| Dan Brouthers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: May 8, 1858 Sylvan Lake, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: August 2, 1932 (aged 74) East Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 23, 1879, for the Troy Trojans | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 1904, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .342 |
| Hits | 2,296 |
| Home runs | 106 |
| Runs batted in | 1,296 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1945 |
| Election method | Old-Timers Committee |
Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers (/ˈbruːθərz/;[1] May 8, 1858 – August 2, 1932) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from 1879 to 1896, with a brief return in 1904. Nicknamed "Big Dan" for his size, he was 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and weighed 207 pounds (94 kg), which was large by 19th-century standards.[2]
Recognized as the first great slugger in baseball history,[3] and among the greatest sluggers of his era, he briefly held the career home run record from 1887 to 1889,[4] with his final total of 106 tying for the fourth most of the 19th century. His career slugging percentage of .520 remained the Major League record until Babe Ruth overtook him in the 1920s. At the time of his initial retirement, he also ranked second in career triples (205), and third in runs batted in (1,296) and hits.[5]
A dominant hitter during the prime of his career, he led (or was in the top of) the league in most offensive categories, including batting average, runs scored, runs batted in (RBI), on-base percentage and hits. He won five batting titles – the most of any player in the 19th century – and his career .342 batting average ranks 12th all-time. Brouthers is one of only 29 players in baseball history who have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
He was also an active players' union member, and was elected vice president of the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players. Brouthers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Veterans Committee.
- ^ James, Bill (2003). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. Simon and Schuster. p. 438. ISBN 0-7432-2722-0.
- ^ "The Ballplayers: Dan Brouthers". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
- ^ "The National Baseball Hall of Fame: Dan Brouthers". baseballhalloffame.org. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
- ^ "Progressive Leaders & Records for Home Runs". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
- ^ Brouthers is credited with differing totals in career hits; at the time, he was credited with 2,349 hits, a figure still recognized by Major League Baseball, but this total includes 71 walks in 1887, when walks were counted as hits. There are slight variations in other seasons as well, but most sources today credit Brouthers with 2,296 hits.