Germany Smith, baseball player, 1884-1898

Germany Smith

Born: 4/20/1859 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Died: 12/1/1927 in Altoona, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-04-17 | Final Game: 1898-10-09

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: George J. Smith

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Biography

Germany Smith was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century, whose career spanned from 1884 to 1898. Born in 1859, Smith made his mark in an era characterized by its evolving style of play, transitioning from the deadball era to a time when offensive production began to take center stage. Over the course of 1712 games, he showcased his versatility and skill, amassing 1597 hits, 47 home runs, and 800 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .243. His ability to steal bases was notable, as he swiped 235 throughout his career, reflecting the aggressive, fast-paced style of play that defined the era. Smith's contributions to the game extended beyond his individual statistics; he was a key player for several teams and played an integral role in the development of baseball during a formative time in the sport's history. His performance on the field exemplified the spirit of competition and athleticism that was emerging in the late 19th century, making him a noteworthy figure in the annals of baseball history. After retiring on October 9, 1898, Smith left behind a legacy of resilience and determination, embodying the characteristics of a player who thrived during the sport's early professional years.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1712 6562 907 1597 252 95 47 800 235 408 390 0.243 0.289 0.332 0.622 -14654.0

Career AVG .243 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 7.9% below league average.

Career OBP .289 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 11.6% below league average.

Career SLG .332 vs. league average .356 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.622 vs. league average 0.683 across their career seasons — 9.0% 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 ALT UA 25 108 9 34 8 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.315 .243 (+29%) .278 (+15%) .327 (+25%) .606 (+20%) 275.0
1884 CL2 NL 72 291 31 74 14 4 4 26 0 2 45 0.254 .243 (+5%) .278 (-7%) .327 (+13%) .606 (+4%) 275.0
1885 BR3 AA 108 419 63 108 17 11 4 62 0 10 0 0.258 .244 (+6%) .287 (-4%) .325 (+17%) .613 (+7%) 278.3
1886 BR3 AA 105 426 66 105 17 6 2 45 22 19 0 0.246 .246 (avg) .302 (-8%) .331 (-1%) .634 (-4%) -416.9
1887 BR3 AA 103 435 79 128 19 16 4 72 26 13 18 0.294 .270 (+9%) .331 (-5%) .373 (+17%) .705 (+7%) 334.2
1888 BR3 AA 103 402 47 86 10 7 3 61 27 22 39 0.214 .238 (-10%) .290 (-12%) .319 (-7%) .610 (-10%) -728.3
1889 BR3 AA 121 446 89 103 22 3 3 53 35 40 42 0.231 .263 (-12%) .334 (-11%) .357 (-12%) .691 (-12%) -1072.8
1890 BRO NL 129 481 76 92 6 5 1 47 24 42 23 0.191 .260 (-27%) .336 (-23%) .351 (-34%) .687 (-29%) -2703.1
1891 CIN NL 138 512 50 103 11 5 3 53 16 38 32 0.201 .254 (-21%) .331 (-22%) .343 (-24%) .675 (-23%) -2433.2
1892 CIN NL 139 506 58 123 13 6 8 63 19 42 52 0.243 .244 (-1%) .316 (-5%) .327 (+4%) .644 (-1%) -148.2
1893 CIN NL 130 500 63 118 18 6 4 56 14 38 20 0.236 .279 (-16%) .356 (-18%) .379 (-16%) .735 (-17%) -1864.0
1894 CIN NL 129 492 73 130 34 6 3 79 15 41 28 0.264 .309 (-15%) .379 (-15%) .435 (-14%) .814 (-14%) -1679.8
1895 CIN NL 127 503 75 151 23 6 4 74 13 34 24 0.300 .296 (+1%) .361 (-5%) .399 (-2%) .761 (-3%) -401.9
1896 CIN NL 120 456 65 131 21 9 3 71 22 28 22 0.287 .290 (-1%) .354 (-7%) .387 (+1%) .741 (-3%) -372.3
1897 BRO NL 112 428 47 86 17 3 0 29 1 14 23 0.201 .291 (-31%) .354 (-34%) .387 (-34%) .741 (-34%) -3058.8
1898 STL NL 51 157 16 25 2 1 1 9 1 24 22 0.159 .270 (-41%) .333 (-18%) .347 (-41%) .680 (-30%) -733.7

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 3 1 0 0 1 9.00 0

Career ERA 9.00 vs. league average 3.11 across their career seasons — 189.6% 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 ALT UA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 3 1 0 1 9.00 — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
15 58 5 13 2 3 0 9 3 5 0.224

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1890 WS BRO 7 29 3 8 0 2 0 7 0 3 0.276
1889 WS BR3 8 29 2 5 2 1 0 2 3 2 0.172

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 43 0 111 136 34 23
3B 2 0 4 2 2 0
C 1 0 0 0 0 0
OF 2 0 0 0 0 0
P 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 1667 0 2816 6166 973 588

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 ALT P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1884 ALT SS 25 0 40 88 19 1
1884 CL2 2B 42 0 111 136 34 23
1884 CL2 SS 30 0 44 107 16 3
1885 BR3 SS 108 0 161 455 81 23
1886 BR3 C 1 0 0 0 0 0
1886 BR3 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1886 BR3 SS 105 0 142 381 85 30
1887 BR3 3B 2 0 4 2 2 0
1887 BR3 SS 101 0 157 387 70 23
1888 BR3 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1888 BR3 SS 103 0 155 352 94 29
1889 BR3 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1889 BR3 SS 120 0 182 417 67 37
1890 BRO SS 129 0 232 468 74 49
1891 CIN SS 138 0 240 507 75 40
1892 CIN SS 139 0 239 561 70 55
1893 CIN SS 130 0 250 500 53 67
1894 CIN SS 129 0 236 513 74 76
1895 CIN SS 127 0 251 457 59 58
1896 CIN SS 120 0 207 407 49 47
1897 BRO SS 112 0 201 399 61 36
1898 SLN SS 51 0 79 167 26 14

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 1
Catcher 1
Second Base 43
Third Base 2
Shortstop 1667
Left Field 1
Right Field 1