Bill Bruton

Born: 11/9/1925 in Panola, AL, USA

Died: 12/5/1995 in Marshallton, DE, USA

MLB Debut: 1953-04-13 | Final Game: 1964-10-02

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 169 lbs

Full name: William Haron Bruton

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Biography

Bill Bruton was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1953 to 1964. Born in 1925, Bruton made his mark as a versatile position player known for his speed and ability to get on base. Over the course of 1,610 games, he amassed 1,651 hits, resulting in a solid batting average of .273. His offensive contributions included 94 home runs and 545 runs batted in (RBIs), showcasing his capability as both a contact hitter and a power threat during a competitive era of baseball. Bruton was particularly renowned for his base-running prowess, finishing his career with 207 stolen bases, which reflected his aggressive style of play. As a player who took the field during the early years of the integration of Major League Baseball, he played a crucial role in paving the way for future generations of African American athletes in the sport. His contributions to teams like the Milwaukee Braves and the Detroit Tigers left a lasting impact, and he is remembered as a key figure in the evolution of the game during the 1950s and early 1960s.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2.0	2.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1949	2.0	2.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1610	6056	937	1651	241	102	94	545	207	482	793	0.273	0.328	0.393	0.720	-211.0

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.

Career OBP .328 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .393 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.720 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — near 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
1953	ATL	NL	151	613	82	153	18	14	1	41	26	44	100	0.250	.264 (-6%)	.335 (-9%)	.397 (-17%)	.733 (-13%)	-1779.1
1954	ATL	NL	142	567	89	161	20	7	4	30	34	40	78	0.284	.261 (+9%)	.333 (+1%)	.390 (-6%)	.723 (-3%)	-333.6
1955	ATL	NL	149	636	106	175	30	12	9	47	25	43	72	0.275	.258 (+6%)	.332 (-2%)	.393 (+2%)	.726 (avg)	-102.2
1956	ATL	NL	147	525	73	143	23	15	8	56	8	26	63	0.272	.258 (+5%)	.331 (-8%)	.397 (+5%)	.728 (-1%)	-419.6
1957	ATL	NL	79	306	41	85	16	9	5	30	11	19	35	0.278	.257 (+8%)	.323 (-2%)	.391 (+12%)	.715 (+6%)	155.7
1958	ATL	NL	100	325	47	91	11	3	3	28	4	27	37	0.280	.257 (+9%)	.324 (+3%)	.394 (-9%)	.719 (-3%)	-166.7
1959	ATL	NL	133	478	72	138	22	6	6	41	13	35	54	0.289	.256 (+12%)	.323 (+4%)	.392 (+1%)	.715 (+3%)	235.6
1960	ATL	NL	151	629	112	180	27	13	12	54	22	41	97	0.286	.255 (+12%)	.323 (+2%)	.387 (+10%)	.711 (+6%)	638.9
1961	DET	AL	160	596	99	153	15	5	17	63	22	61	66	0.257	.258 (-1%)	.328 (avg)	.399 (-4%)	.727 (-2%)	-214.2
1962	DET	AL	147	561	90	156	27	5	16	74	14	55	67	0.278	.257 (+8%)	.326 (+6%)	.393 (+9%)	.719 (+8%)	899.9
1963	DET	AL	145	524	84	134	21	8	8	48	14	59	70	0.256	.246 (+4%)	.308 (+7%)	.371 (avg)	.680 (+3%)	406.6
1964	DET	AL	106	296	42	82	11	5	5	33	14	32	54	0.277	.250 (+11%)	.312 (+11%)	.377 (+5%)	.690 (+8%)	467.6

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
7	17	2	7	0	0	1	2	5	5	0.412

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1958	WS	ML1	7	17	2	7	0	0	1	2	5	5	0.412

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	1561	1301	3905	105	77	32

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1953	ML1	OF	150	0	397	15	9	5
1954	ML1	OF	141	129	350	14	7	3
1955	ML1	OF	149	145	412	17	14	6
1956	ML1	OF	145	138	391	10	13	1
1957	ML1	OF	79	76	206	5	4	2
1958	ML1	OF	96	85	203	6	5	0
1959	ML1	OF	133	114	309	6	3	2
1960	ML1	OF	149	145	351	10	5	3
1961	DET	OF	155	141	410	4	5	2
1962	DET	OF	145	134	394	5	7	2
1963	DET	OF	138	127	339	6	3	3
1964	DET	OF	81	67	143	7	2	3