Eric McNair, baseball player, 1929-1942

Eric McNair

Born: 4/12/1909 in Meridian, MS, USA

Died: 3/11/1949 in Meridian, MS, USA

MLB Debut: 1929-09-20 | Final Game: 1942-09-19

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Donald Eric McNair

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Biography

Eric McNair was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1929 to 1942. Born in 1909, McNair made his mark in the game during an era that was transitioning from the Deadball Era into a more offensively focused period. Over the course of his career, he played in 1,251 games, accumulating 1,240 hits which contributed to a solid batting average of .274. Known for his consistent hitting and offensive contributions, McNair recorded 82 home runs and drove in 633 runs, establishing himself as a reliable run producer for his teams. In addition to his power at the plate, McNair showcased his speed on the bases, stealing 59 bases throughout his career. His ability to combine solid hitting with base running skills made him a valuable asset in the lineup. McNair's contributions to the game were significant, as he played during a crucial time in baseball history, navigating the challenges and changes of the sport leading up to World War II. His legacy is remembered by fans and historians as that of a skilled player who excelled in multiple facets of the game.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
16.0 15.0 4.0 7.0 4.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.467 0.500 0.733 1.233

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1935 16.0 15.0 4.0 7.0 4.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.467 0.500 0.733 1.233

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1251 4519 592 1240 229 29 82 633 59 261 328 0.274 0.318 0.392 0.710 -3337.3

Career AVG .274 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .318 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 6.7% below league average.

Career SLG .392 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.710 vs. league average 0.733 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
1929 PHA AL 4 8 2 4 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1930 PHA AL 78 237 27 63 12 2 0 34 5 9 19 0.266 .293 (-10%) .354 (-17%) .429 (-22%) .784 (-20%) -942.7
1931 PHA AL 79 280 41 76 10 1 5 33 1 11 19 0.271 .276 (-2%) .338 (-9%) .388 (-5%) .726 (-7%) -400.9
1932 PHA AL 135 554 87 158 47 3 18 95 8 28 29 0.285 .275 (+4%) .335 (-4%) .391 (+22%) .726 (+10%) 917.5
1933 PHA AL 89 310 57 81 15 4 7 48 2 15 32 0.261 .270 (-3%) .329 (-9%) .377 (+7%) .707 (avg) -103.8
1934 PHA AL 151 599 80 168 20 4 17 82 7 35 42 0.280 .278 (+1%) .340 (-6%) .392 (+5%) .733 (avg) -103.8
1935 PHA AL 137 526 55 142 22 2 4 57 3 35 33 0.270 .279 (-4%) .342 (-7%) .399 (-14%) .742 (-11%) -1163.2
1936 BOS AL 128 494 68 141 36 2 4 74 3 27 34 0.285 .283 (+1%) .349 (-6%) .404 (-3%) .753 (-5%) -542.3
1937 BOS AL 126 455 60 133 29 4 12 76 10 30 33 0.292 .276 (+6%) .342 (-1%) .398 (+14%) .740 (+7%) 543.7
1938 BOS AL 46 96 9 15 1 1 0 7 0 3 6 0.156 .272 (-43%) .341 (-47%) .392 (-52%) .734 (-50%) -855.0
1939 CHW AL 129 479 62 155 18 5 7 82 17 38 41 0.324 .274 (+18%) .342 (+9%) .393 (+8%) .735 (+9%) 878.1
1940 CHW AL 66 251 26 57 13 1 7 31 1 12 26 0.227 .267 (-15%) .335 (-21%) .387 (-4%) .722 (-12%) -627.6
1941 DET AL 23 59 5 11 1 0 0 3 0 4 4 0.186 .262 (-29%) .332 (-25%) .373 (-45%) .705 (-36%) -336.8
1942 DET AL 26 68 5 11 2 0 1 4 0 3 5 0.162 .253 (-36%) .323 (-39%) .349 (-33%) .672 (-36%) -397.9
1942 PHA AL 34 103 8 25 2 0 0 4 1 11 5 0.243 .253 (-4%) .323 (-2%) .349 (-25%) .672 (-14%) -397.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1931 WS PHA 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1930 WS PHA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 0 18 0 0 1
2B 288 0 627 806 53 164
3B 220 0 217 399 51 43
OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
SS 669 0 1269 1879 168 399

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1929 PHA SS 4 0 6 5 0 0
1930 PHA 2B 5 0 6 6 0 1
1930 PHA 3B 29 0 36 43 6 2
1930 PHA OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1930 PHA SS 31 0 57 61 11 10
1931 PHA 2B 16 0 35 43 3 15
1931 PHA 3B 47 0 43 86 12 15
1931 PHA SS 13 0 19 26 4 6
1932 PHA SS 133 0 242 391 31 89
1933 PHA 2B 27 0 56 73 8 10
1933 PHA SS 46 0 113 143 9 29
1934 PHA SS 151 0 305 489 41 109
1935 PHA 1B 2 0 18 0 0 1
1935 PHA 3B 11 0 20 18 1 1
1935 PHA SS 121 0 232 346 27 78
1936 BOS 2B 35 0 92 89 5 19
1936 BOS 3B 11 0 9 27 4 1
1936 BOS SS 84 0 171 230 14 47
1937 BOS 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1937 BOS 2B 106 0 242 316 18 67
1937 BOS 3B 4 0 1 9 3 1
1937 BOS SS 9 0 13 19 6 4
1938 BOS 2B 14 0 27 40 3 12
1938 BOS 3B 3 0 4 1 1 0
1938 BOS SS 15 0 12 28 6 3
1939 CHA 2B 19 0 41 68 2 13
1939 CHA 3B 103 0 90 194 19 23
1939 CHA SS 9 0 20 37 4 7
1940 CHA 2B 65 0 128 170 13 27
1940 CHA 3B 1 0 2 1 4 0
1941 DET 3B 11 0 12 20 1 0
1941 DET SS 3 0 2 4 1 1
1942 DET SS 21 0 27 32 8 6
1942 PHA 2B 1 0 0 1 1 0
1942 PHA SS 29 0 50 68 6 10

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 3
Second Base 290
Third Base 218
Shortstop 669
Right Field 1

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1939 Most Valuable Player AL 29th 5.0 336 0
1936 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 1.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 3.0 80 0