Bill North

Born: 5/15/1948 in Seattle, WA, USA

MLB Debut: 1971-09-03 | Final Game: 1981-06-11

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: William Alex North

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Biography

Bill North was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1971 to 1981. Born in 1948, he made a significant impact on the game through his exceptional speed and defensive skills. Over the course of 1,169 games, North compiled 1,016 hits, achieving a batting average of .261. His offensive contributions included 20 home runs and 230 runs batted in, but he was best known for his base-stealing prowess, finishing his career with an impressive total of 395 stolen bases. North played during a transformative period in baseball that bridged the end of the deadball era and the rise of more dynamic offensive play. His ability to get on base and steal was instrumental for the teams he played for, particularly the Oakland Athletics, where he contributed to their success in the late 1970s. Known for his speed and agility, North’s playing style reflected the increasing emphasis on athleticism and base running that characterized the game during his era. His legacy continues to resonate, particularly among fans who appreciate the art of speed on the base paths.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1169	3900	640	1016	120	31	20	230	395	627	665	0.261	0.365	0.323	0.688	1350.3

Career AVG .261 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .365 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — +13.0% above league average.

Career SLG .323 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 14.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.688 vs. league average 0.700 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
1971	CHC	NL	8	16	3	6	0	0	0	0	1	4	6	0.375	—	—	—	—	0.0
1972	CHC	NL	66	127	22	23	2	3	0	4	6	13	33	0.181	.243 (-26%)	.310 (-15%)	.353 (-31%)	.664 (-24%)	-492.3
1973	OAK	AL	146	554	98	158	10	5	5	34	53	78	89	0.285	.256 (+11%)	.325 (+16%)	.378 (-8%)	.703 (+3%)	706.4
1974	OAK	AL	149	543	79	141	20	5	4	33	54	69	86	0.260	.256 (+1%)	.324 (+7%)	.369 (-9%)	.693 (-1%)	78.3
1975	OAK	AL	140	524	74	143	17	5	1	43	30	81	80	0.273	.257 (+6%)	.327 (+14%)	.374 (-12%)	.701 (avg)	396.1
1976	OAK	AL	154	590	91	163	20	5	2	31	75	73	95	0.276	.255 (+8%)	.320 (+11%)	.360 (-7%)	.681 (+2%)	456.0
1977	OAK	AL	56	184	32	48	3	3	1	9	17	32	25	0.261	.264 (-1%)	.329 (+14%)	.401 (-19%)	.730 (-4%)	25.2
1978	OAK	AL	24	52	5	11	4	0	0	5	3	9	13	0.212	.257 (-18%)	.323 (+6%)	.378 (-24%)	.702 (-10%)	-51.3
1978	LAD	NL	110	304	54	71	10	0	0	10	27	65	48	0.234	.257 (-9%)	.323 (+15%)	.378 (-30%)	.702 (-9%)	-51.3
1979	SFG	NL	142	460	87	119	15	4	5	30	58	96	84	0.259	.265 (-3%)	.329 (+17%)	.397 (-14%)	.727 (avg)	475.8
1980	SFG	NL	128	415	73	104	12	1	1	19	45	81	78	0.251	.264 (-5%)	.326 (+14%)	.387 (-25%)	.714 (-7%)	-95.4
1981	SFG	NL	46	131	22	29	7	0	1	12	26	26	28	0.221	.255 (-13%)	.320 (+11%)	.368 (-19%)	.688 (-5%)	-1.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
20	59	8	3	2	0	0	3	7	7	0.051

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1978	NLCS	LAN	4	8	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000
1978	WS	LAN	4	8	2	1	1	2	1	0	0.125
1975	ALCS	OAK	3	10	0	0	0	1	2	0	0.000
1974	ALCS	OAK	4	16	3	1	1	0	2	1	0.062
1974	WS	OAK	5	17	3	1	0	0	2	5	0.059

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	1066	991	2820	63	57	15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1971	CHN	OF	6	5	4	0	0	0
1972	CHN	OF	48	26	61	3	3	1
1973	OAK	OF	138	136	429	14	9	5
1974	OAK	OF	138	134	437	9	4	2
1975	OAK	OF	138	134	420	10	11	1
1976	OAK	OF	144	142	397	8	9	1
1977	OAK	OF	52	50	112	1	2	0
1978	OAK	OF	17	13	31	1	0	0
1978	LAN	OF	103	82	232	2	6	1
1979	SFN	OF	130	126	300	8	4	2
1980	SFN	OF	115	108	313	6	6	1
1981	SFN	OF	37	35	84	1	3	1