Hardy Peterson, baseball player, 1955-1959

Hardy Peterson

Born: 10/17/1929 in Perth Amboy, NJ, USA

Died: 4/16/2019 in Union, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-05-05 | Final Game: 1959-08-08

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Harding William Peterson

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Biography

Hardy Peterson was a professional baseball player born in 1929, who made his mark in the major leagues from 1955 to 1959. He played primarily as a position player, showcasing his skills over 66 games. Throughout his career, Peterson achieved a commendable batting average of .273, with a total of 44 hits, including 3 home runs and 21 runs batted in (RBIs). Despite not being known for his speed on the basepaths, as evidenced by his zero stolen bases, Peterson contributed to his teams with solid offensive performances during a transformative era in baseball. Competing during the mid-1950s, a time when the game was transitioning away from the power-focused styles of the earlier decade, Peterson's ability to maintain a respectable batting average reflected his adaptability and skill at the plate. His contributions, albeit limited in terms of games played, highlighted his role as a reliable hitter and a valuable teammate during his tenure in the league. Following his retirement on August 8, 1959, Peterson remained a part of baseball history, remembered for his time in a competitive and evolving sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
66 161 17 44 8 1 3 21 0 17 17 0.273 0.344 0.391 0.736 76.3

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.

Career OBP .344 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +5.6% above league average.

Career SLG .391 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.736 vs. league average 0.719 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
1955 PIT NL 32 81 7 20 6 0 1 10 0 7 7 0.247 .258 (-4%) .332 (-6%) .393 (-9%) .726 (-8%) -117.0
1957 PIT NL 30 73 10 22 2 1 2 11 0 9 10 0.301 .257 (+17%) .323 (+17%) .391 (+12%) .715 (+14%) 193.3
1958 PIT NL 2 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1959 PIT NL 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 65 49 244 36 7 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1955 PIT C 31 22 117 21 5 4
1957 PIT C 30 25 116 14 2 3
1958 PIT C 2 2 7 1 0 0
1959 PIT C 2 0 4 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 65

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick NJ 1948, 1949, 1950