Babe Phelps

Born: 4/16/1908 in Odenton, MD, USA

Died: 12/10/1992 in Odenton, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1931-09-17 | Final Game: 1942-09-27

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 225 lbs

Full name: Ernest Gordon Phelps

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Biography

Babe Phelps, born in 1908, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1931 to 1942. Renowned for his offensive prowess, Phelps played primarily as a position player, appearing in 726 games over his eleven-year career. He showcased a remarkable batting average of .31, collecting 657 hits, including 54 home runs and driving in 345 runs. His ability to consistently get on base and contribute to his team's offense earned him three All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the top players of his era. Phelps played during a transformative time in baseball history, navigating both the tail end of the Great Depression and the onset of World War II, which impacted player availability and team rosters. His playing style was characterized by a keen eye at the plate and a strong hitting ability, making him a valuable asset in the lineup. Although he is often overshadowed by other legends of the game, Phelps' contributions to baseball during a competitive era solidified his legacy as a skilled hitter and an influential player in the sport's rich history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
23.0	23.0	2.0	7.0	1.0	0	1.0	4.0	0	1.0	0	0.304	0.304	0.478	0.782

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1930	11.0	11.0	1.0	2.0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.182	0.182	0.273	0.455
1932	12.0	12.0	1.0	5.0	0	0	1.0	4.0	0	1.0	0	0.417	0.417	0.667	1.084

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
726	2117	239	657	143	19	54	345	9	160	157	0.310	0.362	0.472	0.835	5478.3

Career AVG .310 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — +14.0% above league average.

Career OBP .362 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.

Career SLG .472 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — +22.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.835 vs. league average 0.725 across their career seasons — +15.2% 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
1931	WSN	AL	3	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0
1933	CHC	NL	3	7	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1934	CHC	NL	44	70	7	20	5	2	2	12	0	1	8	0.286	.278 (+3%)	.340 (-13%)	.392 (+27%)	.733 (+9%)	52.6
1935	BRO	NL	47	121	17	44	7	2	5	22	0	9	10	0.364	.279 (+30%)	.342 (+19%)	.399 (+45%)	.742 (+33%)	680.3
1936	BRO	NL	115	319	36	117	23	2	5	57	1	27	18	0.367	.283 (+29%)	.349 (+20%)	.404 (+23%)	.753 (+22%)	1460.7
1937	BRO	NL	121	409	42	128	37	3	7	58	2	25	28	0.313	.276 (+13%)	.342 (+4%)	.398 (+18%)	.740 (+12%)	844.6
1938	BRO	NL	66	208	33	64	12	2	5	46	2	23	15	0.308	.272 (+13%)	.341 (+11%)	.392 (+16%)	.734 (+14%)	541.3
1939	BRO	NL	98	323	33	92	21	2	6	42	0	24	24	0.285	.274 (+4%)	.342 (-2%)	.393 (+6%)	.735 (+3%)	105.6
1940	BRO	NL	118	370	47	109	24	5	13	61	2	30	27	0.295	.267 (+10%)	.335 (+4%)	.387 (+27%)	.722 (+16%)	1065.3
1941	BRO	NL	16	30	3	7	3	0	2	4	0	1	2	0.233	—	—	—	—	0.0
1942	PIT	NL	95	257	21	73	11	1	9	41	2	20	24	0.284	.253 (+12%)	.323 (+7%)	.349 (+26%)	.672 (+17%)	727.9

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1	8	0	0	1
C	592	2251	291	69	43
OF	1	3	0	0	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1933	CHN	C	2	6	2	0	1
1934	CHN	C	18	44	7	1	0
1935	BRO	C	34	118	16	6	4
1936	BRO	C	98	334	49	9	6
1936	BRO	OF	1	3	0	0	0
1937	BRO	C	111	465	76	16	10
1938	BRO	C	55	218	25	5	5
1939	BRO	C	92	361	40	8	9
1940	BRO	1B	1	8	0	0	1
1940	BRO	C	99	428	35	11	3
1941	BRO	C	11	33	1	1	0
1942	PIT	C	72	244	40	12	5