Joe Hornung, baseball player, 1879-1890

Joe Hornung

Born: 6/12/1857 in Carthage, NY, USA

Died: 10/30/1931 in New York, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1879-05-01 | Final Game: 1890-10-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 164 lbs

Full name: Michael Joseph Hornung

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Biography

Joe Hornung, born in 1857, carved out a notable career in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century, a time characterized by the evolution of the game as it transitioned from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach. His career spanned from 1879 until May 1, 1890, during which he played in 1,123 games, showcasing his versatility and endurance as a position player. Hornung accumulated a total of 1,230 hits, demonstrating his ability to consistently reach base, and he finished his career with a batting average of .257. His offensive contributions included 31 home runs and 564 RBIs, making him a significant run producer for his teams. In addition to his hitting prowess, Hornung was known for his speed on the basepaths, recording 159 stolen bases throughout his career. This combination of hitting ability and speed made him a valuable asset as the game began to embrace more aggressive baserunning strategies. As a player who navigated the early years of professional baseball, Hornung's contributions helped lay the groundwork for the future of the sport, as players began to adopt more dynamic styles of play. His legacy is remembered as part of the rich tapestry of baseball history, representing the formative years of a game that would continue to evolve in the decades to come.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 2 2 0 1 0 6.00 0

Career ERA 6.00 vs. league average 2.37 across their career seasons — 152.7% 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
1880 BFN NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 2 2 1 0 6.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1123 4784 787 1230 172 90 31 564 159 120 498 0.257 0.277 0.350 0.627 -2963.4

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .277 vs. league average .303 across their career seasons — 8.5% below league average.

Career SLG .350 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.627 vs. league average 0.643 across their career seasons — near 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
1879 BFN NL 78 319 46 85 18 7 0 38 0 2 27 0.266 .255 (+4%) .270 (avg) .328 (+12%) .599 (+6%) 232.1
1880 BFN NL 85 342 47 91 8 11 1 42 0 8 29 0.266 .244 (+9%) .267 (+6%) .319 (+13%) .586 (+10%) 461.0
1881 BSN NL 83 324 39 78 12 8 2 25 0 5 25 0.241 .260 (-7%) .290 (-13%) .338 (+2%) .628 (-5%) -355.7
1882 BSN NL 85 388 67 117 14 11 1 50 0 2 25 0.302 .248 (+21%) .275 (+11%) .329 (+22%) .605 (+17%) 891.4
1883 BSN NL 98 446 107 124 25 13 8 66 0 8 54 0.278 .257 (+8%) .285 (+2%) .345 (+29%) .631 (+17%) 1052.1
1884 BSN NL 115 518 119 139 27 10 7 51 0 17 80 0.268 .243 (+10%) .278 (+5%) .327 (+22%) .606 (+14%) 1051.6
1885 BSN NL 25 109 14 22 4 1 1 7 0 1 20 0.202 .244 (-17%) .287 (-27%) .325 (-13%) .613 (-20%) -333.3
1886 BSN NL 94 424 67 109 12 2 2 40 16 10 62 0.257 .246 (+4%) .302 (-9%) .331 (-7%) .634 (-8%) -656.5
1887 BSN NL 98 437 85 118 10 6 5 49 41 17 28 0.270 .270 (avg) .331 (-9%) .373 (-5%) .705 (-7%) -632.1
1888 BSN NL 107 431 61 103 11 7 3 53 29 16 39 0.239 .238 (avg) .290 (-7%) .319 (-1%) .610 (-4%) -373.6
1889 BL2 AA 135 533 73 122 13 9 1 78 34 22 72 0.229 .263 (-13%) .334 (-20%) .357 (-18%) .691 (-19%) -2128.0
1890 NY1 NL 120 513 62 122 18 5 0 65 39 12 37 0.238 .260 (-9%) .336 (-23%) .351 (-17%) .687 (-20%) -2172.4

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 62 0 604 22 24 29
2B 5 0 13 16 4 2
3B 7 0 12 6 4 1
OF 1054 0 1925 176 178 33
P 1 0 0 1 0 0
SS 2 0 4 4 2 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1879 BFN 1B 1 0 6 0 0 1
1879 BFN OF 77 0 129 12 26 1
1880 BFN 1B 18 0 179 7 12 3
1880 BFN 2B 5 0 13 16 4 2
1880 BFN OF 67 0 127 12 20 2
1880 BFN P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1881 BSN OF 83 0 198 19 12 5
1882 BSN 1B 1 0 5 1 0 0
1882 BSN OF 84 0 191 14 15 4
1883 BSN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1883 BSN OF 98 0 175 15 13 3
1884 BSN 1B 6 0 51 0 3 2
1884 BSN OF 110 0 182 14 18 1
1885 BSN OF 25 0 33 1 3 0
1886 BSN OF 94 0 187 12 11 1
1887 BSN OF 98 0 192 23 15 3
1888 BSN OF 107 0 151 10 9 0
1889 BL2 3B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1889 BL2 OF 134 0 250 32 27 10
1890 NY1 1B 36 0 363 14 9 23
1890 NY1 3B 5 0 11 6 4 1
1890 NY1 OF 77 0 110 12 9 3
1890 NY1 SS 2 0 4 4 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 1
First Base 62
Second Base 5
Third Base 7
Shortstop 2
Left Field 1051
Center Field 1
Right Field 5