Bill Hands, baseball player, 1965-1975

Bill Hands

Born: 5/6/1940 in Hackensack, NJ, USA

Died: 3/9/2017 in Orlando, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1965-06-03 | Final Game: 1975-08-10

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: William Alfred Hands

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Biography

Bill Hands was a prominent right-handed pitcher whose career spanned from 1965 to 1975. Born in 1940, Hands made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by a transition from the deadball style of play to a more power-oriented game. Over the course of his career, he achieved a record of 111-110, showcasing his competitiveness on the mound. His earned run average (ERA) of 3.35 reflected his effectiveness in limiting runs, while he struck out 1,128 batters, demonstrating his ability to overpower hitters. Hands played for several teams, most notably the Chicago Cubs, where he gained recognition for his durability and consistency. He recorded 14 saves throughout his career, contributing not only as a starter but also in relief situations. His playing style was marked by a solid fastball and an effective curve, making him a reliable option for his teams. Bill Hands remains a respected figure in baseball history, remembered for his contributions during a transformative period in the sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
111 110 374 260 72 17 14 1951.0 1895 727 167 492 1128 3.35 0

Career ERA 3.35 vs. league average 3.52 across their career seasons — near 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
1965 SFG NL 0 2 4 2 0 0 0 6.0 13 11 6 5 16.50 — -
1966 CHC NL 8 13 41 26 0 0 2 159.0 168 81 59 93 4.58 3.52 (-30%) -
1967 CHC NL 7 8 49 11 3 1 6 150.0 134 41 48 84 2.46 3.30 (+26%) -
1968 CHC NL 16 10 38 34 11 4 0 258.7 221 83 36 148 2.89 2.98 (+3%) -
1969 CHC NL 20 14 41 41 18 3 0 300.0 268 83 73 181 2.49 3.61 (+31%) -
1970 CHC NL 18 15 39 38 12 2 1 265.0 278 109 76 170 3.70 3.89 (+5%) -
1971 CHC NL 12 18 36 35 14 1 0 242.3 248 92 50 128 3.42 3.47 (+1%) -
1972 CHC NL 11 8 32 28 6 3 0 189.0 168 63 47 96 3.00 3.26 (+8%) -
1973 MIN AL 7 10 39 15 3 1 2 142.0 138 55 41 78 3.49 3.75 (+7%) 324.4
1974 MIN AL 4 5 35 10 0 0 3 115.3 130 57 25 74 4.45 3.63 (-23%) 1663.5
1974 TEX AL 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 14.0 11 3 3 4 1.93 3.63 (+47%) 343.2
1975 TEX AL 6 7 18 18 4 1 0 109.7 118 49 28 67 4.02 3.71 (-8%) 210.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
374 472 19 37 6 0 0 19 0 39 249 0.078 0.150 0.091 0.241 -4540.8

Career AVG .078 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 68.6% below league average.

Career OBP .150 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — 52.7% below league average.

Career SLG .091 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — 75.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.241 vs. league average 0.685 across their career seasons — 64.8% 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
1965 SFG NL 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1966 CHC NL 41 49 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 3 23 0.041 — — — — -617.0
1967 CHC NL 49 38 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 3 26 0.105 — — — — 0.0
1968 CHC NL 38 82 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 50 0.061 .236 (-74%) .298 (-68%) .340 (-82%) .638 (-76%) -941.1
1969 CHC NL 41 98 5 9 0 0 0 3 0 4 45 0.092 .248 (-63%) .320 (-58%) .369 (-75%) .689 (-67%) -1074.8
1970 CHC NL 39 75 6 10 2 0 0 6 0 15 33 0.133 .253 (-47%) .325 (-17%) .385 (-58%) .711 (-39%) -478.5
1971 CHC NL 36 72 3 6 3 0 0 6 0 6 42 0.083 .249 (-67%) .316 (-51%) .365 (-66%) .682 (-59%) -693.1
1972 CHC NL 32 57 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 30 0.018 .243 (-93%) .310 (-69%) .353 (-95%) .664 (-83%) -736.3
1973 MIN AL 39 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 MIN AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 TEX AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 TEX AL 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 374 260 140 297 24 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1965 SFN P 4 2 0 2 0 0
1966 CHN P 41 26 12 33 4 1
1967 CHN P 49 11 11 24 1 1
1968 CHN P 38 34 21 39 1 0
1969 CHN P 41 41 16 56 3 2
1970 CHN P 39 38 22 42 3 2
1971 CHN P 36 35 21 32 2 2
1972 CHN P 32 28 12 21 5 1
1973 MIN P 39 15 4 20 2 2
1974 MIN P 35 10 9 10 0 0
1974 TEX P 2 2 1 2 0 0
1975 TEX P 18 18 11 16 3 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 374