Bill Geiss

Born: 7/15/1858 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 9/18/1924 in Chicago, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1882-07-19 | Final Game: 1884-08-13

Height: 5'10" | Weight: 164 lbs

Full name: William J. Geiss

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Biography

Bill Geiss was a professional baseball pitcher who played during the early days of Major League Baseball, from 1882 to 1884. Born in 1858, Geiss was part of a transformative era in baseball when the game was beginning to establish itself as America's pastime. His career unfolded in the context of a league that was still developing its rules and standards, and he contributed to the evolution of the pitching role during this formative period. Throughout his time in the majors, Geiss recorded a win-loss record of 4-9 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 5.27, with a total of 11 strikeouts. While he did not achieve significant notoriety in terms of saves, his participation in the game helped lay the groundwork for future generations of pitchers. Despite the challenges he faced in a competitive and rapidly changing sport, Geiss's contributions remain a part of baseball's rich historical tapestry. He retired on August 13, 1884, leaving behind a legacy that reflects the trials and triumphs of early professional baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
4 9 14 13 10 1 0 100.7 98 59 2 24 11 5.27 0

Career ERA 5.27 vs. league average 3.02 across their career seasons — 74.4% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1882 BL2 AA 4 9 13 13 10 1 0 95.7 84 51 22 10 4.80 2.80 (-71%) -1744.8
1884 DTN NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5.0 14 8 2 1 14.40 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
88 324 24 56 11 5 2 18 0 7 60 0.173 0.190 0.256 0.447 -1133.9

Career AVG .173 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — 29.4% below league average.

Career OBP .190 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 31.6% below league average.

Career SLG .256 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 21.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.447 vs. league average 0.606 across their career seasons — 26.3% 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
1882 BL2 AA 13 41 2 6 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0.146 — — — — 0.0
1884 DTN NL 75 283 22 50 11 4 2 16 0 6 60 0.177 .243 (-27%) .278 (-31%) .327 (-19%) .606 (-24%) -1133.9

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 12 0 0 1
2B 73 0 190 217 65 27
OF 5 0 1 0 0 0
P 14 0 8 24 11 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1882 BL2 OF 4 0 0 0 0 0
1882 BL2 P 13 0 8 23 11 0
1884 DTN 1B 1 0 12 0 0 1
1884 DTN 2B 73 0 190 217 65 27
1884 DTN OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1884 DTN P 1 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 14
First Base 1
Second Base 73
Center Field 3
Right Field 3