34.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.915 vs. league average 0.738 across their career seasons — +24.0% above 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
1926 BRO NL 137 496 64 158 35 11 11 81 8 44 53 0.319 .279 (+14%) .345 (+9%) .390 (+28%) .735 (+19%) 1785.5
1927 BRO NL 130 412 65 112 26 9 14 73 4 39 41 0.272 .282 (-4%) .344 (-2%) .392 (+22%) .736 (+11%) 756.6
1928 BRO NL 134 486 64 165 37 6 12 91 1 38 36 0.340 .280 (+21%) .342 (+14%) .395 (+30%) .737 (+23%) 2162.3
1929 BRO NL 146 569 105 217 42 13 21 113 21 55 45 0.381 .289 (+32%) .353 (+23%) .415 (+47%) .769 (+36%) 4366.9
1930 BRO NL 153 614 143 241 48 11 35 130 18 66 56 0.393 .293 (+34%) .354 (+28%) .429 (+58%) .784 (+44%) 6067.8
1931 BRO NL 151 610 93 191 43 16 18 97 17 50 65 0.313 .276 (+13%) .338 (+8%) .388 (+35%) .726 (+22%) 2577.7
1932 CIN NL 148 577 87 188 38 19 16 87 7 60 45 0.326 .275 (+18%) .335 (+16%) .391 (+38%) .726 (+28%) 3188.9
1933 CHC NL 137 508 77 147 36 12 16 93 6 50 57 0.289 .270 (+7%) .329 (+7%) .377 (+33%) .707 (+21%) 1933.3
1934 CHC NL 125 467 65 142 34 5 14 84 1 35 71 0.304 .278 (+9%) .340 (+4%) .392 (+24%) .733 (+15%) 1229.6
1935 PIT NL 26 81 8 19 8 1 0 7 0 3 10 0.235 .279 (-16%) .342 (-21%) .399 (-10%) .742 (-15%) -242.6
1935 CIN NL 92 349 44 117 23 5 10 58 5 35 25 0.335 .279 (+20%) .342 (+15%) .399 (+29%) .742 (+23%) -242.6
1936 CIN NL 119 380 59 106 25 2 13 71 4 39 36 0.279 .283 (-2%) .349 (-1%) .404 (+13%) .753 (+7%) 483.2
1937 DET AL 17 20 2 6 3 0 0 3 2 1 6 0.300 — — — — 0.0
1945 BRO NL 37 34 6 9 1 0 1 9 0 5 7 0.265 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 236 0 2111 142 41 138
OF 1185 0 2265 106 96 21

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1926 BRO 1B 101 0 918 60 14 55
1926 BRO OF 35 0 56 4 3 0
1927 BRO 1B 105 0 968 68 21 64
1927 BRO OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1928 BRO OF 127 0 225 12 16 2
1929 BRO 1B 2 0 16 1 1 1
1929 BRO OF 141 0 244 10 16 2
1930 BRO OF 153 0 260 10 6 1
1931 BRO OF 150 0 287 24 13 7
1932 CIN OF 146 0 392 18 13 6
1933 CHN OF 131 0 252 12 12 1
1934 CHN 1B 7 0 59 3 1 5
1934 CHN OF 113 0 192 7 6 2
1935 PIT 1B 3 0 18 0 2 1
1935 PIT OF 15 0 22 1 1 0
1935 CIN 1B 14 0 123 9 2 11
1935 CIN OF 76 0 156 5 4 0
1936 CIN 1B 4 0 9 1 0 1
1936 CIN OF 92 0 175 3 6 0
1937 DET OF 2 0 3 0 0 0
1945 BRO OF 3 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 235
Left Field 191
Right Field 994

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1934 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 4.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 8.0 80 0
1929 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 24.0 80 0
1926 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 8.0 80 0