Sam West, baseball player, 1927-1942

Sam West

Born: 10/5/1904 in Longview, TX, USA

Died: 11/23/1985 in Lubbock, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1927-04-17 | Final Game: 1942-09-24

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Samuel Filmore West

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Biography

Sam West was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1927 to 1942. Born in 1904, West established himself as a key figure in the game during an era marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more power-oriented style of play. Over his 15-year career, he participated in 1,753 games, amassing 1,838 hits and demonstrating his consistent offensive prowess with a career batting average of .299. He was known for his ability to drive in runs, finishing his career with 838 RBIs, and his power at the plate was evidenced by his 75 home runs. West's contributions to the game were recognized during his career with four All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the elite players of his time. In addition to his offensive capabilities, he showcased speed on the bases, recording 53 stolen bases. His combination of hitting ability, speed, and all-around athleticism made him a valuable asset to his teams. As a player who thrived in a dynamic era of baseball, Sam West left a lasting legacy that continues to be honored by baseball historians and fans alike.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1753 6148 934 1838 347 101 75 838 53 696 540 0.299 0.371 0.425 0.796 10194.4

Career AVG .299 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — +8.2% above league average.

Career OBP .371 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — +8.8% above league average.

Career SLG .425 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — +8.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.796 vs. league average 0.734 across their career seasons — +8.4% above 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
1927 WSN AL 38 67 9 16 4 1 0 6 1 8 8 0.239 .282 (-15%) .344 (-7%) .392 (-16%) .736 (-12%) -138.1
1928 WSN AL 125 378 59 114 30 7 3 40 5 20 23 0.302 .280 (+7%) .342 (-1%) .395 (+12%) .737 (+6%) 296.4
1929 WSN AL 142 510 60 136 16 8 3 75 9 45 41 0.267 .289 (-8%) .353 (-8%) .415 (-16%) .769 (-12%) -1360.4
1930 WSN AL 120 411 75 135 22 10 6 67 5 37 34 0.328 .293 (+12%) .354 (+9%) .429 (+10%) .784 (+10%) 833.8
1931 WSN AL 132 526 77 175 43 13 3 91 6 30 37 0.333 .276 (+20%) .338 (+9%) .388 (+24%) .726 (+17%) 1578.8
1932 WSN AL 146 554 88 159 27 12 6 83 4 48 57 0.287 .275 (+4%) .335 (+3%) .391 (+5%) .726 (+4%) 420.5
1933 SLA AL 133 517 93 155 25 12 11 48 10 59 49 0.300 .270 (+11%) .329 (+13%) .377 (+21%) .707 (+18%) 1801.6
1934 SLA AL 122 482 90 157 22 10 9 55 3 62 55 0.326 .278 (+17%) .340 (+18%) .392 (+19%) .733 (+19%) 1927.7
1935 SLA AL 138 527 93 158 37 4 10 70 1 75 46 0.300 .279 (+7%) .342 (+13%) .399 (+11%) .742 (+12%) 1467.6
1936 SLA AL 152 533 78 148 26 4 7 70 2 94 70 0.278 .283 (-2%) .349 (+10%) .404 (-6%) .753 (+2%) 520.8
1937 SLA AL 122 457 68 150 37 4 7 58 1 46 28 0.328 .276 (+19%) .342 (+14%) .398 (+19%) .740 (+16%) 1520.6
1938 SLA AL 44 165 17 51 8 2 1 27 1 14 9 0.309 .272 (+13%) .341 (+6%) .392 (+2%) .734 (+4%) 114.8
1938 WSN AL 92 344 51 104 19 5 5 47 1 33 21 0.302 .272 (+11%) .341 (+6%) .392 (+10%) .734 (+8%) 114.8
1939 WSN AL 115 390 52 110 20 8 3 52 1 67 29 0.282 .274 (+3%) .342 (+13%) .393 (+1%) .735 (+7%) 698.9
1940 WSN AL 57 99 7 25 6 1 1 18 0 16 13 0.253 .267 (-5%) .335 (+6%) .387 (-6%) .722 (avg) 26.1
1941 WSN AL 26 37 3 10 0 0 0 6 1 11 2 0.270 — — — — 0.0
1942 CHW AL 49 151 14 35 5 0 0 25 2 31 18 0.232 .253 (-9%) .323 (+12%) .349 (-24%) .672 (-7%) -25.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 29 0 228 13 5 22
OF 1573 0 4300 151 76 42

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1927 WS1 OF 18 0 28 3 2 0
1928 WS1 OF 116 0 210 13 1 0
1929 WS1 OF 139 0 376 25 9 8
1930 WS1 OF 118 0 310 8 9 1
1931 WS1 OF 127 0 402 13 4 3
1932 WS1 OF 143 0 450 15 10 7
1933 SLA OF 127 0 329 14 4 3
1934 SLA OF 120 0 303 14 9 3
1935 SLA OF 135 0 449 7 5 2
1936 SLA OF 148 0 442 10 8 2
1937 SLA OF 105 0 298 17 4 6
1938 SLA OF 41 0 101 0 3 0
1938 WS1 OF 85 0 221 4 4 3
1939 WS1 1B 17 0 133 6 4 9
1939 WS1 OF 89 0 232 7 2 3
1940 WS1 1B 12 0 95 7 1 13
1940 WS1 OF 9 0 18 0 0 0
1941 WS1 OF 8 0 19 0 0 0
1942 CHA OF 45 0 112 1 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 29
Left Field 101
Center Field 1446
Right Field 29

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star CF
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star OF

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1936 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 2.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 5.0 80 0
1933 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 11.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 16.0 80 0