John Irwin, baseball player, 1882-1896

John Irwin

Born: 7/21/1861 in Toronto, ON, CAN

Died: 2/28/1934 in Boston, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1882-05-31 | Final Game: 1896-08-08

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 168 lbs

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Biography

John Irwin, born in 1861, was a notable position player who graced Major League Baseball from 1882 until his retirement in 1896. Over the course of his career, Irwin played in 322 games, showcasing his skills primarily as an infielder and outfielder during an era marked by the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded game that followed. He finished his career with 312 hits, a batting average of .246, and demonstrated his ability to contribute on the basepaths with 56 stolen bases. Irwin's offensive contributions included 3 home runs and 93 runs batted in, reflecting the evolving nature of the game during his playing years. While his power numbers were modest by today’s standards, his overall versatility and speed on the bases were significant assets to the teams he played for. As a player who navigated the complexities of the late 19th century in baseball, Irwin’s career provides insight into the development of the sport and the changing styles of play that would shape future generations of players.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
322 1269 222 312 55 19 3 93 56 102 74 0.246 0.308 0.326 0.634 -756.5

Career AVG .246 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .308 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .326 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.634 vs. league average 0.655 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
1882 WOR NL 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1884 BSU UA 105 432 81 101 22 6 1 0 0 15 0 0.234 .243 (-4%) .278 (-7%) .327 (-2%) .606 (-4%) -385.4
1886 PH4 AA 3 13 4 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.231 — — — — 0.0
1887 WS8 NL 8 31 6 11 2 0 2 3 6 3 6 0.355 — — — — 0.0
1888 WS8 NL 37 126 14 28 5 2 0 8 15 5 18 0.222 .238 (-7%) .290 (-10%) .319 (-8%) .610 (-9%) -178.4
1889 WS8 NL 58 228 42 66 11 4 0 25 10 25 14 0.289 .263 (+10%) .334 (+11%) .357 (+4%) .691 (+7%) 335.3
1890 BFP PL 77 308 62 72 11 4 0 34 18 43 19 0.234 .260 (-10%) .336 (avg) .351 (-16%) .687 (-8%) -362.0
1891 BS2 AA 19 72 6 16 2 2 0 15 6 6 9 0.222 .254 (-13%) .331 (-15%) .343 (-11%) .675 (-13%) -167.2
1891 LS2 AA 14 55 7 15 1 1 0 7 1 5 6 0.273 .254 (+7%) .331 (+4%) .343 (-5%) .675 (-1%) -167.2

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 13 0 110 11 5 14
2B 1 0 2 5 2 1
3B 258 0 311 507 169 36
OF 17 0 25 5 4 0
SS 35 0 66 103 29 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1882 WOR 1B 1 0 7 0 4 1
1884 BSU 3B 105 0 117 191 87 7
1886 PH4 3B 1 0 0 4 0 0
1886 PH4 SS 2 0 2 3 2 0
1887 WS8 3B 4 0 4 7 2 0
1887 WS8 SS 5 0 9 12 3 1
1888 WS8 3B 10 0 12 10 7 1
1888 WS8 SS 27 0 54 87 23 5
1889 WS8 3B 58 0 82 129 32 14
1890 BFP 1B 12 0 103 11 1 13
1890 BFP 2B 1 0 2 5 2 1
1890 BFP 3B 64 0 79 139 29 13
1891 BS2 3B 2 0 4 5 3 0
1891 BS2 OF 17 0 25 5 4 0
1891 BS2 SS 1 0 1 1 1 0
1891 LS2 3B 14 0 13 22 9 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 13
Second Base 1
Third Base 258
Shortstop 35
Left Field 9
Right Field 9