John Kirby, baseball player, 1884-1888

John Kirby

Born: 1/13/1865 in St. Louis, MO, USA

Died: 10/6/1931 in St. Louis, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-08-01 | Final Game: 1888-06-29

Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 172 lbs

Full name: John F. Kirby

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Biography

John Kirby, born in 1865, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the late 19th century, a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era to the more modern styles of play. His career spanned from 1884 to June 29, 1888, during which he competed in a total of 68 games. Kirby's lifetime record stood at 18 wins and 50 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.09, reflective of the pitching challenges of his time. Throughout his career, Kirby amassed 200 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to overpower hitters despite the high number of losses. His role as a pitcher came during a pivotal time in baseball, as teams began to adapt their strategies in response to evolving offensive tactics. Although he did not record any saves, Kirby's contributions on the mound were significant in the context of his era, where pitchers often faced heavy workloads and the game was still being defined. His career remains a testament to the early days of professional baseball, as players like Kirby laid the groundwork for future generations of pitchers.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
18 50 75 75 68 1 0 611.3 640 278 13 258 200 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 KCU UA 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 11.0 13 5 2 1 4.09 3.11 (-32%) -145.9
1885 SL5 NL 5 8 14 14 14 0 0 129.3 118 51 44 46 3.55 3.03 (-17%) -526.8
1886 SL5 NL 11 26 41 41 38 1 0 325.0 329 119 134 129 3.30 3.37 (+2%) -4676.1
1887 IN3 NL 1 6 8 8 5 0 0 62.0 70 42 43 7 6.10 4.17 (-46%) -2650.2
1887 CL3 AA 0 5 5 5 5 0 0 41.0 62 41 28 6 9.00 4.17 (-116%) -1370.2
1888 KC2 AA 1 4 5 5 5 0 0 43.0 48 20 7 11 4.19 2.95 (-42%) 342.6

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
76 256 17 27 4 2 0 7 0 4 81 0.105 0.123 0.137 0.259 -1753.4

Career AVG .105 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 57.5% below league average.

Career OBP .123 vs. league average .297 across their career seasons — 58.7% below league average.

Career SLG .137 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 59.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.259 vs. league average 0.632 across their career seasons — 59.0% 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 KCU UA 2 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1885 SL5 NL 14 50 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 0.060 .244 (-75%) .287 (-73%) .325 (-82%) .613 (-77%) -537.6
1886 SL5 NL 42 136 10 15 4 0 0 5 0 3 47 0.110 .246 (-55%) .302 (-57%) .331 (-58%) .634 (-58%) -1215.8
1887 IN3 NL 8 29 3 4 0 1 0 2 0 0 7 0.138 — — — — 0.0
1887 CL3 AA 5 18 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1888 KC2 AA 5 16 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.062 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 7 0 4 0 2 0
P 75 0 23 118 22 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 KCU OF 1 0 1 0 2 0
1884 KCU P 2 0 1 6 1 0
1885 SL5 P 14 0 5 22 7 1
1886 SL5 OF 3 0 2 0 0 0
1886 SL5 P 41 0 14 61 9 2
1887 IN3 OF 3 0 1 0 0 0
1887 IN3 P 8 0 0 10 1 0
1887 CL3 P 5 0 2 8 1 0
1888 KC2 P 5 0 1 11 3 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 75
Left Field 1
Center Field 3
Right Field 3