Billy Pierce, baseball player, 1945-1964

Billy Pierce

Born: 4/2/1927 in Detroit, MI, USA

Died: 7/31/2015 in Palos Heights, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1945-06-01 | Final Game: 1964-10-03

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Walter William Pierce

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Biography

Billy Pierce was a prominent American pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1945 until his retirement in 1964. Born in 1927, Pierce's career was marked by his exceptional left-handed pitching, which garnered him a record of 211 wins and 169 losses, along with an impressive earned run average of 3.27. Over the course of his career, he recorded 1,999 strikeouts and notched 32 saves, showcasing his versatility and effectiveness on the mound. Pierce was selected as an All-Star seven times, highlighting his status as one of the leading pitchers of his era. Pierce played primarily during the post-World War II era, a time of transition in baseball that saw the integration of the game and the rise of powerful hitters. His pitching style was characterized by a smooth delivery and a keen ability to control the game, making him a valuable asset to every team he played for, including the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. His contributions to the sport extended beyond statistics, as he was respected by teammates and opponents alike for his competitive spirit and sportsmanship. Billy Pierce’s legacy in baseball remains significant, as he is remembered not only for his impressive numbers but also for his role in shaping the game during a pivotal time in its history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
211 169 585 432 193 38 32 3306.7 2989 1201 284 1178 1999 3.27 0

Career ERA 3.27 vs. league average 3.90 across their career seasons — 16.2% 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
1945 DET AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 10.0 6 2 10 10 1.80 3.67 (+51%) -413.5
1948 DET AL 3 0 22 5 0 0 0 55.3 47 39 51 36 6.34 4.10 (-55%) -1908.2
1949 CHW AL 7 15 32 26 8 0 0 171.7 145 74 112 95 3.88 4.12 (+6%) -
1950 CHW AL 12 16 33 29 15 1 1 219.3 189 97 137 118 3.98 4.36 (+9%) -
1951 CHW AL 15 14 37 28 18 1 2 240.3 237 81 73 113 3.03 4.04 (+25%) -
1952 CHW AL 15 12 33 32 14 4 1 255.3 214 73 79 144 2.57 3.70 (+31%) -
1953 CHW AL 18 12 40 33 19 7 3 271.3 216 82 102 186 2.72 4.14 (+34%) -
1954 CHW AL 9 10 36 26 12 4 3 188.7 179 73 86 148 3.48 3.90 (+11%) -
1955 CHW AL 15 10 33 26 16 6 1 205.7 162 45 64 157 1.97 4.00 (+51%) -
1956 CHW AL 20 9 35 33 21 1 1 276.3 261 102 100 192 3.32 3.96 (+16%) -
1957 CHW AL 20 12 37 34 16 4 2 257.0 228 93 71 171 3.26 3.83 (+15%) -
1958 CHW AL 17 11 35 32 19 3 2 245.0 204 73 66 144 2.68 3.86 (+31%) -
1959 CHW AL 14 15 34 33 12 2 0 224.0 217 90 62 114 3.62 3.90 (+7%) -
1960 CHW AL 14 7 32 30 8 1 0 196.3 201 79 46 108 3.62 3.82 (+5%) -
1961 CHW AL 10 9 39 28 5 1 3 180.0 190 76 54 106 3.80 4.03 (+6%) -
1962 SFG NL 16 6 30 23 7 2 1 162.3 147 63 35 76 3.49 3.96 (+12%) -
1963 SFG NL 3 11 38 13 3 1 8 99.0 106 47 20 52 4.27 3.46 (-24%) -
1964 SFG NL 3 0 34 1 0 0 4 49.0 40 12 10 29 2.20 3.58 (+38%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
616 1102 94 203 13 4 0 69 1 65 232 0.184 0.232 0.203 0.435 -7106.5

Career AVG .184 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 28.6% below league average.

Career OBP .232 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 29.4% below league average.

