Wayne Ambler
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1937-1939)
Wayne Ambler was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1939 for the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 3 seasons. In 271 career games, he hit .224 with 175 hits and 73 RBI.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 165 lb
- Died
- 1/3/1998 in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1937-06-04
- Last Game
- 1939-09-04
Full name: Wayne Harper Ambler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 271 | 782 | 60 | 175 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 4 | 83 | 64 | .224 | .298 | .279 | .577 | -2,668 |
Career AVG .224 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — 18.5% below league average.
Career OBP .298 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 12.8% below league average.
Career SLG .279 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 29.4% below league average.
Career OPS .577 vs. league average .737 across their career seasons — 21.7% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | PHA | AL | 56 | 162 | 3 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 8 | .216 | .276 (-22%) | .342 (-20%) | .398 (-38%) | .740 (-30%) | -767.6 |
| 1938 | PHA | AL | 120 | 393 | 42 | 92 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 48 | 31 | .234 | .272 (-14%) | .341 (-7%) | .392 (-24%) | .734 (-16%) | -978.0 |
| 1939 | PHA | AL | 95 | 227 | 15 | 48 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 22 | 25 | .211 | .274 (-23%) | .342 (-18%) | .393 (-32%) | .735 (-25%) | -922.9 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 271 | 782 | 60 | 175 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 4 | 83 | 64 | .224 | — | — | — | — | -2,668 | ||
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 (271 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 146 | 435 | 30 | 93 | 0 | 43 | .214 |
| Away | 125 | 347 | 31 | 81 | 0 | 28 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939-09-04 | PHA | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-09-02 | PHA | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-31 | PHA | SLA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-30 | PHA | SLA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-28 | PHA | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-26 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-24 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-23 | PHA | DET | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-08-20 | PHA | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1939-08-20 | PHA | NYY | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 79 |
| Shortstop | 193 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | Durham | NC | 1935, 1936, 1937 |
Wayne Ambler: the record in brief
Wayne Ambler's major league career runs from a debut on June 4, 1937 to a final game on September 4, 1939. The team column never changes: it is the Philadelphia Athletics from 1937 to 1939. At 5 feet, 8 inches and 165 pounds, Ambler is listed as a shortstop. The bio says Ambler both batted and threw right-handed. Ambler was born on November 8, 1915, in Abington, PA, USA. Ambler died on January 3, 1998, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA. Wayne Ambler was the playing name; the full given name is Wayne Harper.
In 271 games and 782 at bats, Ambler batted .224 with 175 hits, along with 73 RBI. Ambler's career OPS of .577 combines a .298 on-base mark with .279 slugging. Over the seasons Ambler played, league hitters batted .275; the .224 career figure is 18.5% below that. The highest hit total in a season was 92, in 1938. The RBI column peaks at 38 in 1938. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .234 in 1938, did not top the league's .272.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wayne Ambler
- What years did Wayne Ambler play?
- Wayne Ambler played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1939.
- Was Wayne Ambler a pitcher?
- No. Wayne Ambler was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Wayne Ambler hit?
- Wayne Ambler hit 0 career home runs with 175 hits.
- What teams did Wayne Ambler play for?
- Wayne Ambler played for one team, the Philadelphia Athletics (1937–1939).
- What were Wayne Ambler's career stats?
- In 271 games, Wayne Ambler had 175 hits, 73 RBI, 60 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .224 batting average.
- What position did Wayne Ambler play?
- Wayne Ambler played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Wayne Ambler and how much did he weigh?
- Wayne Ambler was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 165 pounds.
- What was Wayne Ambler's career batting average?
- Wayne Ambler batted .224 over his career, with 175 hits in 782 at bats.
- How many RBI did Wayne Ambler have?
- Wayne Ambler drove in 73 runs in his career.
- Is Wayne Ambler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Wayne Ambler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.