Sam Gillen, baseball player, 1893-1897

Sam Gillen

Born: 11/14/1867 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Died: 5/13/1905 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1893-08-19 | Final Game: 1897-08-05

Height: 5'8"

Full name: Samuel Gillen

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Biography

Sam Gillen, born in 1867, was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1893 to 1897. Primarily a position player, Gillen made his mark in the late 19th century, a time when baseball was transitioning from the rudimentary styles of the deadball era towards a more organized and competitive format. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 78 games, recording 70 hits and achieving a batting average of .254. While he did not hit any home runs, he contributed 27 RBIs and showcased his speed on the basepaths with 2 stolen bases. Gillen's playing style was characterized by a focus on contact hitting and situational awareness, which was essential in an era where power hitting was not as prevalent. Although his career was relatively brief, he played during a formative period in baseball history, helping to lay the groundwork for the evolution of the game. His contributions, while not always highlighted in the annals of baseball history, reflect the dedication and skill of players who helped shape the early years of Major League Baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
78 276 32 70 10 3 0 27 2 35 24 0.254 0.346 0.312 0.658 -388.0

Career AVG .254 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — 11.2% below league average.

Career OBP .346 vs. league average .355 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .312 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 18.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.658 vs. league average 0.739 across their career seasons — 11.0% 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
1893 PIT NL 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1897 PHI NL 75 270 32 70 10 3 0 27 2 35 23 0.259 .291 (-11%) .354 (avg) .387 (-18%) .741 (-9%) -388.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 6 0 7 6 1 0
SS 72 0 130 202 40 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1893 PIT SS 3 0 1 5 2 1
1897 PHI 3B 6 0 7 6 1 0
1897 PHI SS 69 0 129 197 38 6

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Third Base 6
Shortstop 72