Bill Smith, baseball player, 1873-1873

Bill Smith

MLB Debut: 1873-04-14 | Final Game: 1873-07-11

Full name: William J. Smith

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Biography

Bill Smith was a professional baseball player whose career took place in the early days of the sport, specifically during the 1873 season. He played as a position player for a brief period, participating in only six games. Despite the limited opportunity, Smith managed to make his mark by recording four hits and driving in one run, culminating in a batting average of .174. His tenure in the league was short-lived, as he played from April 14 to July 11 of 1873. The early 1870s represented a formative time in baseball history, as the game was evolving rapidly with the establishment of professional leagues. Although Smith's statistics did not indicate overwhelming success, he was part of a generation of players who laid the groundwork for the future of baseball. His contributions, albeit modest in number, reflect the challenges and dynamics of playing in an era that was still finding its identity, paving the way for the rich legacy of the sport that would follow.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
6 23 2 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.174 0.174 0.174 0.348 0.0

Career AVG .174 vs. league average .290 across their career seasons — 40.1% below league average.

Career OBP .174 vs. league average .304 across their career seasons — 42.8% below league average.

Career SLG .174 vs. league average .357 across their career seasons — 51.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.348 vs. league average 0.661 across their career seasons — 47.4% 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
1873 BL4 6 23 2 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.174 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 1 0 2 3 3 0
C 2 0 6 2 2 0
OF 3 0 3 0 3 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1873 BL4 2B 1 0 2 3 3 0
1873 BL4 C 2 0 6 2 2 0
1873 BL4 OF 3 0 3 0 3 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 2
Second Base 1
Center Field 3