Lew Ritter

Born: 9/7/1875 in Liverpool, PA, USA

Died: 5/27/1952 in Harrisburg, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1902-09-10 | Final Game: 1908-08-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 150 lbs

Full name: Lewis Elmer Ritter

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Lew Ritter was a professional baseball player born in 1875 who made his mark in the Major Leagues from 1902 to 1908. Primarily serving as a position player, Ritter played in a total of 462 games throughout his career. He achieved a total of 315 hits, which included one home run and 120 runs batted in (RBIs), while posting a batting average of .219. Known for his speed on the bases, he also recorded 55 stolen bases, showcasing his ability to disrupt opposing defenses and add a dynamic element to his team's offensive strategy. Ritter's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, characterized by the waning days of the deadball era, where pitching dominated and offensive statistics were notably lower than in later years. Despite the challenges of this time, his performance highlighted his role as a versatile player who contributed to his teams in various ways. Although not a superstar, Ritter's tenacity and contributions over his seven seasons in the league left an imprint on the game, reflecting the spirit of players who shaped the early years of professional baseball. He retired from the sport on August 29, 1908, leaving behind a legacy as a dedicated competitor in the evolving landscape of America's pastime.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
462	1437	129	315	33	17	1	120	55	96	180	0.219	0.271	0.268	0.539	-3421.0

Career AVG .219 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.

Career OBP .271 vs. league average .308 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.

Career SLG .268 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 17.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.539 vs. league average 0.631 across their career seasons — 14.6% 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
1902	BRO	NL	16	57	5	12	1	0	0	2	2	1	8	0.211	.266 (-21%)	.321 (-26%)	.343 (-34%)	.665 (-30%)	-261.6
1903	BRO	NL	78	259	26	61	9	6	0	37	9	19	30	0.236	.261 (-10%)	.316 (-8%)	.345 (-8%)	.662 (-8%)	-400.3
1904	BRO	NL	72	214	23	53	4	1	0	19	17	20	34	0.248	.246 (avg)	.300 (+6%)	.321 (-14%)	.622 (-5%)	-68.6
1905	BRO	NL	92	311	32	68	10	5	1	28	16	15	39	0.219	.248 (-12%)	.307 (-17%)	.322 (-9%)	.629 (-13%)	-778.9
1906	BRO	NL	73	226	22	47	1	3	0	15	6	16	20	0.208	.247 (-16%)	.307 (-14%)	.315 (-24%)	.622 (-19%)	-695.1
1907	BRO	NL	93	271	15	55	6	1	0	17	5	18	40	0.203	.245 (-17%)	.304 (-16%)	.308 (-25%)	.613 (-20%)	-908.6
1908	BRO	NL	38	99	6	19	2	1	0	2	0	7	9	0.192	.240 (-20%)	.298 (-18%)	.306 (-24%)	.605 (-21%)	-308.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	3	2	26	0	1	1
2B	5	5	9	11	1	6
3B	5	3	3	9	2	0
C	410	299	1780	497	95	34
OF	15	14	26	2	1	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1902	BRO	C	16	0	91	18	3	2
1903	BRO	C	74	0	309	80	25	6
1903	BRO	OF	2	0	0	0	0	0
1904	BRO	2B	5	5	9	11	1	6
1904	BRO	3B	1	0	0	1	0	0
1904	BRO	C	57	56	249	88	12	7
1905	BRO	3B	2	1	2	3	0	0
1905	BRO	C	84	80	397	106	26	4
1905	BRO	OF	4	5	7	0	0	0
1906	BRO	1B	3	2	26	0	1	1
1906	BRO	3B	2	2	1	5	2	0
1906	BRO	C	53	52	211	61	6	4
1906	BRO	OF	9	9	19	2	1	0
1907	BRO	C	89	83	391	103	16	11
1908	BRO	C	37	28	132	41	7	0