Bill Swift, baseball player, 1932-1943

Bill Swift

Born: 6/19/1908 in Glen Lyon, PA, USA

Died: 2/23/1969 in Bartow, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1932-04-12 | Final Game: 1943-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 192 lbs

Full name: William Vincent Swift

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Bill Swift was a notable pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1932 until 1943. Born in 1908, Swift made his mark during a transitional period in baseball, navigating the sport through the Great Depression and the early years of World War II. He was known for his competitive spirit and versatility on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 95 wins and 82 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.58, and a total of 636 strikeouts. His ability to close out games was underscored by his 20 saves, showcasing his effectiveness in high-pressure situations. Swift's playing style was characterized by a blend of control and durability, traits that allowed him to maintain a solid presence in the pitching rotation over his eleven-year career. He contributed to his teams not only as a starter but also as a reliable reliever, which was a valuable asset during an era when the role of the bullpen was evolving. His contributions to the game during this time were significant, as he played a part in shaping the strategies that would influence pitching in the years to come. Bill Swift remains a respected figure in baseball history, remembered for his steadfast performance and dedication to the sport.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
14.0 14.0 0 4.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.286 0.286 0.429 0.715

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
6.0 0 0 5.0 2.0 0 0 0.0 38.0 25.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1932 8.0 8.0 0 3.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.375 0.375 0.500 0.875
1935 6.0 6.0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.167 0.167 0.333 0.500

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1932 5.0 0 0 3.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 30.0 20.0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1935 1.0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 8.0 5.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
95 82 336 163 78 7 20 1637.7 1682 651 103 351 636 3.58 0

Career ERA 3.58 vs. league average 4.16 across their career seasons — 14.0% better 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
1932 PIT NL 14 10 39 23 11 0 4 214.3 205 86 26 64 3.61 4.13 (+12%) 1654.7
1933 PIT NL 14 10 37 29 13 2 0 218.3 214 76 36 64 3.13 3.86 (+19%) 1867.1
1934 PIT NL 11 13 37 24 13 1 0 212.7 244 94 46 81 3.98 4.29 (+7%) 856.1
1935 PIT NL 15 8 39 21 11 3 1 203.7 193 61 37 74 2.70 4.35 (+38%) 5001.3
1936 PIT NL 16 16 45 31 17 0 2 262.3 275 117 63 92 4.01 4.59 (+12%) 1808.1
1937 PIT NL 9 10 36 17 9 0 3 164.0 160 72 34 84 3.95 4.34 (+9%) 1586.5
1938 PIT NL 7 5 36 9 2 0 4 150.0 155 54 40 77 3.24 4.35 (+25%) 2405.6
1939 PIT NL 5 7 36 8 2 1 4 129.7 150 56 28 56 3.89 4.28 (+9%) 2534.7
1940 BSN NL 1 1 4 0 0 0 1 9.3 12 3 7 7 2.89 4.21 (+31%) 0.0
1941 BRO NL 3 0 9 0 0 0 1 22.0 26 8 7 9 3.27 3.94 (+17%) -756.3
1943 CHW AL 0 2 18 1 0 0 0 51.3 48 24 27 28 4.21 3.50 (-20%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
336 591 43 134 27 3 3 54 0 19 113 0.227 0.253 0.298 0.551 -2331.9

Career AVG .227 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — 16.7% below league average.

Career OBP .253 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 25.0% below league average.

Career SLG .298 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 23.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.551 vs. league average 0.725 across their career seasons — 24.0% 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
1932 PIT NL 39 78 4 15 1 0 0 6 0 1 15 0.192 .275 (-30%) .335 (-40%) .391 (-48%) .726 (-44%) -588.7
1933 PIT NL 37 82 10 20 4 0 0 4 0 0 14 0.244 .270 (-10%) .329 (-23%) .377 (-22%) .707 (-23%) -325.4
1934 PIT NL 37 84 3 18 3 3 0 8 0 1 23 0.214 .278 (-23%) .340 (-34%) .392 (-18%) .733 (-26%) -415.0
1935 PIT NL 39 78 11 19 5 0 0 11 0 3 8 0.244 .279 (-13%) .342 (-21%) .399 (-23%) .742 (-22%) -311.7
1936 PIT NL 45 105 6 31 10 0 2 15 0 2 16 0.295 .283 (+4%) .349 (-10%) .404 (+11%) .753 (+1%) -20.1
1937 PIT NL 36 54 0 9 1 0 0 2 0 3 15 0.167 .276 (-40%) .342 (-39%) .398 (-53%) .740 (-47%) -438.2
1938 PIT NL 36 50 3 10 3 0 1 6 0 2 10 0.200 .272 (-27%) .341 (-32%) .392 (-19%) .734 (-25%) -232.8
1939 PIT NL 36 42 6 10 0 0 0 2 0 4 9 0.238 — — — — 0.0
1940 BSN NL 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1941 BRO NL 9 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1943 CHW AL 18 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.100 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 336 0 41 231 11 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1932 PIT P 39 0 8 27 2 1
1933 PIT P 37 0 11 39 2 1
1934 PIT P 37 0 8 38 2 0
1935 PIT P 39 0 4 23 0 2
1936 PIT P 45 0 4 36 2 3
1937 PIT P 36 0 2 21 0 3
1938 PIT P 36 0 1 26 2 1
1939 PIT P 36 0 2 14 0 0
1940 BSN P 4 0 0 2 0 0
1941 BRO P 9 0 0 3 0 0
1943 CHA P 18 0 1 2 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 336