Will Foley, baseball player, 1875-1884

Will Foley

Born: 11/15/1855 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 11/12/1916 in Chicago, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1875-08-23 | Final Game: 1884-05-22

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 150 lbs

Full name: William Brown Foley

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Biography

Will Foley, born in 1855, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in the late 19th century, a time that was characterized by the burgeoning popularity of America's pastime. His career spanned from 1875 to 1884, during which he played a total of 253 games. Foley's role as a position player saw him accumulate 224 hits, alongside 76 RBIs, culminating in a batting average of .228. While he did not hit any home runs or steal bases, his contributions were more reflective of the playing style of the era, which prioritized contact hitting and defense over power. Foley's playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, marking the transition from the so-called "deadball era" to a more offensively charged game. Although he may not have been a standout by modern statistical standards, his presence on the field during the early years of professional baseball contributed to the development of the sport. Foley's legacy lies in his participation in a pivotal time for baseball, helping to shape the game as it grew in popularity and complexity.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
253 982 112 224 23 10 0 76 0 20 62 0.228 0.244 0.272 0.515 -2063.2

Career AVG .228 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 9.5% below league average.

Career OBP .244 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 12.3% below league average.

Career SLG .272 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 16.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.515 vs. league average 0.604 across their career seasons — 14.6% 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
1875 CH2 3 12 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1876 CN1 NL 58 221 19 50 3 2 0 9 0 0 14 0.226 .265 (-15%) .277 (-18%) .320 (-20%) .598 (-19%) -625.2
1877 CN1 NL 56 216 23 41 5 1 0 18 0 4 13 0.190 .271 (-30%) .289 (-29%) .337 (-34%) .626 (-32%) -1045.8
1878 ML2 NL 56 229 33 62 8 5 0 22 0 7 14 0.271 .259 (+4%) .278 (+5%) .319 (+9%) .597 (+7%) 228.2
1879 CN1 NL 56 218 22 46 5 1 0 25 0 2 16 0.211 .255 (-17%) .270 (-19%) .328 (-26%) .599 (-23%) -719.5
1881 DTN NL 5 15 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 0.133 — — — — 0.0
1884 CHU UA 19 71 15 20 1 1 0 0 0 5 0 0.282 .243 (+16%) .278 (+18%) .327 (-1%) .606 (+8%) 99.1

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 3 0 6 9 4 0
3B 211 0 302 409 159 35
C 27 0 103 26 25 1
OF 25 0 38 9 8 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1875 CH2 3B 3 0 4 9 3 1
1876 CN1 3B 46 0 67 101 41 4
1876 CN1 C 20 0 70 10 22 1
1877 CN1 3B 56 0 94 130 44 9
1878 ML2 3B 53 0 68 87 36 8
1878 ML2 C 7 0 33 16 3 0
1879 CN1 2B 3 0 6 9 4 0
1879 CN1 3B 29 0 46 54 22 8
1879 CN1 OF 25 0 38 9 8 0
1881 DTN 3B 5 0 5 5 3 3
1884 CHU 3B 19 0 18 23 10 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 27
Second Base 3
Third Base 211
Right Field 25