Bill Gleason

Born: 11/12/1858 in St. Louis, MO, USA

Died: 7/21/1932 in St. Louis, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1882-05-02 | Final Game: 1889-06-18

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: William G. Gleason

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Bill Gleason was a professional baseball player born in 1858, who played primarily as a position player during the late 19th century, a time characterized by the evolution of baseball into a more organized and popular sport. His career spanned from 1882 until his retirement on June 18, 1889, during which he appeared in 798 games. Gleason accumulated a total of 907 hits and demonstrated solid offensive skills with a batting average of .267. His contributions to the game included 7 home runs and 298 RBIs, showcasing his ability to drive in runs and support his team’s offensive efforts. Known for his speed on the base paths, Gleason recorded 70 stolen bases in his career, reflecting the increasing emphasis on aggressive base running in the era. As a player during the early years of professional baseball, he participated in the transition from the sport's formative years into a more structured league environment, contributing to the game's growing popularity. Gleason's achievements in the diamond positioned him as a noteworthy figure in the history of baseball, leaving a legacy that resonated with players and fans alike in the years that followed his retirement.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
798	3395	613	907	111	35	7	298	70	177	51	0.267	0.313	0.327	0.640	1105.0

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.

Career OBP .313 vs. league average .300 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .327 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.640 vs. league average 0.638 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
1882	SL4	AA	79	347	63	100	11	6	1	0	0	6	0	0.288	.248 (+16%)	.275 (+9%)	.329 (+10%)	.605 (+10%)	477.7
1883	SL4	AA	98	425	81	122	21	9	2	42	0	15	0	0.287	.257 (+12%)	.285 (+9%)	.345 (+14%)	.631 (+12%)	783.2
1884	SL4	AA	110	472	97	127	21	7	1	0	0	27	0	0.269	.243 (+11%)	.278 (+16%)	.327 (+7%)	.606 (+11%)	1039.8
1885	SL4	AA	112	472	79	119	9	5	3	53	0	29	0	0.252	.244 (+3%)	.287 (+10%)	.325 (-4%)	.613 (+2%)	400.7
1886	SL4	AA	125	524	97	141	18	5	0	61	19	43	0	0.269	.246 (+9%)	.302 (+10%)	.331 (-3%)	.634 (+3%)	478.1
1887	SL4	AA	135	598	135	172	19	1	0	76	23	41	23	0.288	.270 (+6%)	.331 (+3%)	.373 (-14%)	.705 (-6%)	-509.7
1888	PH4	AA	123	499	55	112	10	2	0	61	27	12	27	0.224	.238 (-6%)	.290 (-12%)	.319 (-21%)	.610 (-17%)	-1418.6
1889	LS2	AA	16	58	6	14	2	0	0	5	1	4	1	0.241	.263 (-8%)	.334 (-10%)	.357 (-23%)	.691 (-17%)	-146.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
26	99	11	19	2	0	0	6	5	5	0.192

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1887	WS	SL4	13	49	3	8	0	1	3	2	0.163
1886	WS	SL4	6	24	3	5	0	5	1	3	0.208
1885	WS	SL4	7	26	5	6	2	0	1	0	0.231

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1	5	1	2	0
3B	2	1	0	0	0
SS	796	920	2360	535	186

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1882	SL4	SS	79	131	294	85	23
1883	SL4	SS	98	120	257	56	22
1884	SL4	3B	1	0	0	0	0
1884	SL4	SS	110	119	316	67	23
1885	SL4	SS	112	115	303	63	18
1886	SL4	SS	125	128	352	83	37
1887	SL4	SS	135	169	411	83	27
1888	PH4	1B	1	5	1	2	0
1888	PH4	3B	1	1	0	0	0
1888	PH4	SS	121	112	370	80	32
1889	LS2	SS	16	26	57	18	4