Merl Combs, baseball player, 1947-1952

Merl Combs

Born: 12/11/1919 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Died: 7/7/1981 in Riverside, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-09-12 | Final Game: 1952-09-28

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 172 lbs

Full name: Merrill Russell Combs

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Biography

Merl Combs was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Born in 1919, Combs played as a position player from 1947 until his retirement in 1952. Over the course of his career, he participated in 140 games, accumulating 73 hits, which included 2 home runs and 25 runs batted in. His batting average stood at .202, and he did not record any stolen bases. Combs' playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the integration of players and the emergence of new talent in the post-World War II era. Although his offensive statistics may not reflect the power or speed typical of the era's most celebrated players, Combs contributed to his teams through his versatility and tenacity on the field. His journey through Major League Baseball, while brief, highlights the diverse stories of players who shaped the game during a time of significant change.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
140 361 45 73 6 1 2 25 0 57 43 0.202 0.314 0.241 0.555 -1140.4

Career AVG .202 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 22.5% below league average.

Career OBP .314 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.

Career SLG .241 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 37.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.555 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 23.0% 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
1947 BOS AL 17 68 8 15 1 0 1 6 0 9 9 0.221 .262 (-16%) .336 (-2%) .376 (-26%) .712 (-15%) -130.3
1949 BOS AL 14 24 5 5 1 0 0 1 0 9 0 0.208 — — — — 0.0
1950 BOS AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1950 WSN AL 37 102 19 25 1 0 0 6 0 22 16 0.245 .265 (-8%) .346 (+10%) .401 (-37%) .747 (-15%) 0.0
1951 CLE AL 19 28 2 5 2 0 0 2 0 2 3 0.179 — — — — 0.0
1952 CLE AL 52 139 11 23 1 1 1 10 0 14 15 0.165 .252 (-35%) .326 (-26%) .369 (-44%) .696 (-35%) -830.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 3 0 2 4 0 1
3B 26 0 29 54 2 8
SS 96 0 142 255 13 52

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 BOS 3B 17 0 17 42 0 6
1949 BOS 3B 9 0 12 12 2 2
1949 BOS SS 1 0 1 0 0 0
1950 WS1 SS 30 0 48 93 5 20
1951 CLE SS 16 0 16 32 2 5
1952 CLE 2B 3 0 2 4 0 1
1952 CLE SS 49 0 77 130 6 27

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 3
Third Base 26
Shortstop 96

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 1940, 1941