Billy Werber, baseball player, 1930-1942

Billy Werber

Born: 6/20/1908 in Berwyn, MD, USA

Died: 1/22/2009 in Charlotte, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-06-25 | Final Game: 1942-09-05

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: William Murray Werber

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Biography

Billy Werber, born in 1908, was a notable American baseball player whose career spanned from 1930 to 1942. A versatile position player, he made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during the pre-war era, showcasing his talents primarily as a third baseman and outfielder. Over the course of 1,295 games, Werber accumulated 1,363 hits, 78 home runs, and 539 RBIs, finishing his career with a batting average of .271. His ability to steal bases was also noteworthy, as he successfully swiped 215 bases, reflecting his speed and agility on the field. Werber's playing style was characterized by his offensive contributions and his knack for clutch performances, which made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, including the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. He played during a transformative period in baseball, navigating the game through the challenges of the Great Depression and the early years of World War II. His legacy is remembered not only for his solid statistics but also for his role in the evolution of baseball as it adapted to the changing social and economic landscape of the time.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1295 5024 875 1363 271 50 78 539 215 701 363 0.271 0.364 0.392 0.756 5767.0

Career AVG .271 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .364 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.

Career SLG .392 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.756 vs. league average 0.731 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
1930 NYY AL 4 14 5 4 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1933 NYY AL 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1933 BOS AL 108 425 64 110 30 6 3 39 15 33 39 0.259 .270 (-4%) .329 (-5%) .377 (avg) .707 (-2%) 0.0
1934 BOS AL 152 623 129 200 41 10 11 67 40 77 37 0.321 .278 (+15%) .340 (+17%) .392 (+20%) .733 (+18%) 2508.4
1935 BOS AL 124 462 84 118 30 3 14 61 29 69 41 0.255 .279 (-9%) .342 (+4%) .399 (+6%) .742 (+5%) 602.4
1936 BOS AL 145 535 89 147 29 6 10 67 23 89 37 0.275 .283 (-3%) .349 (+9%) .404 (+1%) .753 (+5%) 788.5
1937 PHA AL 128 493 85 144 31 4 7 70 35 74 39 0.292 .276 (+6%) .342 (+13%) .398 (+4%) .740 (+8%) 1001.4
1938 PHA AL 134 499 92 129 22 7 11 69 19 93 37 0.259 .272 (-5%) .341 (+10%) .392 (+1%) .734 (+5%) 819.0
1939 CIN NL 147 599 115 173 35 5 5 57 15 91 46 0.289 .274 (+5%) .342 (+13%) .393 (-1%) .735 (+6%) 1040.5
1940 CIN NL 143 584 105 162 35 5 12 48 16 68 40 0.277 .267 (+4%) .335 (+8%) .387 (+7%) .722 (+7%) 993.0
1941 CIN NL 109 418 56 100 9 2 4 46 14 53 24 0.239 .262 (-9%) .332 (-1%) .373 (-20%) .705 (-11%) -737.2
1942 NY1 NL 98 370 51 76 9 2 1 13 9 51 22 0.205 .253 (-19%) .323 (-5%) .349 (-29%) .672 (-17%) -977.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
11 43 6 14 4 0 0 4 6 2 0.326

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1940 WS CIN 7 27 5 10 4 0 0 2 4 2 0.370
1939 WS CIN 4 16 1 4 0 0 0 2 2 0 0.250

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 3 0 2 2 0 0
3B 1143 0 1264 2415 220 214
OF 48 0 99 6 2 0
SS 96 0 183 272 47 53

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1930 NYA 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1930 NYA SS 3 0 12 9 1 3
1933 NYA 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1933 BOS 2B 2 0 2 2 0 0
1933 BOS 3B 38 0 39 63 7 7
1933 BOS SS 71 0 128 194 32 36
1934 BOS 3B 130 0 136 323 29 25
1934 BOS SS 22 0 43 69 14 14
1935 BOS 3B 123 0 174 264 27 20
1936 BOS 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1936 BOS 3B 101 0 112 161 19 16
1936 BOS OF 45 0 90 6 2 0
1937 PHA 3B 125 0 132 260 17 25
1937 PHA OF 3 0 9 0 0 0
1938 PHA 3B 134 0 168 266 30 21
1939 CIN 3B 147 0 165 308 34 32
1940 CIN 3B 143 0 139 287 17 24
1941 CIN 3B 107 0 120 256 16 30
1942 NY1 3B 93 0 79 227 24 14

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 3
Third Base 1144
Shortstop 96
Left Field 40
Center Field 2
Right Field 8

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Duke University Durham NC 1928, 1929, 1930

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 28th 6.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 36.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player NL 22th 6.0 336 0
1934 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 8.0 80 0