Bill Merritt

Born: 7/30/1870 in Lowell, MA, USA

Died: 11/17/1937 in Lowell, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1891-08-08 | Final Game: 1899-10-14

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: William Henry Merritt

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Bill Merritt was a versatile position player who had a notable career in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1899. Born in 1870, Merritt made his mark during a transitional era in baseball, where the game was evolving from the fast-paced style of the deadball era toward the more offensive-minded approaches that would define the following decades. Over the course of his career, he played in 401 games, showcasing his skills as a reliable hitter with a career batting average of .272. He accumulated 384 hits, including 8 home runs, and drove in 196 runs, demonstrating his ability to contribute significantly to his team's offensive efforts. Merritt was also known for his speed on the bases, stealing 21 bases throughout his career, which added an extra dimension to his playing style. His contributions were crucial during a time when the game was characterized by strategic base running and contact hitting. Although he may not be as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries, Merritt's solid performances and consistent offensive output helped pave the way for future generations of players in the evolving landscape of professional baseball. He retired from the game on October 14, 1899, leaving behind a legacy as a competent player during a formative 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
401	1414	182	384	40	12	8	196	21	110	82	0.272	0.327	0.334	0.661	-2648.8

Career AVG .272 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .327 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 6.1% below league average.

Career SLG .334 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 11.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.661 vs. league average 0.724 across their career seasons — 8.7% 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
1891	CHC	NL	11	42	4	9	1	0	0	4	0	2	2	0.214	—	—	—	—	0.0
1892	LS3	NL	46	168	22	33	4	2	1	13	3	11	15	0.196	.244 (-20%)	.316 (-22%)	.327 (-20%)	.644 (-21%)	-600.6
1893	BSN	NL	39	141	30	49	6	3	3	26	3	13	13	0.348	.279 (+24%)	.356 (+13%)	.379 (+31%)	.735 (+22%)	525.1
1894	BSN	NL	10	26	3	6	1	0	0	6	0	8	0	0.231	—	—	—	—	0.0
1894	PIT	NL	36	109	18	30	1	2	1	18	2	15	7	0.275	.309 (-11%)	.379 (-4%)	.435 (-20%)	.814 (-13%)	0.0
1894	CIN	NL	30	117	17	38	6	1	1	22	4	10	3	0.325	.309 (+5%)	.379 (+2%)	.435 (-4%)	.814 (-1%)	0.0
1895	CIN	NL	22	79	9	14	2	0	0	12	2	6	5	0.177	.296 (-40%)	.361 (-35%)	.399 (-49%)	.761 (-42%)	-590.8
1895	PIT	NL	67	239	32	68	5	1	0	27	2	18	16	0.285	.296 (-4%)	.361 (-6%)	.399 (-21%)	.761 (-14%)	-590.8
1896	PIT	NL	77	282	26	82	8	2	1	42	3	18	10	0.291	.290 (avg)	.354 (-5%)	.387 (-11%)	.741 (-8%)	-445.2
1897	PIT	NL	62	209	21	55	6	1	1	26	2	9	11	0.263	.291 (-10%)	.354 (-16%)	.387 (-18%)	.741 (-17%)	-690.0
1899	BSN	NL	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	18	163	7	4	9
2B	4	9	9	1	1
3B	8	5	19	5	2
C	354	1266	360	100	40
OF	6	6	0	0	0
SS	2	4	1	1	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1891	CHN	1B	1	10	0	1	1
1891	CHN	C	11	31	11	2	1
1892	LS3	C	46	175	58	15	6
1893	BSN	C	37	129	25	9	6
1893	BSN	OF	2	1	0	0	0
1894	BSN	C	8	30	7	5	1
1894	BSN	OF	1	3	0	0	0
1894	PIT	1B	4	18	0	0	0
1894	PIT	C	28	85	35	6	5
1894	PIT	OF	2	2	0	0	0
1894	CIN	1B	1	7	0	1	0
1894	CIN	3B	3	2	10	1	2
1894	CIN	C	25	60	27	4	0
1894	CIN	OF	1	0	0	0	0
1895	CIN	2B	1	5	1	1	0
1895	CIN	C	20	65	19	4	3
1895	PIT	1B	2	27	1	1	2
1895	PIT	C	63	245	58	21	7
1896	PIT	1B	3	33	2	0	2
1896	PIT	2B	3	4	8	0	1
1896	PIT	3B	5	3	9	4	0
1896	PIT	C	62	242	75	20	5
1896	PIT	SS	2	4	1	1	0
1897	PIT	1B	7	68	4	1	4
1897	PIT	C	53	202	43	14	6
1899	BSN	C	1	2	2	0	0