Dan Brouthers
The premier power hitter of his era, Dan Brouthers led his league six times in batting, seven times in slugging average, four times in total bases, three times in doubles, twice in homers, and once in triples. His .519 lifetime slugging average surpassed that of the next best 19th century slugger by a substantial margin. He played on five pennant winners with five different teams in four different leagues.
Played For
Troy Trojans, National League (1879-1880)
Buffalo Bisons (1881-1885)
Detroit Wolverines (1886-1888)
Boston Braves (1889)
Boston Reds, American Association (1891)
Brooklyn Dodgers (1892-1893)
Baltimore Orioles, National League (1894-1895)
Louisville Colonels (1895)
Philadelphia Phillies (1896)
New York Giants (1904)
Minor League Experience
While playing with Poughkeepsie of the Hudson River League in 1903, Brouthers took part in the only quadruple-header of the 20th century. Necessitated by a series of rainouts, the four games were played from early morning to late afternoon. Brouthers and Poughkeepsie lost all four contests.
All-Time Rankings
Dan Brouthers ranks #5 among the Top 50 all-time at 1B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1887
With the National League Wolverines in '87, Brouthers batted .420 with 240 hits, 20 triples, 101 RBI, 153 runs scored, and 71 walks. The team batted .299, with Jack Rowe, Hardy Richardson, and Sam Thompson also enjoying monster seasons.
The Original Eight
In 1945 the Veterans Committee of the Hall of Fame selected several "old-timers" to recognize the early days of baseball. Brouthers was among that group, which included King Kelly, Jim O'Rourke, Hugh Duffy, Wilbert Robinson, Hughie Jennings, Ed Delahanty, Fred Clarke, Roger Bresnahan and Jimmy Collins.
Description
Though he was born Dennis Brouthers, he was called Dan as a boy and "Big Dan" as a man. Born in upstate New York, Brouthers grew to be 6-foot-2, a very large size for his era.
Born
Dennis Joseph Brouthers was born on May 8, 1858, in Sylvan Lake, NY.
Died
August 2, 1932, E.Orange, NJ
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: 1B
Primary Team: BFN
Major League Debut
June 23, 1879
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1879
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Nicknames
Big Dan
Similar Players
Roger Connor, Ed Delahanty
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1936 |
Veterans |
2 |
% |
1945 |
Old Timers |
|
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1887 World Series
Notes
When Brouthers was in need of some help after his career, legendary manager John McGraw, a former teammate of Brouthers', hired his friend to help him out with the New York Giants. Brouthers was placed in charge of the press gate at the Polo Grounds and also served as a coach and scout with the Giants, helping to sign Larry Doyle, Buck Herzog and Fred Merkle.
Learn More about Dan Brouthers
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Search for Dan Brouthers at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
