Dave Zearfoss

Born: 1/1/1868 in Schenectady, NY, USA

Died: 9/12/1945 in Wilmington, DE, USA

MLB Debut: 1896-04-17 | Final Game: 1905-07-08

Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 174 lbs

Full name: David William Tilden Zearfoss

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Biography

Dave Zearfoss was a professional baseball player born in 1868, who played as a position player during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His career spanned from 1896 to 1905, a period marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven game. Zearfoss participated in 72 games over his career, accumulating a total of 42 hits. He concluded his playing days with a batting average of .208, reflecting the challenges of hitting during a time when pitchers often dominated. Throughout his career, Zearfoss contributed 17 RBIs and demonstrated his speed on the bases with 2 stolen bases. While he did not record any home runs, his role as a reliable team player was significant in an era that focused on contact hitting and strategic play. Zearfoss’ time in the majors offered a glimpse into the evolving nature of baseball, as players and teams began to adapt to new strategies and styles of play that would shape the future of the sport. After retiring on July 8, 1905, Zearfoss remained a part of baseball history, representing the foundational years of a game that would grow into America's pastime.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
72	202	15	42	3	3	0	17	2	19	17	0.208	0.279	0.252	0.532	-634.4

Career AVG .208 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 21.9% below league average.

Career OBP .279 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 14.4% below league average.

Career SLG .252 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 27.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.532 vs. league average 0.674 across their career seasons — 21.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1896	NY1	NL	19	60	5	13	1	1	6	2	5	5	0.217	.290 (-25%)	.354 (-19%)	.387 (-31%)	.741 (-25%)	-256.1
1897	NY1	NL	5	10	1	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	0.300	—	—	—	—	0.0
1898	NY1	NL	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1904	STL	NL	27	80	7	17	2	0	9	0	10	6	0.212	.246 (-14%)	.300 (avg)	.321 (-26%)	.622 (-14%)	-120.6
1905	STL	NL	20	51	2	8	0	1	2	0	4	5	0.157	.248 (-37%)	.307 (-29%)	.322 (-39%)	.629 (-34%)	-257.6