Bob Pettit, baseball player, 1887-1891

Bob Pettit

Born: 7/19/1861 in Williamstown, MA, USA

Died: 11/1/1910 in Derby, CT, USA

MLB Debut: 1887-09-03 | Final Game: 1891-10-04

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Robert Henry Pettit

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Biography

Bob Pettit was a professional baseball player born in 1861, whose career spanned from 1887 to October 4, 1891. As a position player, Pettit made a significant impact in the early days of Major League Baseball, a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more dynamic style of play. Over his career, he played in 96 games, accumulating 93 hits and demonstrating a solid offensive presence with a batting average of .24. His contributions included 7 home runs and 40 RBIs, showcasing his ability to drive in runs during a time when power was beginning to emerge in the game. In addition to his hitting prowess, Pettit was known for his speed on the basepaths, recording 25 stolen bases throughout his career. This ability to steal bases underscored the evolving strategies of baseball at the time, as teams began to emphasize speed and agility alongside traditional power hitting. While Pettit's career was relatively brief, his role as a position player during the late 19th century placed him among the foundational figures of the sport, contributing to the development of baseball as it moved into the modern era.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
96 387 62 93 8 7 7 40 25 22 31 0.240 0.288 0.351 0.640 -225.7

Career AVG .240 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.

Career OBP .288 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 9.5% below league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.640 vs. league average 0.664 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
1887 CHC NL 32 138 29 36 3 3 2 12 16 8 15 0.261 .270 (-4%) .331 (-9%) .373 (-1%) .705 (-5%) -138.9
1888 CHC NL 43 169 23 43 1 4 4 23 7 7 9 0.254 .238 (+7%) .290 (-1%) .319 (+18%) .610 (+9%) 183.8
1891 ML3 AA 21 80 10 14 4 0 1 5 2 7 7 0.175 .254 (-31%) .331 (-20%) .343 (-24%) .675 (-22%) -270.7

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1.0 3 0 1 2 0 0.00 0

Career ERA 0.00 vs. league average 4.17 across their career seasons — 100.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1887 CHC NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1.0 3 0 2 0 0.00 — -

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 9 0 13 28 3 1
3B 6 0 3 7 3 0
C 1 0 1 0 1 0
OF 82 0 86 16 9 3
P 1 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1887 CHN C 1 0 1 0 1 0
1887 CHN OF 32 0 34 8 5 0
1887 CHN P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1888 CHN OF 43 0 46 8 4 3
1891 ML3 2B 9 0 13 28 3 1
1891 ML3 3B 6 0 3 7 3 0
1891 ML3 OF 7 0 6 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 1
Catcher 1
Second Base 9
Third Base 6
Left Field 3
Center Field 4
Right Field 76