Del Rice

Born: 10/27/1922 in Portsmouth, OH, USA

Died: 1/26/1983 in Buena Park, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1945-05-02 | Final Game: 1961-08-31

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Delbert W. Rice

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Biography

Del Rice, born in 1922, was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1945 to 1961. Known for his versatility as a position player, Rice played in a total of 1,309 games, where he accumulated 908 hits, 79 home runs, and 441 runs batted in, finishing his career with a batting average of .237. He was recognized for his contributions to the game with one All-Star selection, highlighting his impact during a period that saw the transition from the wartime limitations of the 1940s to the more offensive-minded approach of the late 1950s. Rice's playing style was characterized by solid defense and a reliable bat, making him a valuable player for several teams throughout his career. He was known for his ability to handle pressure situations, contributing significantly to his teams' offensive efforts, particularly in crucial games. His presence in the lineup during a transformative era in baseball, which included the integration of African American players and evolving strategies, made him a noteworthy figure in the sport's history. Del Rice remains a respected member of the baseball community, remembered for his dedication and performance on the field.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1309	3826	342	908	177	20	79	441	2	382	522	0.237	0.312	0.356	0.668	-5022.9

Career AVG .237 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 8.6% below league average.

Career OBP .312 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.

Career SLG .356 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 7.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.668 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — 6.9% 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	STL	NL	83	253	27	66	17	3	1	28	0	16	33	0.261	.260 (avg)	.328 (-5%)	.354 (+2%)	.683 (-1%)	-112.2
1946	STL	NL	55	139	10	38	8	1	1	12	0	8	16	0.273	.256 (+6%)	.328 (-5%)	.358 (+2%)	.687 (-1%)	-64.3
1947	STL	NL	97	261	28	57	7	3	12	44	1	36	40	0.218	.262 (-17%)	.336 (-6%)	.376 (+8%)	.712 (+1%)	37.7
1948	STL	NL	100	290	24	57	10	1	4	34	1	37	46	0.197	.263 (-25%)	.340 (-12%)	.379 (-26%)	.719 (-20%)	-1036.3
1949	STL	NL	92	284	25	67	16	1	4	29	0	30	40	0.236	.262 (-10%)	.343 (-7%)	.384 (-11%)	.727 (-9%)	-491.6
1950	STL	NL	130	414	39	101	20	3	9	54	0	43	65	0.244	.265 (-8%)	.346 (-7%)	.401 (-7%)	.747 (-7%)	-636.9
1951	STL	NL	122	374	34	94	13	1	9	47	0	34	26	0.251	.260 (-4%)	.336 (-5%)	.385 (-6%)	.721 (-5%)	-412.7
1952	STL	NL	147	495	43	128	27	2	11	65	0	33	38	0.259	.252 (+2%)	.326 (-4%)	.369 (+5%)	.696 (+1%)	-51.7
1953	STL	NL	135	419	32	99	22	1	6	37	0	48	49	0.236	.264 (-11%)	.335 (-4%)	.397 (-15%)	.733 (-10%)	-778.2
1954	STL	NL	56	147	13	37	10	1	2	16	0	16	21	0.252	.261 (-4%)	.333 (-4%)	.390 (-4%)	.723 (-4%)	-119.2
1955	STL	NL	20	59	6	12	3	0	1	7	0	7	6	0.203	.258 (-21%)	.332 (-15%)	.393 (-23%)	.726 (-19%)	-192.4
1955	ATL	NL	27	71	5	14	0	1	2	7	0	6	12	0.197	.258 (-24%)	.332 (-22%)	.393 (-21%)	.726 (-22%)	-192.4
1956	ATL	NL	71	188	15	40	9	1	3	17	0	18	34	0.213	.258 (-18%)	.331 (-15%)	.397 (-20%)	.728 (-18%)	-611.5
1957	ATL	NL	54	144	15	33	1	1	9	20	0	17	37	0.229	.257 (-11%)	.323 (-5%)	.391 (+12%)	.715 (+4%)	99.6
1958	ATL	NL	43	121	10	27	7	0	1	8	0	8	30	0.223	.257 (-13%)	.324 (-16%)	.394 (-22%)	.719 (-20%)	-415.4
1959	ATL	NL	13	29	3	6	0	0	0	1	0	2	3	0.207	—	—	—	—	0.0
1960	CHC	NL	18	52	2	12	3	0	0	4	0	2	7	0.231	.255 (-10%)	.323 (-21%)	.387 (-26%)	.711 (-24%)	-215.5
1960	STL	NL	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	-215.5
1960	BAL	AL	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	-215.5
1961	LAA	AL	44	83	11	20	4	0	4	11	0	20	19	0.241	.258 (-7%)	.328 (+17%)	.399 (+9%)	.727 (+12%)	242.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
5	12	2	4	1	0	0	0	3	2	0.333

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1957	WS	ML1	2	6	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0.167
1946	WS	SLN	3	6	2	3	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.500

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
C	1249	270	5353	537	75	72

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1945	SLN	C	77	0	284	39	2	6
1946	SLN	C	53	0	196	12	5	0
1947	SLN	C	94	0	380	33	8	7
1948	SLN	C	99	0	447	46	2	5
1949	SLN	C	92	0	355	29	3	4
1950	SLN	C	130	0	572	63	10	12
1951	SLN	C	120	0	447	66	8	12
1952	SLN	C	147	0	677	81	6	8
1953	SLN	C	135	0	627	60	8	6
1954	SLN	C	52	45	248	20	4	2
1955	SLN	C	18	18	74	6	3	1
1955	ML1	C	22	19	90	12	2	2
1956	ML1	C	65	59	271	21	5	2
1957	ML1	C	48	44	235	14	2	3
1958	ML1	C	38	33	174	13	1	1
1959	ML1	C	9	8	42	1	2	1
1960	CHN	C	18	16	85	7	3	0
1960	SLN	C	1	1	4	0	0	0
1960	BAL	C	1	0	1	0	0	0
1961	LAA	C	30	27	144	14	1	0