Arky Vaughan, baseball player, 1932-1948

Arky Vaughan

⭐ Hall of Fame 1985

Born: 3/9/1912 in Clifty, AR, USA

Died: 8/30/1952 in Eagleville, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1932-04-17 | Final Game: 1948-09-22

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Joseph Floyd Vaughan

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Biography

Arky Vaughan was a distinguished professional baseball player, born in 1912, who played primarily as a shortstop and third baseman from 1932 until his retirement in 1948. He was renowned for his exceptional hitting ability, finishing his career with a .318 batting average over 1,817 games. Vaughan accumulated 2,103 hits and 926 RBIs, showcasing his prowess as a run producer in the lineup. His offensive contributions also included 96 home runs and 118 stolen bases, highlighting both his power and speed on the basepaths. Throughout his career, Vaughan earned nine All-Star selections and was recognized for his excellence in the game, receiving the TSN Guide MVP award during his playing days. Vaughan played during a transformative era in baseball, bridging the gap between the pre-World War II period and the post-war expansion of the game. His induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 solidified his legacy as one of the greats of the game. Known for his smooth fielding and consistent hitting, Vaughan left an indelible mark on the sport, and his contributions continue to be celebrated by baseball historians and fans alike.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
16.0 14.0 3.0 5.0 0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.357 0.438 0.500 0.938

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1935 16.0 14.0 3.0 5.0 0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.357 0.438 0.500 0.938

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1817 6622 1173 2103 356 128 96 926 118 937 276 0.318 0.406 0.453 0.859 28347.9

Career AVG .318 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — +17.8% above league average.

Career OBP .406 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +20.4% above league average.

Career SLG .453 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +18.4% above league average.

Career OPS 0.859 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — +19.4% above 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
1932 PIT NL 129 497 71 158 15 10 4 61 10 39 26 0.318 .275 (+16%) .335 (+12%) .391 (+5%) .726 (+8%) 902.9
1933 PIT NL 152 573 85 180 29 19 9 97 3 64 23 0.314 .270 (+16%) .329 (+18%) .377 (+27%) .707 (+22%) 2625.8
1934 PIT NL 149 558 115 186 41 11 12 94 10 94 38 0.333 .278 (+20%) .340 (+27%) .392 (+30%) .733 (+28%) 3603.8
1935 PIT NL 137 499 108 192 34 10 19 99 4 97 18 0.385 .279 (+38%) .342 (+43%) .399 (+52%) .742 (+48%) 5470.0
1936 PIT NL 156 568 122 190 30 11 9 78 6 118 21 0.335 .283 (+18%) .349 (+30%) .404 (+17%) .753 (+23%) 3417.2
1937 PIT NL 126 469 71 151 17 17 5 72 7 54 22 0.322 .276 (+16%) .342 (+15%) .398 (+16%) .740 (+16%) 1525.5
1938 PIT NL 148 541 88 174 35 5 7 68 14 104 21 0.322 .272 (+18%) .341 (+27%) .392 (+13%) .734 (+19%) 2677.5
1939 PIT NL 152 595 94 182 30 11 6 62 12 70 20 0.306 .274 (+12%) .342 (+12%) .393 (+8%) .735 (+10%) 1372.3
1940 PIT NL 156 594 113 178 40 15 7 95 12 88 25 0.300 .267 (+12%) .335 (+17%) .387 (+17%) .722 (+17%) 2239.5
1941 PIT NL 106 374 69 118 20 7 6 38 8 50 13 0.316 .262 (+20%) .332 (+20%) .373 (+22%) .705 (+21%) 1570.4
1942 BRO NL 128 495 82 137 18 4 2 49 8 51 17 0.277 .253 (+9%) .323 (+8%) .349 (-2%) .672 (+2%) 327.8
1943 BRO NL 149 610 112 186 39 6 5 66 20 60 13 0.305 .255 (+19%) .324 (+14%) .346 (+19%) .671 (+17%) 1957.3
1947 BRO NL 64 126 24 41 5 2 2 25 4 27 11 0.325 .262 (+24%) .336 (+32%) .376 (+18%) .712 (+25%) 673.9
1948 BRO NL 65 123 19 30 3 0 3 22 0 21 8 0.244 .263 (-7%) .340 (+4%) .379 (-10%) .719 (-3%) -15.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.500

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1947 WS BRO 3 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.500

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 1 0 1 0 0 0
3B 197 0 190 335 19 25
OF 60 0 122 4 1 0
SS 1485 0 2995 4780 397 850

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1932 PIT SS 128 0 247 403 46 74
1933 PIT SS 152 0 310 487 46 95
1934 PIT SS 149 0 329 480 41 77
1935 PIT SS 137 0 249 422 35 55
1936 PIT SS 156 0 327 477 47 86
1937 PIT OF 12 0 26 0 1 0
1937 PIT SS 108 0 231 335 26 58
1938 PIT SS 147 0 306 507 33 107
1939 PIT SS 152 0 330 531 34 103
1940 PIT 3B 2 0 1 4 0 0
1940 PIT SS 155 0 308 542 52 94
1941 PIT 3B 3 0 2 9 1 1
1941 PIT SS 97 0 172 289 20 42
1942 BRO 2B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1942 BRO 3B 119 0 118 208 14 18
1942 BRO SS 5 0 11 16 0 4
1943 BRO 3B 55 0 62 84 4 2
1943 BRO SS 99 0 175 291 17 55
1947 BRO 3B 10 0 7 20 0 3
1947 BRO OF 22 0 49 0 0 0
1948 BRO 3B 8 0 0 10 0 1
1948 BRO OF 26 0 47 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 1
Third Base 197
Shortstop 1485
Left Field 60

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1935 TSN All-Star SS
1935 TSN Guide MVP
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS

Featured In Rankings

#7
Top 20 Shortstops in MLB Baseball History
Ranked 7 of 20
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Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 15.0 336 0
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 35th 2.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 27.0 336 0
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 163.0 336 0
1935 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 45.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 1.0 80 0
1933 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 2.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 1.0 80 0