Will Smalley, baseball player, 1890-1891

Will Smalley

Born: 6/27/1871 in Oakland, CA, USA

Died: 10/11/1891 in Bay City, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1890-04-19 | Final Game: 1891-04-30

Bats: R | Throws: R

Full name: William Darwin Smalley

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Biography

Will Smalley was a professional baseball player born in 1871, who played as a position player during the early years of Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1891. Over the course of his brief career, Smalley participated in 147 games, where he recorded 113 hits and achieved a batting average of .209. While he did not hit any home runs, he contributed significantly to his teams with 45 RBIs and demonstrated his speed on the bases with 10 stolen bases. Smalley's career coincided with a transformative period in baseball, as the sport was evolving from the deadball era into a more dynamic phase of play. Although he faced challenges at the plate, his ability to contribute in other facets of the game showcased the versatility that was often required of players in that era. Smalley's legacy, while modest in statistical terms, reflects the spirit of the game during a time when baseball was gaining traction as America's pastime. His participation in the early years of the sport is a reminder of the many players who laid the groundwork for future generations.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
147 540 67 113 11 2 0 45 10 65 46 0.209 0.300 0.237 0.537 -1935.9

Career AVG .209 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 18.8% below league average.

Career OBP .300 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.

Career SLG .237 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 31.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.537 vs. league average 0.683 across their career seasons — 21.3% 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
1890 CL4 NL 136 502 62 107 11 1 0 42 10 60 44 0.213 .260 (-18%) .336 (-10%) .351 (-32%) .687 (-21%) -1935.9
1891 WS9 AA 11 38 5 6 0 1 0 3 0 5 2 0.158 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 2 0 2 3 1 1
3B 145 0 233 347 74 28

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1890 CL4 3B 136 0 221 327 64 27
1891 WS9 2B 2 0 2 3 1 1
1891 WS9 3B 9 0 12 20 10 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 2
Third Base 145