Billy Hitchcock

Born: 7/31/1916 in Inverness, AL, USA

Died: 4/9/2006 in Opelika, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1942-04-14 | Final Game: 1953-08-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: William Clyde Hitchcock

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Biography

Billy Hitchcock was a professional baseball player born in 1916, who played in Major League Baseball from 1942 until his retirement on August 27, 1953. Primarily a position player, Hitchcock appeared in 703 games throughout his career, showcasing his versatility and commitment to the game. He achieved a total of 547 hits, contributing to a career batting average of .243. Over the course of his time in the league, he hit 5 home runs and drove in 257 runs, while also stealing 15 bases, demonstrating his ability to impact the game both offensively and on the basepaths. Hitchcock's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the challenges of World War II and the subsequent integration of the sport. Despite the tumultuous era, he carved out a niche for himself in the league, known for his solid defensive skills and reliable presence on the field. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees, solidified his legacy as a dedicated player who navigated the complexities of baseball during a significant time in the sport's history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
703	2249	231	547	67	22	5	257	15	206	230	0.243	0.310	0.299	0.609	-5558.1

Career AVG .243 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 6.5% below league average.

Career OBP .310 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Career SLG .299 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 20.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.609 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — 14.5% 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
1942	DET	AL	85	280	27	59	8	1	0	29	2	26	21	0.211	.253 (-17%)	.323 (-13%)	.349 (-30%)	.672 (-22%)	-1032.4
1946	DET	AL	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	WSN	AL	98	354	27	75	8	3	0	25	2	26	52	0.212	.256 (-18%)	.328 (-19%)	.358 (-30%)	.687 (-24%)	0.0
1947	SLA	AL	80	275	25	61	2	2	1	28	3	21	34	0.222	.262 (-15%)	.336 (-18%)	.376 (-32%)	.712 (-25%)	-1269.4
1948	BOS	AL	49	124	15	37	3	2	1	20	0	7	9	0.298	.263 (+13%)	.340 (avg)	.379 (avg)	.719 (avg)	-15.4
1949	BOS	AL	55	147	22	30	6	1	0	9	2	17	11	0.204	.262 (-22%)	.343 (-15%)	.384 (-33%)	.727 (-24%)	-636.7
1950	PHA	AL	115	399	35	109	22	5	1	54	3	45	32	0.273	.265 (+3%)	.346 (avg)	.401 (-10%)	.747 (-5%)	-424.0
1951	PHA	AL	77	222	27	68	10	4	1	36	2	21	23	0.306	.260 (+17%)	.336 (+10%)	.385 (+4%)	.721 (+7%)	293.2
1952	PHA	AL	119	407	45	100	8	4	1	56	1	39	45	0.246	.252 (-3%)	.326 (-3%)	.369 (-21%)	.696 (-12%)	-880.7
1953	DET	AL	22	38	8	8	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	0.211	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	48	406	30	6	41
2B	201	524	561	35	169
3B	240	260	502	50	56
SS	142	284	361	32	72

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1942	DET	3B	1	0	0	0	0
1942	DET	SS	80	157	199	21	39
1946	DET	2B	1	1	2	0	0
1946	WS1	3B	46	53	87	12	7
1946	WS1	SS	53	112	142	9	27
1947	SLA	1B	5	45	2	2	4
1947	SLA	2B	46	127	127	6	31
1947	SLA	3B	17	25	42	5	5
1947	SLA	SS	7	12	19	1	5
1948	BOS	2B	15	31	47	4	12
1948	BOS	3B	15	23	35	0	3
1949	BOS	1B	29	256	15	2	28
1949	BOS	2B	8	21	15	1	5
1950	PHA	2B	107	297	319	21	105
1950	PHA	SS	1	2	0	1	0
1951	PHA	1B	1	8	0	0	1
1951	PHA	2B	23	47	51	3	16
1951	PHA	3B	45	45	99	11	14
1952	PHA	1B	13	97	13	2	8
1952	PHA	3B	104	105	222	20	26
1953	DET	2B	1	0	0	0	0
1953	DET	3B	12	9	17	2	1
1953	DET	SS	1	1	1	0	1