| Dave Orr | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: September 29, 1859 New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: June 2, 1915 (aged 55) Richmond Hill, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 17, 1883, for the New York Metropolitans | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1890, for the Brooklyn Ward's Wonders | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .342 |
| Runs scored | 536 |
| Runs batted in | 627 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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David L. "Dave" Orr (September 29, 1859 – June 2, 1915) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1883 through 1890. Orr played most of his career in the American Association for the New York Metropolitans (1883–1887), Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1888) and Columbus Solons (1889). He also played for the New York Gothams in the National League for one game in 1883 and for the Brooklyn Ward's Wonders of the Players' League in 1890.
Orr was one of the best hitters in baseball during his major league career. He never hit below .305 for a full season, and his career batting average of .342 is the eleventh highest in major league history,[1] and the third highest for a right-handed hitter.[2] He was also regarded as the hardest-hitting batsman of his era. His 31 triples in 1886 was a major league record that stood for 25 years and has only been exceeded once. He was also the first batter to compile more than 300 total bases in a season, and he was the first player with at least 3,000 plate appearances to retire with a slugging percentage above .500 (.502).
Despite his weight (250 pounds at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)), Orr was also a solid defensive performer with a .973 fielding average. He twice led the American Association in range factor by a first baseman. In 1886, he led the Association's first basemen in putouts and fielding percentage, and in 1889 he led in assists with 61.[3] Orr hit .371 in 1890, but his career was cut short by a stroke suffered during an exhibition game at the end of the 1890 season.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Batting average". baseball-reference.com.
- ^ Jim Mogan. "Dave Orr". Society for American Baseball Research.
- ^ "baseball-reference.com".