Lefty Willis, baseball player, 1925-1927

Lefty Willis

Born: 11/4/1905 in Leetown, WV, USA

Died: 5/10/1962 in Bethesda, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1925-10-03 | Final Game: 1927-07-12

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Charles William Willis

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Biography

Lefty Willis, born in 1905, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1925 to 1927. Despite a relatively short time in Major League Baseball, he made an impact during the late 1920s, a period marked by the emergence of more dynamic offensive play against a backdrop of the deadball era’s transition. Willis played a pivotal role on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 3-1 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.92. His ability to strike out batters was evident, as he recorded 23 strikeouts along with a single save during his tenure. Willis's playing style was characterized by a classic left-handed delivery, which often presented challenges for right-handed batters. Though he did not achieve extensive fame in the league, his contributions to the teams he played for showcased the depth of talent present in the era. Lefty Willis's career, though brief, remains a testament to the evolving nature of baseball during the 1920s, capturing a snapshot of a time when pitching strategies began adapting to the increasingly aggressive hitting that would define the game in subsequent decades.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
3 1 29 4 1 0 1 64.3 72 28 4 25 23 3.92 0

Career ERA 3.92 vs. league average 4.25 across their career seasons — 7.8% 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
1925 PHA AL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 5.0 9 6 2 3 10.80 — 0.0
1926 PHA AL 0 0 13 1 0 0 1 32.3 31 5 12 13 1.39 4.11 (+66%) 517.4
1927 PHA AL 3 1 15 2 1 0 0 27.0 32 17 11 7 5.67 4.08 (-39%) -457.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
29 18 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.111 0.158 0.111 0.269 0.0

Career AVG .111 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 60.8% below league average.

Career OBP .158 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — 54.4% below league average.

Career SLG .111 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — 72.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.269 vs. league average 0.743 across their career seasons — 63.8% 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
1925 PHA AL 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1926 PHA AL 13 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.222 — — — — 0.0
1927 PHA AL 15 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 29 0 3 19 1 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1925 PHA P 1 0 0 2 0 0
1926 PHA P 13 0 1 6 1 1
1927 PHA P 15 0 2 11 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 29

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Shepherd College Shepherdstown WV 1922, 1923