Ira Flagstead, baseball player, 1917-1930

Ira Flagstead

Born: 9/22/1893 in Montague, MI, USA

Died: 3/13/1940 in Olympia, WA, USA

MLB Debut: 1917-07-20 | Final Game: 1930-07-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Ira James Flagstead

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Biography

Ira Flagstead, born in 1893, was a prominent American baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1930. Known for his consistent batting prowess and solid fielding, Flagstead played primarily as an outfielder. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,218 games, where he amassed 1,202 hits, 40 home runs, and 450 RBIs, culminating in a respectable batting average of .290. His speed on the bases was evident, as he successfully stole 71 bases, showcasing his ability to impact games with both his bat and his legs. Flagstead played during a transformative period in baseball history, navigating the sport's evolution through the late Deadball Era into the early years of the live-ball era. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers, were significant as he consistently provided offensive support and defensive reliability. As a player who thrived in a competitive era, Flagstead's legacy is marked by his ability to adapt and excel, leaving an indelible mark on the game long after his retirement in 1930.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1218 4139 644 1202 262 50 40 450 71 467 288 0.290 0.370 0.407 0.776 6018.8

Career AVG .290 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .370 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — +7.9% above league average.

Career SLG .407 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.776 vs. league average 0.732 across their career seasons — +6.1% above 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
1917 DET AL 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1919 DET AL 97 287 43 95 22 3 5 41 6 35 39 0.331 .262 (+26%) .322 (+29%) .347 (+38%) .670 (+34%) 1872.0
1920 DET AL 110 311 40 73 13 5 3 35 3 37 27 0.235 .271 (-14%) .331 (-4%) .363 (-7%) .694 (-6%) -300.0
1921 DET AL 85 259 40 79 16 2 0 31 8 21 21 0.305 .286 (+7%) .344 (+8%) .395 (-3%) .739 (+2%) 154.8
1922 DET AL 44 91 21 28 5 3 3 8 0 14 16 0.308 .285 (+8%) .345 (+19%) .397 (+33%) .743 (+26%) 449.1
1923 DET AL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1923 BOS AL 109 382 55 119 23 4 8 53 7 37 26 0.312 .282 (+10%) .344 (+10%) .390 (+17%) .734 (+14%) 0.0
1924 BOS AL 149 560 106 172 35 7 5 43 10 77 41 0.307 .283 (+8%) .345 (+16%) .389 (+8%) .734 (+12%) 1697.4
1925 BOS AL 148 572 84 160 38 2 6 61 5 63 30 0.280 .288 (-3%) .349 (+2%) .407 (-6%) .756 (-2%) -135.1
1926 BOS AL 98 415 65 124 31 7 3 31 4 36 22 0.299 .279 (+7%) .345 (+5%) .390 (+10%) .735 (+8%) 583.1
1927 BOS AL 131 466 63 133 26 8 4 69 12 57 25 0.285 .282 (+1%) .344 (+9%) .392 (+2%) .736 (+5%) 636.6
1928 BOS AL 140 510 84 148 41 4 1 39 12 60 23 0.290 .280 (+3%) .342 (+7%) .395 (-1%) .737 (+3%) 388.1
1929 BOS AL 14 36 9 11 2 0 0 3 1 5 1 0.306 — — — — 0.0
1929 WSN AL 18 39 5 7 1 0 0 9 1 4 5 0.179 — — — — 0.0
1929 PIT NL 26 50 8 14 2 1 0 6 1 4 2 0.280 .289 (-3%) .353 (-6%) .415 (-13%) .769 (-10%) 0.0
1930 PIT NL 44 156 21 39 7 4 2 21 1 17 9 0.250 .293 (-15%) .354 (-9%) .429 (-11%) .784 (-10%) -295.1

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 8 0 17 18 1 13
3B 1 0 0 4 0 0
OF 1036 0 2482 159 71 40
SS 56 0 111 141 28 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1917 DET OF 2 0 0 0 0 0
1919 DET OF 83 0 140 15 8 4
1920 DET OF 82 0 164 13 6 4
1921 DET 2B 8 0 17 18 1 13
1921 DET 3B 1 0 0 4 0 0
1921 DET OF 12 0 22 4 0 1
1921 DET SS 55 0 111 139 27 8
1922 DET OF 32 0 54 4 2 1
1923 BOS OF 102 0 218 31 9 8
1923 BOS SS 1 0 0 2 1 0
1924 BOS OF 144 0 374 9 10 2
1925 BOS OF 144 0 429 24 11 6
1926 BOS OF 98 0 264 14 5 4
1927 BOS OF 129 0 326 19 5 4
1928 BOS OF 135 0 346 18 10 4
1929 BOS OF 13 0 21 0 1 0
1929 WS1 OF 11 0 30 4 1 1
1929 PIT OF 9 0 24 0 0 0
1930 PIT OF 40 0 70 4 3 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 8
Third Base 1
Shortstop 56
Left Field 51
Center Field 704
Right Field 287

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1928 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 5.0 64 0
1927 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 3.0 64 0
1926 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 2.0 64 0
1925 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 10.0 64 0
1924 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 5.0 64 0