Bill Sayles, baseball player, 1939-1943

Bill Sayles

Born: 7/27/1917 in Portland, OR, USA

Died: 11/20/1996 in Lincoln City, OR, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-07-17 | Final Game: 1943-08-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: William Nisbeth Sayles

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Biography

Bill Sayles was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1917, whose career spanned from 1939 to 1943. He played during a tumultuous time in baseball history, as World War II impacted not only the sport but also the lives of many players. Sayles made his mark in the major leagues despite a relatively short career, recording a win-loss record of 1-3. His earned run average (ERA) stood at 5.61, and he notched 52 strikeouts throughout his time on the mound. Sayles was known for his determination and competitive spirit, embodying the resilience of athletes during the challenging years of the early 1940s. Though he did not achieve the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, his contributions to the game during this era remain a part of baseball's rich tapestry. His career, which concluded in 1943, reflected the broader narrative of the sport as it navigated through the realities of wartime and the subsequent changes in the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 3 28 3 1 0 0 78.7 87 49 2 46 52 5.61 0

Career ERA 5.61 vs. league average 3.88 across their career seasons — 44.4% 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
1939 BOS AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 14.0 14 11 13 9 7.07 4.28 (-65%) -425.8
1943 NY1 NL 1 3 18 3 1 0 0 53.0 60 28 23 38 4.75 3.50 (-36%) 989.4
1943 BRO NL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 11.7 13 10 10 5 7.71 3.50 (-120%) -252.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
30 22 2 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.273 0.273 0.318 0.591 0.0

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .273 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 18.2% below league average.

Career SLG .318 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 13.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.591 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — 15.9% 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
1939 BOS AL 5 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1943 NY1 NL 19 13 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.308 — — — — 0.0
1943 BRO NL 6 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 28 0 3 13 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 BOS P 5 0 0 3 0 0
1943 NY1 P 18 0 3 9 2 0
1943 BRO P 5 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 28

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Oregon Eugene OR 1937