John Shaffer

Born: 2/18/1864 in Lock Haven, PA, USA

Died: 11/21/1926 in Endicott, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1886-09-13 | Final Game: 1887-06-30

Throws: R | Height: 5'10"

Full name: John W. Shaffer

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Biography

John Shaffer, born in 1864, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the late 19th century, a time when the sport was evolving rapidly in the United States. His career spanned from 1886 to 1887, during which he competed in an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven approach in Major League Baseball. Shaffer's tenure in the league was marked by his contributions on the mound, where he recorded a career win-loss record of 7-14 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.57 over his limited time in the sport. In his career, Shaffer demonstrated his pitching prowess by striking out 58 batters, although he did not record any saves. His performances reflected the challenges faced by pitchers of his time, as the game was still adjusting to the increasing complexity of batting techniques and strategies. While his career was relatively brief, John Shaffer's participation in the early years of professional baseball places him within a significant historical context, contributing to the foundational development of the sport as it grew in popularity and sophistication.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
7	14	21	21	21	1	0	181.0	188	92	3	82	58	4.57	0

Career ERA 4.57 vs. league average 3.77 across their career seasons — 21.3% 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
1886	NY4	AA	5	3	8	8	8	1	0	69.0	40	15	29	36	1.96	3.37 (+42%)	14.1
1887	NY4	AA	2	11	13	13	13	0	0	112.0	148	77	53	22	6.19	4.17 (-48%)	-2224.8

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
21	73	7	14	1	1	0	4	1	5	13	0.192	0.244	0.233	0.476	0.0

Career AVG .192 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 25.9% below league average.

Career OBP .244 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — 23.2% below league average.

Career SLG .233 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — 34.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.476 vs. league average 0.670 across their career seasons — 28.9% 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
1886	NY4	AA	8	25	3	6	0	0	0	1	0	4	0	0.240	—	—	—	—	0.0
1887	NY4	AA	13	48	4	8	1	1	0	3	1	1	13	0.167	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	21	0	9	39	6	1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1886	NY4	P	8	0	2	7	2	1
1887	NY4	P	13	0	7	32	4	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Pitcher	21