Neal Ball

Born: 4/22/1881 in Grand Haven, MI, USA

Died: 10/15/1957 in Bridgeport, CT, USA

MLB Debut: 1907-09-11 | Final Game: 1913-06-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 145 lbs

Full name: Cornelius Ball

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Biography

Neal Ball was a professional baseball player born in 1881, who played in the Major Leagues from 1907 to 1913. Renowned for his versatility as a position player, Ball participated in 502 games throughout his career. He recorded a total of 404 hits, achieving a batting average of .250, while also collecting 4 home runs and driving in 151 runs. Ball was particularly known for his speed on the bases, as evidenced by his 92 stolen bases, which was a notable achievement during the early 20th century when such feats were becoming increasingly significant in the game. Playing during a time that transitioned from the deadball era to the more dynamic offensive styles of the 1910s, Ball contributed to the evolving strategies in baseball, emphasizing both contact hitting and aggressive baserunning. His career spanned a period of significant change in Major League Baseball, and he left a mark through his contributions on the field, particularly as a reliable player who could impact the game in multiple facets. Ball's legacy remains as a reflection of the era's competitive spirit and the growing emphasis on athleticism within the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
502	1613	163	404	56	17	4	151	92	99	323	0.250	0.295	0.314	0.609	-1318.3

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .295 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 7.1% below league average.

Career SLG .314 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 5.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.609 vs. league average 0.649 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1907	NYY	AL	15	44	5	9	1	1	0	4	1	1	11	0.205	—	—	—	—	0.0
1908	NYY	AL	132	446	35	110	16	2	0	38	32	21	91	0.247	.240 (+3%)	.298 (-5%)	.306 (-5%)	.605 (-5%)	-442.2
1909	NYY	AL	8	29	5	6	1	1	0	3	2	3	10	0.207	—	—	—	—	0.0
1909	CLE	AL	96	324	29	83	13	2	1	25	17	17	48	0.256	.244 (+5%)	.306 (-4%)	.312 (+2%)	.618 (-1%)	0.0
1910	CLE	AL	54	123	13	25	3	1	0	12	4	9	28	0.203	.249 (-19%)	.317 (-19%)	.326 (-25%)	.644 (-22%)	-447.6
1911	CLE	AL	116	412	45	122	14	9	3	45	21	27	94	0.296	.266 (+11%)	.336 (+1%)	.356 (+11%)	.693 (+6%)	356.6
1912	CLE	AL	40	132	12	30	4	1	0	14	7	9	24	0.227	.268 (-15%)	.335 (-18%)	.358 (-24%)	.694 (-21%)	-469.7
1912	BOS	AL	18	45	10	9	2	0	0	6	5	3	4	0.200	—	—	—	—	-469.7
1913	BOS	AL	23	58	9	10	2	0	0	4	3	9	13	0.172	.259 (-34%)	.325 (-10%)	.345 (-40%)	.670 (-25%)	-199.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1912	WS	BOS	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	179	18	369	477	55	58
3B	21	0	22	42	7	3
OF	6	5	6	0	1	0
SS	271	258	554	849	153	82

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1907	NYA	2B	5	6	7	9	2	1
1907	NYA	SS	11	9	22	27	11	2
1908	NYA	2B	1	1	2	0	1	0
1908	NYA	SS	130	126	268	438	80	28
1909	NYA	2B	8	8	15	18	3	1
1909	CLE	SS	95	94	198	289	46	42
1910	CLE	2B	7	3	19	25	1	1
1910	CLE	3B	3	0	2	5	0	0
1910	CLE	OF	6	5	6	0	1	0
1910	CLE	SS	27	29	48	66	9	9
1911	CLE	2B	94	0	206	289	29	38
1911	CLE	3B	17	0	20	37	7	3
1911	CLE	SS	1	0	2	3	0	0
1912	CLE	2B	37	0	93	88	12	12
1912	BOS	2B	17	0	13	25	3	1
1913	BOS	2B	10	0	14	23	4	4
1913	BOS	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1913	BOS	SS	7	0	16	26	7	1