Bill Stearns

Born: 3/20/1853 in Washington, DC, USA

Died: 12/30/1898 in Washington, DC, USA

MLB Debut: 1871-06-26 | Final Game: 1875-06-12

Throws: R

Full name: William Eckloof Stearns

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Biography

Bill Stearns was a professional baseball pitcher who played during the formative years of the sport, from 1871 to 1875. Born in 1853, Stearns took the mound in an era characterized by the transition from the early rules of baseball to a more structured game. His career included stints with several teams, where he compiled a win-loss record of 13-64 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.28. Known for his durability, Stearns delivered a total of 24 strikeouts over his career, showcasing his ability to challenge opposing batters despite the difficult conditions of the time. Stearns' tenure in Major League Baseball coincided with a period of significant change, as the game was still evolving from its origins, and the pitching styles were less refined than in later years. While he did not achieve the level of success that would define some of his contemporaries, his contributions to the teams he played for reflected the foundational spirit of the game during its early years. Bill Stearns remains a part of baseball history, representing the perseverance and challenges faced by players in the sport's early professional days.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
13 64 84 79 73 0 0 699.7 1167 333 13 46 24 4.28 0

Career ERA 4.28 vs. league average 2.91 across their career seasons — 47.4% 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
1871 WS3 2 0 2 2 2 0 0 18.0 10 5 8 0 2.50 4.22 (+41%) -313.3
1872 WS4 0 11 11 11 11 0 0 99.0 193 68 3 2 6.18 3.66 (-69%) -222.8
1873 WS5 7 25 32 32 32 0 0 283.0 481 145 16 5 4.61 3.40 (-36%) -1556.1
1874 HR1 3 14 22 18 14 0 0 158.7 237 52 15 14 2.95 2.19 (-35%) 72.3
1875 WS6 1 14 17 16 14 0 0 141.0 246 63 4 3 4.02 2.23 (-81%) -1211.6

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
99 397 56 76 2 0 0 31 1 14 25 0.191 0.219 0.196 0.415 -1615.7

Career AVG .191 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — 30.2% below league average.

Career OBP .219 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — 23.5% below league average.

Career SLG .196 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 42.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.415 vs. league average 0.626 across their career seasons — 33.6% 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
1871 WS3 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1872 WS4 11 45 8 11 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0.244 — — — — 0.0
1873 WS5 32 133 22 24 0 0 0 8 1 4 9 0.180 .290 (-38%) .304 (-33%) .357 (-49%) .661 (-42%) -828.2
1874 HR1 33 132 16 21 1 0 0 11 0 7 10 0.159 .273 (-42%) .282 (-29%) .333 (-50%) .615 (-40%) -721.7
1875 WS6 21 78 9 20 0 0 0 7 0 1 4 0.256 .253 (+1%) .260 (+2%) .309 (-17%) .570 (-8%) -65.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 26 14 27 1 12 1
P 84 30 47 83 61 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1871 WS3 P 2 2 0 5 1 0
1872 WS4 P 11 10 3 12 7 0
1873 WS5 P 32 0 17 27 17 1
1874 HR1 OF 19 14 17 0 7 0
1874 HR1 P 22 18 14 20 20 1
1875 WS6 OF 7 0 10 1 5 1
1875 WS6 P 17 0 13 19 16 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 83
Left Field 2
Center Field 9
Right Field 15