Buster Adams
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1947)
Buster Adams was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1947 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, a span of 9 seasons. In 576 career games, he hit .266 with 532 hits, 50 home runs, and 249 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,894.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 9/1/1990 in Rancho Mirage, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-04-27
- Last Game
- 1947-09-21
Full name: Elvin Clark Adams
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 576 | 2,003 | 282 | 532 | 96 | 12 | 50 | 249 | 12 | 234 | 281 | .266 | .346 | .400 | .747 | 3,894 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .346 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .400 vs. league average .364 across their career seasons — +9.9% above league average.
Career OPS .747 vs. league average .696 across their career seasons — +7.3% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | SLN | NL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | SLN | NL | 8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | PHI | NL | 111 | 418 | 48 | 107 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 38 | 2 | 39 | 67 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .324 (-2%) | .346 (+2%) | .671 (avg) | 0.0 |
| 1944 | PHI | NL | 151 | 584 | 86 | 165 | 35 | 3 | 17 | 64 | 2 | 74 | 74 | .283 | .261 (+8%) | .325 (+14%) | .357 (+23%) | .683 (+19%) | 2264.1 |
| 1945 | PHI | NL | 14 | 56 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 5 | .232 | .260 (-11%) | .328 (-10%) | .354 (+21%) | .683 (+6%) | 27.3 |
| 1945 | SLN | NL | 140 | 578 | 98 | 169 | 26 | 0 | 20 | 101 | 3 | 57 | 75 | .292 | .260 (+12%) | .328 (+9%) | .354 (+24%) | .683 (+17%) | 27.3 |
| 1946 | SLN | NL | 81 | 173 | 21 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 3 | 29 | 27 | .185 | .256 (-28%) | .328 (-5%) | .358 (-15%) | .687 (-10%) | -205.0 |
| 1947 | PHI | NL | 69 | 182 | 21 | 45 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 26 | 29 | .247 | .262 (-6%) | .336 (+1%) | .376 (-7%) | .712 (-3%) | -53.1 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 576 | 2,003 | 282 | 532 | 96 | 12 | 50 | 249 | 12 | 234 | 281 | .266 | — | — | — | — | 2,061 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (576 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 288 | 946 | 130 | 261 | 28 | 132 | .276 |
| Away | 288 | 1057 | 152 | 271 | 22 | 119 | .256 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-21 | PHI | NY1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-09-17 | PHI | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-15 | PHI | PIT | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-09-14 | PHI | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-13 | PHI | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1947-09-12 | PHI | CHC | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-10 | PHI | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-09 | PHI | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-05 | PHI | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-01 | PHI | BRO | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 59 |
| Center Field | 422 |
| Right Field | 45 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Buster Adams (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Buster Adams: the record in brief
According to the bio, Buster Adams debuted on April 27, 1939 and played a final game on September 21, 1947. By club, Adams's seasons break down as the St. Louis Cardinals (1939 through 1946), the Philadelphia Blue Jays (1943 to 1944), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1945 through 1947). Born on June 24, 1915, in Trinidad, CO, USA, Adams is listed as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 180 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. Adams died on September 1, 1990, in Rancho Mirage, CA, USA. The given name on file is Elvin Clark Adams.
The batting record for Adams: 576 games, 532 hits in 2,003 at bats, and a .266 average, plus 50 home runs and 249 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .346 and the slugging percentage .400, for an OPS of .747. The .266 career average is close to the .262 the league hit across the same seasons. The single-season home run high is 20, set in 1945. The hits column peaks at 169, in 1945.
Frequently Asked Questions about Buster Adams
- What years did Buster Adams play?
- Buster Adams played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1947.
- Was Buster Adams a pitcher?
- No. Buster Adams was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Buster Adams hit?
- Buster Adams hit 50 career home runs with 532 hits.
- What teams did Buster Adams play for?
- Buster Adams played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1939, 1943, 1945–1946) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1943–1945, 1947).
- What were Buster Adams's career stats?
- In 576 games, Buster Adams had 532 hits, 50 home runs, 249 RBI, 282 runs, and 12 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Buster Adams play?
- Buster Adams played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Buster Adams and how much did he weigh?
- Buster Adams was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Buster Adams hit each season?
- Buster Adams's home runs by season: 0 in 1939, 4 in 1943, 17 in 1944, 22 in 1945, 5 in 1946, and 2 in 1947. His most in one season was 22, in 1945.
- What was Buster Adams's career batting average?
- Buster Adams batted .266 over his career, with 532 hits in 2,003 at bats.
- How many RBI did Buster Adams have?
- Buster Adams drove in 249 runs in his career.
- Is Buster Adams in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Buster Adams has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.