John Radcliff

Born: 6/29/1848 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Died: 7/26/1911 in Ocean City, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1871-05-20 | Final Game: 1875-05-24

Height: 5'6" | Weight: 140 lbs

Full name: John Young Radcliff

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Biography

John Radcliff, born in 1848, was a notable figure in early professional baseball, playing from the inception of the National Association until the mid-1870s. His career spanned from May 20, 1871, to May 24, 1875, during a transformative time in the sport's history, as baseball was evolving into a more organized and commercially viable endeavor. As a position player, Radcliff showcased his skills in 157 games, compiling 229 hits and achieving a batting average of .282, which reflected his ability to contribute offensively during an era characterized by lower scoring and a focus on defensive play. Radcliff's offensive contributions included 2 home runs and 113 RBIs, emphasizing his role as a reliable run producer for his teams. He also demonstrated speed on the bases, stealing 9 bases over his career. While not one of the most celebrated players of his time, Radcliff's solid performance helped lay the groundwork for the future growth of professional baseball, highlighting the increasing importance of individual player statistics and the offensive strategies that would come to define the game in the years to follow. His career remains a testament to the early days of baseball and the players who helped shape its legacy.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
157	812	198	229	32	9	2	113	9	13	5	0.282	0.293	0.351	0.644	-97.0

Career AVG .282 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .293 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.644 vs. league average 0.626 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1871	PH1	28	145	47	44	7	5	0	22	5	6	1	0.303	.286 (+6%)	.311 (+6%)	.383 (+10%)	.695 (+8%)	176.8
1872	BL1	56	297	70	86	13	4	1	44	3	0	2	0.290	.285 (+2%)	.296 (-2%)	.347 (+6%)	.644 (+2%)	57.8
1873	BL1	45	244	59	70	5	0	0	33	0	4	2	0.287	.290 (-1%)	.304 (-2%)	.357 (-14%)	.661 (-8%)	-281.1
1874	PH2	23	103	20	25	7	0	1	14	1	2	0	0.243	.273 (-11%)	.282 (-9%)	.333 (+2%)	.615 (-3%)	-50.5
1875	PH3	5	23	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.174	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	2	1	7	0	0	0
2B	6	2	15	9	5	2
3B	33	7	50	93	46	2
OF	15	15	15	1	4	0
SS	109	80	150	364	158	18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1871	PH1	SS	28	28	40	116	38	5
1872	BL1	2B	1	0	1	1	0	0
1872	BL1	3B	6	6	13	9	8	0
1872	BL1	SS	50	49	66	156	66	9
1873	BL1	2B	1	0	1	2	0	0
1873	BL1	3B	24	0	36	79	34	2
1873	BL1	SS	23	0	35	56	34	3
1874	PH2	1B	2	1	7	0	0	0
1874	PH2	2B	4	2	13	6	5	2
1874	PH2	3B	3	1	1	5	4	0
1874	PH2	OF	15	15	15	1	4	0
1874	PH2	SS	3	3	4	13	5	1
1875	PH3	SS	5	0	5	23	15	0