Bill Pleis, baseball player, 1961-1966

Bill Pleis

Born: 8/5/1937 in St. Louis, MO, USA

Died: 10/17/2025 in Wentzville, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1961-04-16 | Final Game: 1966-09-15

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: William Pleis

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Bill Pleis was a talented pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball during the early to mid-1960s. Born in 1937, Pleis began his professional career before making his debut on April 16, 1961. Over the course of his career, which concluded on September 15, 1966, he compiled a record of 21 wins and 16 losses. His earned run average (ERA) stood at 4.07, reflecting the competitive nature of hitting during an era that was transitioning into a more offense-driven phase of baseball. Pleis was known for his ability to strike out batters, finishing his career with a total of 184 strikeouts. Additionally, he contributed to his teams with 13 saves, showcasing his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. While his career was not marked by overwhelming statistical dominance, Pleis played a significant role in the games he participated in, demonstrating the depth of pitching talent that characterized Major League Baseball during the 1960s. His contributions to the game continue to be remembered by baseball historians and fans alike.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
21 16 190 10 1 0 13 280.7 269 127 31 126 184 4.07 0

Career ERA 4.07 vs. league average 3.67 across their career seasons — 11.1% worse 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
1961 MIN AL 4 2 37 0 0 0 2 56.3 59 31 34 32 4.95 4.03 (-23%) -510.4
1962 MIN AL 2 5 21 4 0 0 3 45.0 46 22 14 31 4.40 3.96 (-11%) -347.9
1963 MIN AL 6 2 36 4 1 0 0 68.0 67 33 16 37 4.37 3.46 (-26%) -947.2
1964 MIN AL 4 1 47 0 0 0 4 50.7 43 22 31 42 3.91 3.58 (-9%) -1024.8
1965 MIN AL 4 4 41 2 0 0 4 51.3 49 17 27 33 2.98 3.50 (+15%) -91.2
1966 MIN AL 1 2 8 0 0 0 0 9.3 5 2 4 9 1.93 3.52 (+45%) 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
190 50 5 8 0 0 0 2 0 5 26 0.160 0.236 0.160 0.396 0.0

Career AVG .160 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 36.3% below league average.

Career OBP .236 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 25.2% below league average.

Career SLG .160 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 58.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.396 vs. league average 0.697 across their career seasons — 43.2% 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
1961 MIN AL 37 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1962 MIN AL 21 14 1 4 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1963 MIN AL 36 16 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 11 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1964 MIN AL 47 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1965 MIN AL 41 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1966 MIN AL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1965 WS MIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 1 0 0 1.0 2 1 0 0 9.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1965 WS MIN 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 2 1 0 0 9.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 190 10 17 31 3 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1961 MIN P 37 0 3 3 1 0
1962 MIN P 21 4 4 4 1 0
1963 MIN P 36 4 3 10 0 1
1964 MIN P 47 0 6 6 0 1
1965 MIN P 41 2 1 7 0 1
1966 MIN P 8 0 0 1 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 190