Bill Phillips, baseball player, 1879-1888

Bill Phillips

Born: 1857 in Saint John, NB, CAN

Died: 10/7/1900 in Chicago, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1879-05-01 | Final Game: 1888-10-14

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 202 lbs

Full name: William B. Phillips

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Bill Phillips was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century, making significant contributions to the game between 1879 and 1888. Born in 1857, Phillips played a total of 1,038 games throughout his career, where he established himself as a reliable hitter with 1,130 hits and a batting average of .266. His offensive prowess was highlighted by his 534 runs batted in and 17 home runs, demonstrating a solid ability to drive in runs during an era that was characterized by a transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach in baseball. Phillips was also known for his speed on the basepaths, accumulating 39 stolen bases over his career. His contributions came during a time when the game was evolving, and players were beginning to embrace a more aggressive style of play. Although he may not have been as celebrated as some of his contemporaries, Phillips's overall performance and durability made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. His legacy remains a part of the early history of baseball, reflecting the game's development as it moved toward the modern era.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1038 4255 562 1130 214 98 17 534 39 178 295 0.266 0.299 0.374 0.673 4547.0

Career AVG .266 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.

Career OBP .299 vs. league average .292 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .374 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +11.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.673 vs. league average 0.627 across their career seasons — +7.4% 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
1879 CL2 NL 81 365 58 99 15 4 0 29 0 2 20 0.271 .255 (+6%) .270 (+2%) .328 (+2%) .599 (+2%) 71.6
1880 CL2 NL 85 334 41 85 14 10 1 36 0 6 29 0.254 .244 (+4%) .267 (avg) .319 (+14%) .586 (+8%) 305.8
1881 CL2 NL 85 357 51 97 18 10 1 44 0 5 19 0.272 .260 (+4%) .290 (-3%) .338 (+14%) .628 (+6%) 233.1
1882 CL2 NL 78 335 40 87 17 7 4 47 0 7 18 0.260 .248 (+5%) .275 (avg) .329 (+18%) .605 (+9%) 394.8
1883 CL2 NL 97 382 42 94 29 8 2 40 0 8 49 0.246 .257 (-4%) .285 (-9%) .345 (+10%) .631 (+2%) -35.8
1884 CL2 NL 111 464 58 128 25 12 3 46 0 18 80 0.276 .243 (+13%) .278 (+9%) .327 (+23%) .606 (+16%) 1101.8
1885 BR3 AA 99 391 65 118 16 11 3 63 0 27 0 0.302 .244 (+24%) .287 (+26%) .325 (+30%) .613 (+28%) 1903.7
1886 BR3 AA 141 585 68 160 26 15 0 72 13 33 0 0.274 .246 (+11%) .302 (+4%) .331 (+11%) .634 (+8%) 655.8
1887 BR3 AA 132 533 82 142 34 11 2 101 16 45 30 0.266 .270 (-2%) .331 (avg) .373 (+2%) .705 (+1%) 75.0
1888 KC2 AA 129 509 57 120 20 10 1 56 10 27 50 0.236 .238 (-1%) .290 (-2%) .319 (avg) .610 (-1%) -158.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1032 0 10540 305 324 511
C 12 0 51 11 18 2
OF 2 0 1 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1879 CL2 1B 75 0 726 22 36 23
1879 CL2 C 11 0 48 10 18 2
1879 CL2 OF 2 0 1 0 0 0
1880 CL2 1B 85 0 842 25 33 37
1881 CL2 1B 85 0 806 24 29 51
1882 CL2 1B 78 0 827 24 25 55
1882 CL2 C 1 0 3 1 0 0
1883 CL2 1B 97 0 953 22 33 53
1884 CL2 1B 111 0 1107 30 48 59
1885 BR3 1B 99 0 1109 24 32 40
1886 BR3 1B 141 0 1395 33 32 65
1887 BR3 1B 132 0 1299 46 24 62
1888 KC2 1B 129 0 1476 55 32 66

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 12
First Base 1032
Center Field 1
Right Field 1