Ron Willis, baseball player, 1966-1970

Ron Willis

Born: 7/12/1943 in Willisville, TN, USA

Died: 11/21/1977 in Memphis, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1966-09-20 | Final Game: 1970-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Ronald Earl Willis

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Biography

Ron Willis, born in 1943, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1970. He made his mark during a transitional period in baseball, moving from the tail end of the deadball era into a time when offensive statistics began to rise. Over the course of his career, Willis compiled a record of 11-12, showcasing his ability to compete at the highest level. His earned run average (ERA) of 3.32 indicated his effectiveness on the mound, particularly in an era when pitching was highly valued. Willis was known for his versatility as a pitcher, contributing to his teams not only as a starter but also as a reliable reliever. He recorded a total of 128 strikeouts and achieved 19 saves throughout his career, demonstrating his capability to close games and secure victories for his team. Although his career was relatively brief, his contributions during the late 1960s and early 1970s helped shape the landscape of baseball during a time of evolving strategies and player roles.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
11 12 188 0 0 0 19 238.3 209 88 15 119 128 3.32 0

Career ERA 3.32 vs. league average 3.48 across their career seasons — near 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
1966 STL NL 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 3.0 1 0 1 2 0.00 — -
1967 STL NL 6 5 65 0 0 0 10 81.0 76 24 43 42 2.67 3.30 (+19%) -
1968 STL NL 2 3 48 0 0 0 4 63.7 50 24 28 39 3.39 2.98 (-14%) -
1969 STL NL 1 2 26 0 0 0 0 32.3 26 15 19 23 4.18 3.61 (-16%) -
1969 HOU NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2.3 3 0 0 2 0.00 — 0.0
1970 SDP NL 2 2 42 0 0 0 4 56.0 53 25 28 20 4.02 3.89 (-3%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
188 25 1 4 1 0 0 3 0 1 8 0.160 0.192 0.200 0.392 0.0

Career AVG .160 vs. league average .246 across their career seasons — 35.0% below league average.

Career OBP .192 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 38.6% below league average.

Career SLG .200 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 45.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.392 vs. league average 0.680 across their career seasons — 42.3% 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
1966 STL NL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1967 STL NL 65 8 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.375 — — — — 0.0
1968 STL NL 48 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1969 STL NL 26 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
1969 HOU NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1970 SDP NL 42 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1968 WS SLN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1967 WS SLN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 6 0 0 5.3 4 7 8 4 11.81

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1968 WS SLN 0 0 3 0 0 4.3 2 4 4 3 8.31
1967 WS SLN 0 0 3 0 0 1.0 2 3 4 1 27.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 188 0 24 56 0 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1966 SLN P 4 0 0 0 0 0
1967 SLN P 65 0 8 20 0 5
1968 SLN P 48 0 2 15 0 0
1969 SLN P 26 0 5 8 0 0
1969 HOU P 3 0 0 0 0 0
1970 SDN P 42 0 9 13 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 188