Ben Sankey, baseball player, 1929-1931

Ben Sankey

Born: 9/2/1907 in Nauvoo, AL, USA

Died: 10/14/2001 in Washington, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1929-10-05 | Final Game: 1931-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: Benjamin Turner Sankey

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Biography

Ben Sankey was a professional baseball player born in 1907, whose career spanned from 1929 to 1931. Primarily serving as a position player, he played a total of 72 games in Major League Baseball during his tenure. Sankey recorded 36 hits, contributing to a batting average of .213. Although he did not hit any home runs, he managed to drive in 14 runs throughout his career, showcasing his ability to contribute to his team's offense despite the challenges of competing during the late 1920s and early 1930s, a time when the game was beginning to transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach. Sankey's playing style reflected the grit and determination of the era, as he took to the field with a focus on contact hitting and situational awareness. While his personal statistics may not have placed him among the most celebrated players of his time, he was part of a larger narrative in baseball history that included the evolution of player roles and the strategic complexities of the game. After his final game on September 27, 1931, Sankey's contributions remained a part of the fabric of baseball history, even as the sport continued to evolve rapidly in the decades that followed.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.400 0.400 0.600 1.000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1933 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.400 0.400 0.600 1.000

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
72 169 21 36 2 5 0 14 0 16 14 0.213 0.281 0.284 0.565 -357.2

Career AVG .213 vs. league average .287 across their career seasons — 25.8% below league average.

Career OBP .281 vs. league average .349 across their career seasons — 19.5% below league average.

Career SLG .284 vs. league average .412 across their career seasons — 31.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.565 vs. league average 0.761 across their career seasons — 25.8% 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
1929 PIT NL 2 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1930 PIT NL 13 30 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1931 PIT NL 57 132 14 30 2 5 0 14 0 14 10 0.227 .276 (-18%) .338 (-11%) .388 (-18%) .726 (-15%) -357.2

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 6 0 8 11 2 1
3B 2 0 0 1 0 0
SS 57 0 85 148 22 27

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1929 PIT SS 2 0 3 7 1 1
1930 PIT 2B 4 0 7 9 1 1
1930 PIT SS 6 0 10 17 4 2
1931 PIT 2B 2 0 1 2 1 0
1931 PIT 3B 2 0 0 1 0 0
1931 PIT SS 49 0 72 124 17 24

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 6
Third Base 2
Shortstop 57

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Auburn University Auburn AL 1926, 1927, 1928