Dan Brouthers

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Dan Brouthers
Dan Brouthers
First baseman
Born: May 8, 1858
Sylvan Lake, New York
Died: August 2, 1932 (aged 74)
East Orange, New Jersey
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 23, 1879
for the Troy Trojans
Final game
October 4, 1904
for the New York Giants
Career statistics
AVG     .342
Hits     2296
RBI     1,296
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Elected     1945
Election Method     Veteran's Committee

Dennis Joseph "Big Dan" Brouthers (pronounced /ˈbruːθərz/[citation needed]) (May 8, 1858 - August 2, 1932) was a pre-1900 era Major League Baseball player. He was born in Sylvan Lake, New York.

Brouthers' career began in 1879 and didn't finish until 1904 (with a gap between 1896 and 1904), giving him the distinction of playing in four different decades. From the last weeks of the 1886 season to the first month of the 1890 season, Brouthers had more career home runs than any other player. He was the third Major Leaguer to reach 100 or more career homers (after Harry Stovey and Roger Connor).

Major League Baseball claims his career batting average was .349. Other sources such as baseball-reference.com indicate his career mark was .342. This disparity results from a league rule in effect in 1887, which counted walks as hits. Some sources reflect the statistics as originally recorded, while others change them retroactively.

After retiring from the Major Leagues, Brouthers played minor league baseball. He played for Toronto in the Eastern League in 1898 and in 1904 played for Poughkeepsie of the Hudson River League, batting a league-leading .373 at age 46.

Brouthers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1945.

Using the "Gray Ink" measure of the all time greatest hitters, Brouthers' score of 263 ranks as the No. 21 hitter of all time. Gray Ink Test All Time Leaders

Dan Brouthers is interred in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Wappingers Falls, New York. He is also immortalized in a statue in Veteran's Park in this small town.

[edit] Career Highlights

  • Ranked in the Top 10 in the National League in batting average and on base percentage for twelve straight years from 1881 through 1892.
  • Five batting titles in 1882, 1883, 1889, 1891, and 1892.
  • Led the National League in Extra Base Hits five times: 1881, 1883, 1885, 1886, and 1887.
  • Career batting average of .342 is the 9th highest in Major League history.
  • Career on base percentage is 16th highest in Major League history.
  • Career total of 205 triples ranks No. 8 in Major League history.
  • Ranked in the Top 10 in the National League in slugging percentage and total bases from 1881-1889 and 1891-1892.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Detroit Wolverines 1887 World Series roster
v • d • e
Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1945
BBWAA Vote
none
Veterans Committee