Virgil Barnes, baseball player, 1919-1928

Virgil Barnes

Born: 3/5/1897 in Ontario, KS, USA

Died: 7/24/1958 in Wichita, KS, USA

MLB Debut: 1919-09-25 | Final Game: 1928-09-15

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Virgil Jennings Barnes

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Biography

Virgil Barnes was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1919 to 1928. Born in 1897, Barnes made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded game of the late 1920s. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 61 wins and 59 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.66. His durability and effectiveness on the mound were highlighted by his ability to strike out 275 batters and secure 11 saves, showcasing his versatility as both a starting pitcher and a reliable relief option. Barnes played for several teams, contributing significantly to each during his tenure. His competitive nature and strategic approach to pitching made him a respected figure among his peers. While not among the most celebrated pitchers of his time, Barnes' consistent performances and solid statistics reflect his important role in the evolution of pitching in the sport. His career, rooted in the changing dynamics of early 20th-century baseball, offers a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs faced by pitchers during this transformative period in the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
61 59 205 135 58 7 11 1094.0 1192 445 46 293 275 3.66 0

Career ERA 3.66 vs. league average 4.01 across their career seasons — 8.6% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1919 NY1 NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 6 4 1 1 18.00 — 0.0
1920 NY1 NL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 7.0 9 3 1 2 3.86 — 0.0
1922 NY1 NL 1 0 22 3 1 0 2 51.7 46 20 11 16 3.48 4.18 (+17%) 931.8
1923 NY1 NL 2 3 22 2 0 0 1 53.0 59 23 19 6 3.91 4.03 (+3%) -456.6
1924 NY1 NL 16 10 35 29 15 1 3 229.3 239 78 57 59 3.06 4.13 (+26%) 740.4
1925 NY1 NL 15 11 32 27 17 1 2 221.7 242 87 53 53 3.53 4.55 (+22%) 983.1
1926 NY1 NL 8 13 31 25 9 2 1 185.0 183 59 56 54 2.87 4.11 (+30%) 1845.2
1927 NY1 NL 14 11 35 29 12 2 2 228.7 251 101 51 66 3.98 4.08 (+3%) 312.7
1928 NY1 NL 3 3 10 9 3 1 0 55.3 71 31 18 11 5.04 4.13 (-22%) -340.7
1928 BSN NL 2 7 16 10 1 0 0 60.3 86 39 26 7 5.82 4.13 (-41%) -1019.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
205 371 20 40 0 0 0 9 0 7 119 0.108 0.124 0.108 0.232 -3535.0

Career AVG .108 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — 61.6% below league average.

Career OBP .124 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 63.7% below league average.

Career SLG .108 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 72.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.232 vs. league average 0.730 across their career seasons — 68.2% 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
1919 NY1 NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1920 NY1 NL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1922 NY1 NL 22 12 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1923 NY1 NL 22 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1924 NY1 NL 35 77 8 14 0 0 0 4 0 6 26 0.182 .283 (-36%) .345 (-30%) .389 (-53%) .734 (-42%) -553.8
1925 NY1 NL 32 89 4 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 0.101 .288 (-65%) .349 (-71%) .407 (-75%) .756 (-73%) -1146.8
1926 NY1 NL 31 56 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 15 0.054 .279 (-81%) .345 (-85%) .390 (-86%) .735 (-85%) -821.6
1927 NY1 NL 35 83 5 9 0 0 0 4 0 0 29 0.108 .282 (-62%) .344 (-69%) .392 (-72%) .736 (-71%) -1012.8
1928 NY1 NL 10 22 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1928 BSN NL 16 17 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0.059 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1924 WS NY1 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000
1923 WS NY1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 4 2 0 17.3 19 8 1 13 4.15

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1924 WS NY1 0 1 2 2 0 12.7 15 8 1 9 5.68
1923 WS NY1 0 0 2 0 0 4.7 4 0 0 4 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 205 0 39 268 12 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1919 NY1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1920 NY1 P 1 0 0 4 0 0
1922 NY1 P 22 0 3 13 0 1
1923 NY1 P 22 0 0 16 0 0
1924 NY1 P 35 0 10 66 1 3
1925 NY1 P 32 0 8 54 2 3
1926 NY1 P 31 0 10 42 2 1
1927 NY1 P 35 0 6 49 4 1
1928 NY1 P 10 0 0 12 2 1
1928 BSN P 16 0 2 12 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 205