Bob Steele, baseball player, 1916-1919

Bob Steele

Born: 3/29/1894 in Cassburn, ON, CAN

Died: 1/27/1962 in Ocala, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1916-04-17 | Final Game: 1919-04-24

Bats: B | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Robert Wesley Steele

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Biography

Bob Steele, born in 1894, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1916 to 1919. Known for his competitive spirit and resilience on the mound, Steele finished his career with a record of 16 wins and 38 losses, alongside an earned run average (ERA) of 3.05. He tallied 217 strikeouts and recorded 3 saves during his time in the league. Steele's career unfolded during a transitional period in baseball, as the sport was evolving from the deadball era into a more offensive-oriented game. His ability to maintain a respectable ERA amidst the changing dynamics of the sport showcased his talent and adaptability as a pitcher. While his win-loss record may not reflect the dominant performance of some of his contemporaries, Steele's strikeout numbers indicated his skill in overpowering batters, marking him as a notable figure in early 20th-century baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
16 38 91 58 28 4 3 487.7 450 165 10 144 217 3.05 0

Career ERA 3.05 vs. league average 2.84 across their career seasons — 7.2% 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
1916 STL NL 5 15 29 22 7 1 0 148.0 156 56 42 67 3.41 2.78 (-22%) -
1917 STL NL 1 3 12 6 1 0 0 42.0 33 15 19 23 3.21 2.69 (-20%) -
1917 PIT NL 5 11 27 19 13 1 1 179.7 158 55 53 82 2.76 2.69 (-2%) 1654.1
1918 PIT NL 2 3 10 4 2 1 1 49.0 44 18 17 21 3.31 2.83 (-17%) -372.6
1918 NY1 NL 3 5 12 7 5 1 1 66.0 56 19 11 24 2.59 2.83 (+8%) 720.7
1919 NY1 NL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 2 2 0 6.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
97 178 12 40 2 3 0 7 4 3 31 0.225 0.238 0.270 0.507 -603.6

Career AVG .225 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.

Career OBP .238 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — 25.0% below league average.

Career SLG .270 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 18.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.507 vs. league average 0.648 across their career seasons — 21.7% 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
1916 STL NL 29 51 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0.196 .248 (-21%) .314 (-38%) .326 (-40%) .640 (-39%) -306.4
1917 STL NL 12 13 2 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.385 — — — — 0.0
1917 PIT NL 33 76 6 17 1 1 0 5 1 0 14 0.224 .248 (-10%) .312 (-28%) .323 (-19%) .635 (-23%) 0.0
1918 PIT NL 10 16 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1918 NY1 NL 12 21 3 6 0 1 0 2 2 2 2 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1919 NY1 NL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 91 0 10 99 12 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1916 SLN P 29 0 3 26 3 0
1917 SLN P 12 0 1 9 1 0
1917 PIT P 27 0 4 43 6 3
1918 PIT P 10 0 1 12 0 0
1918 NY1 P 12 0 1 9 2 0
1919 NY1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 91