Ed Busch, baseball player, 1943-1945

Ed Busch

Born: 11/16/1917 in Lebanon, IL, USA

Died: 1/17/1987 in St. Clair County, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1943-09-30 | Final Game: 1945-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Edgar John Busch

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Biography

Ed Busch, born in 1917, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in the major leagues during the early 1940s. His career spanned from 1943 to 1945, a time when the United States was deeply involved in World War II, which impacted the composition of baseball rosters across the country. Busch played primarily as a position player, participating in a total of 270 games throughout his career. He recorded 240 hits, achieving a batting average of .262, and contributed with 75 RBIs, showcasing his ability to produce runs during a challenging era for the sport. Despite not being known for power hitting, as evidenced by his zero home runs, Busch was an effective player who utilized his speed on the bases, finishing his career with seven stolen bases. His contributions were significant during a time when many star players were off serving in the military, and his performance helped to keep the spirit of the game alive for fans and teammates alike. Ed Busch's legacy remains a testament to the resilience and dedication of players during one of baseball's most tumultuous periods.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
270 917 80 240 21 6 0 75 7 62 28 0.262 0.311 0.298 0.608 -1884.4

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .311 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .298 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — 15.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.608 vs. league average 0.679 across their career seasons — 10.5% 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
1943 PHA AL 4 17 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.294 — — — — 0.0
1944 PHA AL 140 484 41 131 11 3 0 40 5 29 17 0.271 .261 (+4%) .325 (-4%) .357 (-14%) .683 (-9%) -866.7
1945 PHA AL 126 416 37 104 10 3 0 35 2 32 9 0.250 .260 (-4%) .328 (-7%) .354 (-19%) .683 (-13%) -1017.7

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 3 0 0 1
2B 29 0 55 66 8 14
3B 6 0 6 5 1 2
SS 231 0 423 706 64 118

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1943 PHA SS 4 0 10 6 1 1
1944 PHA 2B 27 0 51 62 7 12
1944 PHA 3B 4 0 2 1 0 0
1944 PHA SS 111 0 204 330 34 50
1945 PHA 1B 1 0 3 0 0 1
1945 PHA 2B 2 0 4 4 1 2
1945 PHA 3B 2 0 4 4 1 2
1945 PHA SS 116 0 209 370 29 67

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1
Second Base 29
Third Base 8
Shortstop 231