Career SLG .203 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 47.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.435 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — 39.1% 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
1945 DET AL 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1948 DET AL 22 17 5 5 0 2 0 2 0 0 4 0.294 — — — — 0.0
1949 CHW AL 39 51 7 9 0 0 0 2 0 5 15 0.176 .262 (-33%) .343 (-27%) .384 (-54%) .727 (-41%) -359.5
1950 CHW AL 40 77 10 20 3 0 0 6 0 6 13 0.260 .265 (-2%) .346 (-7%) .401 (-26%) .747 (-17%) -224.2
1951 CHW AL 39 79 10 16 1 0 0 3 0 9 17 0.203 .260 (-22%) .336 (-16%) .385 (-44%) .721 (-31%) -400.0
1952 CHW AL 35 91 11 17 1 0 0 3 0 6 20 0.187 .252 (-26%) .326 (-27%) .369 (-46%) .696 (-38%) -559.6
1953 CHW AL 42 87 4 11 0 0 0 4 0 4 16 0.126 .264 (-52%) .335 (-48%) .397 (-68%) .733 (-59%) -894.5
1954 CHW AL 38 57 4 11 0 0 0 5 0 4 12 0.193 .261 (-26%) .333 (-27%) .390 (-51%) .723 (-40%) -389.9
1955 CHW AL 34 70 5 12 2 0 0 7 1 3 10 0.171 .258 (-34%) .332 (-38%) .393 (-49%) .726 (-44%) -529.9
1956 CHW AL 39 102 6 16 0 0 0 3 0 3 22 0.157 .258 (-39%) .331 (-43%) .397 (-61%) .728 (-53%) -916.3
1957 CHW AL 41 99 7 17 1 0 0 6 0 2 25 0.172 .257 (-33%) .323 (-42%) .391 (-54%) .715 (-48%) -808.6
1958 CHW AL 35 83 10 17 3 0 0 4 0 4 13 0.205 .257 (-21%) .324 (-23%) .394 (-39%) .719 (-32%) -439.1
1959 CHW AL 34 68 3 13 1 2 0 7 0 7 13 0.191 .256 (-26%) .323 (-18%) .392 (-32%) .715 (-26%) -296.9
1960 CHW AL 32 67 4 12 1 0 0 7 0 6 14 0.179 .255 (-30%) .323 (-24%) .387 (-50%) .711 (-38%) -411.6
1961 CHW AL 39 56 3 8 0 0 0 3 0 1 11 0.143 .258 (-45%) .328 (-52%) .399 (-64%) .727 (-59%) -559.9
1962 SFG NL 30 56 3 12 0 0 0 5 0 3 12 0.214 .257 (-17%) .326 (-22%) .393 (-46%) .719 (-35%) -316.5
1963 SFG NL 38 31 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 11 0.129 — — — — 0.0
1964 SFG NL 34 9 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 0.333 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1962 WS SFN 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1959 WS CHA 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 1 5 2 0 19.0 10 4 4 8 1.89

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1962 WS SFN 1 1 2 2 0 15.0 8 4 2 5 2.40
1959 WS CHA 0 0 3 0 0 4.0 2 0 2 3 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
P 585 280 123 487 28 32

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1945 DET P 5 0 0 2 0 0
1948 DET P 22 0 2 9 0 0
1949 CHA P 32 0 12 33 4 2
1950 CHA P 33 0 4 30 1 1
1951 CHA P 37 0 11 38 2 4
1952 CHA P 33 0 13 43 1 3
1953 CHA 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1953 CHA P 40 0 10 33 4 1
1954 CHA P 36 26 7 19 1 1
1955 CHA P 33 26 7 25 0 1
1956 CHA P 35 33 4 33 3 2
1957 CHA P 37 34 8 45 2 2
1958 CHA P 35 32 11 26 1 3
1959 CHA P 34 33 11 40 2 4
1960 CHA P 32 31 7 29 2 2
1961 CHA P 39 28 7 31 3 1
1962 SFN P 30 23 4 24 1 3
1963 SFN P 38 13 4 20 0 2
1964 SFN P 34 1 1 7 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 585
First Base 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1957 TSN All-Star P
1957 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1956 TSN All-Star P
1956 TSN Pitcher of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1962 Cy Young Award ML 3rd 1.0 20 1
1957 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 35.0 336 0
1956 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 75.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 8.0 336 0
1953 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 55.0 336 0
1952 Most Valuable Player AL 29th 3.0 336 0