Bill Virdon

Born: 6/9/1931 in Hazel Park, MI, USA

Died: 11/23/2021 in Springfield, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-04-12 | Final Game: 1968-07-31

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: William Charles Virdon

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Biography

Bill Virdon was a prominent American baseball player who enjoyed a successful career as a position player from 1955 to 1968. Born in 1931, Virdon made his Major League Baseball debut and quickly established himself as a valuable asset on the field. Over the course of his career, he played in 1,583 games and recorded 1,596 hits, accumulating a batting average of .267. Virdon demonstrated consistent offensive production, hitting 91 home runs and driving in 502 runs, while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 47 stolen bases. Virdon's contributions to the game were recognized early in his career when he was awarded the Rookie of the Year honors by The Sporting News, highlighting his immediate impact on the league. As a player who thrived during the post-World War II era of baseball, he played a key role in the evolution of the game, transitioning from the deadball era to a time when offensive prowess began to take center stage. Known for his defensive skills as well as his offensive capabilities, Virdon left a lasting legacy in the sport, with a career that reflected both talent and dedication to the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1583	5980	735	1596	237	81	91	502	47	442	647	0.267	0.316	0.379	0.696	-3646.6

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — +5.6% above league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .379 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.696 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — near 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
1955	STL	NL	144	534	58	150	18	6	17	68	2	36	64	0.281	.258 (+9%)	.332 (-3%)	.393 (+10%)	.726 (+4%)	223.2
1956	STL	NL	24	71	10	15	2	0	2	9	0	5	8	0.211	.258 (-18%)	.331 (-19%)	.397 (-18%)	.728 (-19%)	-233.2
1956	PIT	NL	133	509	67	170	21	10	8	37	6	33	63	0.334	.258 (+29%)	.331 (+13%)	.397 (+16%)	.728 (+15%)	-233.2
1957	PIT	NL	144	561	59	141	28	11	8	50	3	33	69	0.251	.257 (-2%)	.323 (-10%)	.391 (-2%)	.715 (-6%)	-846.9
1958	PIT	NL	144	604	75	161	24	11	9	46	5	52	70	0.267	.257 (+3%)	.324 (avg)	.394 (-2%)	.719 (-1%)	-183.0
1959	PIT	NL	144	519	67	132	24	2	8	41	7	55	65	0.254	.256 (-1%)	.323 (+1%)	.392 (-10%)	.715 (-5%)	-410.2
1960	PIT	NL	120	409	60	108	16	9	8	40	8	40	44	0.264	.255 (+4%)	.323 (+1%)	.387 (+5%)	.711 (+3%)	139.9
1961	PIT	NL	146	599	81	156	22	8	9	58	5	49	45	0.260	.258 (+1%)	.328 (-5%)	.399 (-8%)	.727 (-6%)	-863.5
1962	PIT	NL	156	663	82	164	27	10	6	47	5	36	65	0.247	.257 (-4%)	.326 (-12%)	.393 (-12%)	.719 (-12%)	-1826.6
1963	PIT	NL	142	554	58	149	22	6	8	53	1	43	55	0.269	.246 (+9%)	.308 (+4%)	.371 (avg)	.680 (+2%)	213.4
1964	PIT	NL	145	473	59	115	11	3	3	27	1	30	48	0.243	.250 (-3%)	.312 (-8%)	.377 (-21%)	.690 (-15%)	-1393.2
1965	PIT	NL	135	481	58	134	22	5	4	24	4	30	49	0.279	.245 (+13%)	.310 (+4%)	.371 (avg)	.682 (+1%)	101.7
1968	PIT	NL	6	3	1	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	2	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
7	29	2	7	3	0	0	5	1	3	0.241

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1960	WS	PIT	7	29	2	7	3	0	0	5	1	3	0.241

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	1542	1463	3777	100	73	18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1955	SLN	OF	142	133	339	7	12	1
1956	SLN	OF	24	22	53	2	1	0
1956	PIT	OF	130	126	334	10	4	2
1957	PIT	OF	141	138	403	13	6	2
1958	PIT	OF	143	143	401	11	3	0
1959	PIT	OF	144	139	404	16	9	5
1960	PIT	OF	109	98	272	10	5	0
1961	PIT	OF	145	144	384	6	6	4
1962	PIT	OF	156	156	360	11	9	0
1963	PIT	OF	142	142	323	6	4	2
1964	PIT	OF	134	112	243	5	6	1
1965	PIT	OF	128	110	260	3	8	1
1968	PIT	OF	4	0	1	0	0	0