Rip Russell, baseball player, 1939-1947

Rip Russell

Born: 1/26/1915 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Died: 9/26/1976 in Los Alamitos, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-05-05 | Final Game: 1947-07-13

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Glen David Russell

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Biography

Rip Russell, born in 1915, was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1939 until 1947. Known primarily as a position player, Russell made a significant impact during a transitional period in baseball history, following the Great Depression and leading into the post-World War II era. Over the course of his career, he played in 425 games, amassing 344 hits. His offensive contributions included 29 home runs and 192 runs batted in, with a career batting average of .245. While not renowned for his speed, he managed to steal 4 bases during his time in the league. Russell's playing style was characterized by his versatility on the field, which allowed him to adapt to various positions as needed. Though he faced stiff competition in an evolving game marked by the integration of African American players and the changing dynamics of the sport, he carved out a respectable niche for himself. His career concluded on July 13, 1947, leaving behind a legacy that reflected the tenacity and resilience of players during a challenging era in American sports.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
8.0 7.0 0 2.0 0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.286 0.375 0.286 0.661

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1943 8.0 7.0 0 2.0 0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.286 0.375 0.286 0.661

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
425 1402 133 344 52 8 29 192 4 83 142 0.245 0.289 0.356 0.644 -2674.5

Career AVG .245 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.

Career OBP .289 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 13.4% below league average.

Career SLG .356 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.644 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — 8.7% 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
1939 CHC NL 143 542 55 148 24 5 9 79 2 36 56 0.273 .274 (avg) .342 (-7%) .393 (-2%) .735 (-4%) -580.3
1940 CHC NL 68 215 15 53 7 2 5 33 1 8 23 0.247 .267 (-8%) .335 (-17%) .387 (-5%) .722 (-11%) -484.1
1941 CHC NL 6 17 1 5 1 0 0 1 0 1 5 0.294 — — — — 0.0
1942 CHC NL 102 302 32 73 9 0 8 41 0 17 21 0.242 .253 (-5%) .323 (-13%) .349 (avg) .672 (-6%) -397.7
1946 BOS AL 80 274 22 57 10 1 6 35 1 13 30 0.208 .256 (-19%) .328 (-25%) .358 (-11%) .687 (-18%) -959.5
1947 BOS AL 26 52 8 8 1 0 1 3 0 8 7 0.154 .262 (-41%) .336 (-21%) .376 (-39%) .712 (-30%) -253.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 WS BOS 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 234 0 2265 117 38 165
2B 27 0 53 72 4 11
3B 96 0 73 178 16 26
OF 3 0 7 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 CHN 1B 143 0 1383 83 18 109
1940 CHN 1B 51 0 518 18 10 22
1940 CHN 3B 3 0 1 4 0 0
1941 CHN 1B 5 0 36 3 1 4
1942 CHN 1B 35 0 328 13 9 30
1942 CHN 2B 24 0 51 69 4 10
1942 CHN 3B 10 0 6 8 1 0
1942 CHN OF 3 0 7 0 0 0
1946 BOS 2B 3 0 2 3 0 1
1946 BOS 3B 70 0 59 137 12 24
1947 BOS 3B 13 0 7 29 3 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 234
Second Base 27
Third Base 96
Left Field 3