Bill Lange, baseball player, 1893-1899

Bill Lange

Born: 6/6/1871 in San Francisco, CA, USA

Died: 7/23/1950 in San Francisco, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1893-04-27 | Final Game: 1899-10-15

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: William Alexander Lange

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Biography

Bill Lange, born in 1871, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century. His career spanned from 1893 to 1904, during a period characterized by the emergence of more dynamic offensive play and the early stages of baseball's evolution into a major professional sport. Lange was known for his exceptional batting skills, finishing his career with a remarkable batting average of .33. He played in 813 games, accumulating 1,056 hits, 39 home runs, and 579 RBIs, showcasing his ability to contribute significantly to his teams’ offensive efforts. Lange's most notable achievement was his impressive speed on the base paths, as evidenced by his 400 stolen bases, which placed him among the elite base stealers of his time. His prowess as a player made him a valuable asset in the fast-paced, high-scoring environment of the late 19th century, often referred to as the "deadball era." Lange’s contributions to the game extended beyond statistics; he was a part of a transformative period in baseball history, helping to shape the style of play that would define the sport in the years that followed. His legacy remains a testament to the skill and athleticism that characterized early professional baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
813 3202 691 1056 134 80 39 579 400 350 123 0.330 0.400 0.458 0.858 10530.1

Career AVG .330 vs. league average .288 across their career seasons — +14.4% above league average.

Career OBP .400 vs. league average .354 across their career seasons — +12.9% above league average.

Career SLG .458 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +18.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.858 vs. league average 0.740 across their career seasons — +16.0% above 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 CHC NL 117 469 92 132 8 7 8 88 47 52 20 0.281 .279 (+1%) .356 (avg) .379 (avg) .735 (avg) 64.5
1894 CHC NL 113 449 86 146 17 9 6 91 66 56 18 0.325 .309 (+5%) .379 (+6%) .435 (+2%) .814 (+4%) 449.0
1895 CHC NL 123 478 120 186 27 16 10 98 67 55 24 0.389 .296 (+31%) .361 (+26%) .399 (+44%) .761 (+36%) 3619.6
1896 CHC NL 122 469 114 153 21 16 4 92 84 65 24 0.326 .290 (+12%) .354 (+17%) .387 (+20%) .741 (+18%) 1902.0
1897 CHC NL 118 479 119 163 24 14 5 83 73 48 12 0.340 .291 (+17%) .354 (+15%) .387 (+24%) .741 (+20%) 1911.0
1898 CHC NL 113 442 79 141 16 11 5 69 22 36 17 0.319 .270 (+18%) .333 (+13%) .347 (+26%) .680 (+20%) 1584.5
1899 CHC NL 107 416 81 135 21 7 1 58 41 38 8 0.325 .282 (+15%) .343 (+11%) .366 (+13%) .710 (+12%) 999.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 16 0 166 4 5 10
2B 57 0 151 181 42 21
3B 9 0 16 26 7 3
C 8 0 24 12 3 1
OF 718 0 1741 136 116 39
SS 9 0 19 28 10 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1893 CHN 2B 57 0 151 181 42 21
1893 CHN 3B 8 0 14 25 4 3
1893 CHN C 7 0 23 12 3 1
1893 CHN OF 40 0 97 7 5 1
1893 CHN SS 7 0 18 25 6 2
1894 CHN 3B 1 0 2 1 3 0
1894 CHN OF 111 0 276 25 29 10
1894 CHN SS 2 0 1 3 4 0
1895 CHN OF 123 0 298 28 27 6
1896 CHN C 1 0 1 0 0 0
1896 CHN OF 121 0 313 18 24 3
1897 CHN OF 118 0 264 17 16 4
1898 CHN 1B 2 0 17 0 0 1
1898 CHN OF 111 0 269 19 9 4
1899 CHN 1B 14 0 149 4 5 9
1899 CHN OF 94 0 224 22 6 11

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 8
First Base 16
Second Base 57
Third Base 9
Shortstop 9
Left Field 15
Center Field 702
Right Field 2