Bill Smiley, baseball player, 1874-1882

Bill Smiley

Born: 1856 in Baltimore, MD, USA

Died: 7/11/1884 in Baltimore, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1874-10-13 | Final Game: 1882-09-30

Height: 5'8" | Weight: 140 lbs

Full name: William B. Smiley

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Biography

Bill Smiley, born in 1856, was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1874 to 1882. Playing primarily as a position player, Smiley was part of the early development of Major League Baseball during a time when the game was still in its formative years. With a total of 77 games played, he recorded 60 hits and finished his career with a batting average of .195. While he did not hit any home runs or drive in runs, Smiley's presence on the field contributed to the growing popularity of baseball in the post-Civil War era. Although his individual statistics may not stand out in the annals of baseball history, Smiley participated in an important transitional period for the sport. The late 19th century was marked by the evolution of playing styles and the establishment of formal leagues, which laid the groundwork for the modern game. Smiley's career reflects the challenges and changes of baseball as it began to gain traction as America's pastime, paving the way for future generations of players.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
77 308 33 60 4 2 0 0 0 6 0 0.195 0.210 0.221 0.431 -1163.2

Career AVG .195 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 24.0% below league average.

Career OBP .210 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 24.4% below league average.

Career SLG .221 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 33.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.431 vs. league average 0.609 across their career seasons — 29.2% 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
1874 BL1 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1882 SL4 AA 59 240 30 51 4 2 0 0 0 6 0 0.212 .248 (-14%) .275 (-16%) .329 (-25%) .605 (-21%) -739.8
1882 BL2 AA 16 61 3 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.148 .248 (-41%) .275 (-47%) .329 (-55%) .605 (-51%) -739.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 73 0 188 209 57 27
3B 2 2 8 3 3 0
OF 2 0 3 1 2 0
SS 2 0 2 2 1 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1874 BL1 3B 2 2 8 3 3 0
1882 SL4 2B 57 0 145 155 39 20
1882 SL4 OF 2 0 3 1 2 0
1882 BL2 2B 16 0 43 54 18 7
1882 BL2 SS 2 0 2 2 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 73
Third Base 2
Shortstop 2
Left Field 1
Right Field 1