Nellie Fox, baseball player, 1947-1965

Nellie Fox

⭐ Hall of Fame 1997

Born: 12/25/1927 in St. Thomas, PA, USA

Died: 12/1/1975 in Baltimore, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-06-08 | Final Game: 1965-07-25

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Jacob Nelson Fox

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Biography

Nellie Fox, born in 1927, was a distinguished American baseball player who made a significant impact on the game during his career from 1947 to 1965. Primarily playing as a second baseman, Fox was renowned for his exceptional defensive skills and keen batting ability, finishing his career with a robust .288 batting average. Over the course of 2,367 games, he accrued 2,663 hits, 790 RBIs, and 35 home runs, while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 76 stolen bases. His durability and consistency on the field earned him 15 All-Star selections, reflecting his status as one of the premier players of his era. Fox played during a transformative period in baseball, known for the competitive nature of the game in the mid-20th century, a time that saw the rise of powerful hitters and the integration of players from diverse backgrounds. His contributions to the Chicago White Sox, in particular, solidified his legacy, as he became a fan favorite and a key figure in the franchise's history. In recognition of his remarkable career and influence on the sport, Nellie Fox was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, ensuring his place among the game's greats.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2367 9232 1279 2663 355 112 35 790 76 719 216 0.288 0.348 0.363 0.710 -383.6

Career AVG .288 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — +12.1% above league average.

Career OBP .348 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — +5.9% above league average.

Career SLG .363 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.710 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
1947 PHA AL 7 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1948 PHA AL 3 13 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.154 — — — — 0.0
1949 PHA AL 88 247 42 63 6 2 0 21 2 32 9 0.255 .262 (-3%) .343 (+3%) .384 (-23%) .727 (-11%) -381.7
1950 CHW AL 130 457 45 113 12 7 0 30 4 35 17 0.247 .265 (-7%) .346 (-12%) .401 (-24%) .747 (-19%) -1804.4
1951 CHW AL 147 604 93 189 32 12 4 55 9 43 11 0.313 .260 (+20%) .336 (+11%) .385 (+10%) .721 (+10%) 1260.2
1952 CHW AL 152 648 76 192 25 10 0 39 5 34 14 0.296 .252 (+17%) .326 (+2%) .369 (-1%) .696 (+1%) -67.3
1953 CHW AL 154 624 92 178 31 8 3 72 4 49 18 0.285 .264 (+8%) .335 (+2%) .397 (-6%) .733 (-2%) -247.7
1954 CHW AL 155 631 111 201 24 8 2 47 16 51 12 0.319 .261 (+22%) .333 (+12%) .390 (avg) .723 (+6%) 818.0
1955 CHW AL 154 636 100 198 28 7 6 59 7 38 15 0.311 .258 (+20%) .332 (+10%) .393 (+3%) .726 (+6%) 846.2
1956 CHW AL 154 649 109 192 20 10 4 52 8 44 14 0.296 .258 (+15%) .331 (+5%) .397 (-5%) .728 (-1%) -72.7
1957 CHW AL 155 619 110 196 27 8 6 61 5 75 13 0.317 .257 (+23%) .323 (+24%) .391 (+6%) .715 (+14%) 2241.9
1958 CHW AL 155 623 82 187 21 6 0 49 5 47 11 0.300 .257 (+16%) .324 (+10%) .394 (-10%) .719 (-1%) 19.2
1959 CHW AL 156 624 84 191 34 6 2 70 5 71 13 0.306 .256 (+19%) .323 (+17%) .392 (-1%) .715 (+8%) 1218.9
1960 CHW AL 150 605 85 175 24 10 2 59 2 50 13 0.289 .255 (+13%) .323 (+8%) .387 (-4%) .711 (+2%) 271.3
1961 CHW AL 159 606 67 152 11 5 2 51 2 59 12 0.251 .258 (-3%) .328 (-2%) .399 (-26%) .727 (-15%) -1710.2
1962 CHW AL 157 621 79 166 27 7 2 54 1 38 12 0.267 .257 (+4%) .326 (-4%) .393 (-13%) .719 (-9%) -1137.2
1963 CHW AL 137 539 54 140 19 0 2 42 0 24 17 0.260 .246 (+5%) .308 (-3%) .371 (-18%) .680 (-11%) -1077.4
1964 HOU NL 133 442 45 117 12 6 0 28 0 27 13 0.265 .250 (+6%) .312 (+2%) .377 (-16%) .690 (-8%) -560.6
1965 HOU NL 21 41 3 11 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.268 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 24 4 9 3 0 0 0 4 1 0.375

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1959 WS CHA 6 24 4 9 3 0 0 0 4 1 0.375

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 1 8 1 0 1
2B 2295 1627 6090 6373 209 1619
3B 6 4 4 11 0 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 PHA 2B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1948 PHA 2B 3 0 13 6 1 1
1949 PHA 2B 77 0 191 196 7 68
1950 CHA 2B 121 0 340 344 18 100
1951 CHA 2B 147 0 413 449 17 112
1952 CHA 2B 151 0 406 433 13 111
1953 CHA 2B 154 0 451 426 15 101
1954 CHA 2B 155 155 400 392 9 103
1955 CHA 2B 154 154 399 483 24 110
1956 CHA 2B 154 154 478 396 12 124
1957 CHA 2B 155 155 453 453 13 141
1958 CHA 2B 155 155 444 399 13 117
1959 CHA 2B 156 156 364 453 10 93
1960 CHA 2B 149 148 412 447 13 126
1961 CHA 2B 159 156 413 407 15 97
1962 CHA 2B 154 151 376 428 8 93
1963 CHA 2B 134 128 305 342 8 71
1964 HOU 2B 115 114 231 317 13 51
1965 HOU 1B 2 1 8 1 0 1
1965 HOU 2B 1 1 0 2 0 0
1965 HOU 3B 6 4 4 11 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2
Second Base 2295
Third Base 6

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1960 Gold Glove 2B
1959 Gold Glove 2B
1959 Most Valuable Player
1959 TSN All-Star 2B
1959 TSN Player of the Year
1958 TSN All-Star 2B
1957 Gold Glove 2B
1956 TSN All-Star 2B
1955 TSN All-Star 2B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1963 Most Valuable Player AL 26th 2.0 280 0
1960 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 11.0 336 0
1959 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 295.0 336 16
1958 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 88.0 336 1
1957 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 193.0 336 5
1956 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 28.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 84.0 336 0
1954 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 30.0 336 0
1952 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 59.0 336 1
1951 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 25.0 336 0