Dan Stearns

Born: 10/17/1861 in Buffalo, NY, USA

Died: 6/28/1944 in Glendale, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1880-08-17 | Final Game: 1889-10-14

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Daniel Eckford Stearns

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Biography

Dan Stearns, born in 1861, was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1880 to 1889. A versatile position player, Stearns appeared in 509 games and made a notable impact during the early years of organized baseball, a time when the sport was still in its formative stages. He tallied 491 hits over his career, showcasing a solid batting ability with a career batting average of .242. His offensive contributions included 8 home runs and 173 RBIs, reflecting his capability as a run producer during a period that was not yet defined by the power-hitting metrics that characterize modern baseball. In addition to his hitting prowess, Stearns demonstrated speed on the base paths, accumulating 67 stolen bases throughout his time in the league. His playing style was indicative of the era, which emphasized contact hitting and aggressive base running, rather than the home run-centric approach that would emerge later in the century. Stearns' contributions to the game during the 1880s helped lay the groundwork for future generations of players, and he remains a noteworthy figure in the history of baseball as the sport evolved into the beloved pastime it is today.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
509 2025 295 491 72 36 8 173 67 173 117 0.242 0.306 0.325 0.631 429.6

Career AVG .242 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .306 vs. league average .292 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .325 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.631 vs. league average 0.628 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
1880 BFN NL 28 104 8 19 6 1 0 13 0 3 23 0.183 .244 (-25%) .267 (-23%) .319 (-19%) .586 (-21%) -301.5
1881 DTN NL 3 11 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1882 CN2 AA 49 214 28 55 10 2 0 35 0 6 0 0.257 .248 (+4%) .275 (avg) .329 (-2%) .605 (-1%) -32.6
1883 BL2 AA 93 382 54 94 10 9 1 0 0 34 0 0.246 .257 (-4%) .285 (+8%) .345 (-5%) .631 (+1%) 170.7
1884 BL2 AA 100 396 61 94 12 3 3 0 0 28 0 0.237 .243 (-2%) .278 (+7%) .327 (-7%) .606 (avg) 128.2
1885 BL2 AA 67 253 40 47 3 8 1 29 0 38 0 0.186 .244 (-24%) .287 (+6%) .325 (-16%) .613 (-6%) -32.2
1885 BFN NL 30 105 7 21 6 1 0 9 0 8 23 0.200 .244 (-18%) .287 (-11%) .325 (-15%) .613 (-13%) -32.2
1889 KC2 AA 139 560 96 160 24 12 3 87 67 56 69 0.286 .263 (+8%) .334 (+5%) .357 (+8%) .691 (+7%) 692.1

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 437 0 4344 169 206 203
2B 3 0 7 2 1 0
3B 9 0 4 10 8 0
C 12 0 29 17 9 1
OF 36 0 48 8 14 1
SS 24 0 35 62 22 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1880 BFN 3B 5 0 2 6 5 0
1880 BFN C 8 0 16 12 7 1
1880 BFN OF 20 0 21 3 7 1
1880 BFN SS 1 0 0 3 1 1
1881 DTN SS 3 0 1 9 4 1
1882 CN2 1B 35 0 305 5 23 16
1882 CN2 2B 2 0 7 2 1 0
1882 CN2 OF 12 0 23 5 6 0
1882 CN2 SS 1 0 2 4 0 0
1883 BL2 1B 92 0 984 38 57 38
1883 BL2 OF 1 0 1 0 1 0
1884 BL2 1B 100 0 959 48 54 36
1884 BL2 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1885 BL2 1B 63 0 605 19 17 35
1885 BL2 C 2 0 7 1 1 0
1885 BL2 OF 3 0 3 0 0 0
1885 BFN 1B 12 0 93 3 6 3
1885 BFN C 2 0 6 4 1 0
1885 BFN SS 19 0 32 46 17 4
1889 KC2 1B 135 0 1398 56 49 75
1889 KC2 3B 4 0 2 4 3 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 12
First Base 437
Second Base 3
Third Base 9
Shortstop 24
Left Field 7
Center Field 3
Right Field 28