Ed Bailey
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1953-1966)
Ed Bailey was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1966 for 5 teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,212 career games, he hit .256 with 915 hits, 155 home runs, and 540 RBI. Ed Bailey was a 5-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,288.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 205 lb
- Died
- 3/23/2007 in Knoxville, TN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1953-09-26
- Last Game
- 1966-04-26
- Awards
- 5× All-Star
Full name: Lonas Edgar Bailey
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,212 | 3,581 | 432 | 915 | 128 | 15 | 155 | 540 | 17 | 545 | 577 | .256 | .355 | .429 | .784 | 8,288 |
Career AVG .256 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .355 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — +10.0% above league average.
Career SLG .429 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — +10.9% above league average.
Career OPS .784 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — +10.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CIN | NL | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1954 | CIN | NL | 73 | 183 | 21 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 1 | 35 | 34 | .197 | .261 (-25%) | .333 (-3%) | .390 (-1%) | .723 (-2%) | -9.9 |
| 1955 | CIN | NL | 21 | 39 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 10 | .205 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1956 | CIN | NL | 118 | 383 | 59 | 115 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 75 | 2 | 52 | 50 | .300 | .258 (+16%) | .331 (+16%) | .397 (+39%) | .728 (+28%) | 2196.3 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 122 | 391 | 54 | 102 | 15 | 2 | 20 | 48 | 5 | 73 | 69 | .261 | .257 (+1%) | .323 (+16%) | .391 (+18%) | .715 (+17%) | 1542.3 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 112 | 360 | 39 | 90 | 23 | 1 | 11 | 59 | 2 | 47 | 61 | .250 | .257 (-3%) | .324 (+4%) | .394 (+4%) | .719 (+4%) | 320.5 |
| 1959 | CIN | NL | 121 | 379 | 43 | 100 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 40 | 2 | 62 | 53 | .264 | .256 (+3%) | .323 (+14%) | .392 (avg) | .715 (+7%) | 750.6 |
| 1960 | CIN | NL | 133 | 441 | 52 | 115 | 19 | 3 | 13 | 67 | 1 | 59 | 70 | .261 | .255 (+2%) | .323 (+7%) | .387 (+5%) | .711 (+6%) | 553.6 |
| 1961 | CIN | NL | 12 | 43 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | .302 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | SFN | NL | 107 | 340 | 39 | 81 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 51 | 1 | 42 | 41 | .238 | .258 (-8%) | .328 (-1%) | .399 (-3%) | .727 (-3%) | 0.0 |
| 1962 | SFN | NL | 96 | 254 | 32 | 59 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 45 | 1 | 42 | 42 | .232 | .257 (-10%) | .326 (+8%) | .393 (+21%) | .719 (+15%) | 780.2 |
| 1963 | SFN | NL | 105 | 308 | 41 | 81 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 68 | 0 | 50 | 64 | .263 | .246 (+7%) | .308 (+18%) | .371 (+33%) | .680 (+26%) | 1583.5 |
| 1964 | ML1 | NL | 95 | 271 | 30 | 71 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 2 | 34 | 39 | .262 | .250 (+5%) | .312 (+10%) | .377 (-4%) | .690 (+2%) | 189.5 |
| 1965 | SFN | NL | 24 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | .107 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 66 | 150 | 13 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 34 | 28 | .253 | .245 (+3%) | .310 (+24%) | .371 (+6%) | .682 (+14%) | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CAL | AL | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 1,212 | 3,581 | 432 | 915 | 128 | 15 | 155 | 540 | 17 | 545 | 577 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 7,907 | ||
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 (1209 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 625 | 1835 | 235 | 496 | 95 | 293 | .270 |
| Away | 584 | 1739 | 196 | 415 | 60 | 245 | .239 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-04-26 | LAA | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-04-24 | LAA | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966-04-23 | LAA | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966-04-21 | LAA | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-04-12 | LAA | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-10-03 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-09-26 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965-09-23 | CHC | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965-09-19 | CHC | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-09-15 | CHC | LAD | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| C | 1064 | 983 | 5267 | 450 | 80 | 57 |
| OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CIN | C | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954 | CIN | C | 61 | 53 | 194 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| 1955 | CIN | C | 11 | 9 | 42 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| 1956 | CIN | C | 106 | 102 | 511 | 52 | 9 | 10 |
| 1957 | CIN | C | 115 | 109 | 542 | 41 | 5 | 5 |
| 1958 | CIN | C | 99 | 95 | 438 | 44 | 6 | 6 |
| 1959 | CIN | C | 117 | 110 | 549 | 64 | 6 | 6 |
| 1960 | CIN | C | 129 | 124 | 621 | 52 | 7 | 8 |
| 1961 | CIN | C | 12 | 12 | 54 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1961 | SFN | C | 103 | 93 | 629 | 40 | 10 | 4 |
| 1961 | SFN | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | SFN | C | 75 | 69 | 419 | 25 | 6 | 3 |
| 1963 | SFN | C | 88 | 83 | 560 | 44 | 8 | 3 |
| 1964 | ML1 | C | 80 | 74 | 416 | 28 | 8 | 3 |
| 1965 | SFN | 1B | 2 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965 | SFN | C | 12 | 5 | 49 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965 | CHN | C | 54 | 45 | 237 | 23 | 5 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1064 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Left Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville | TN | 1948 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 13.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ed Bailey (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Ed Bailey
Ed Bailey: the record in brief
According to the bio, Ed Bailey debuted on September 26, 1953 and played a final game on April 26, 1966. The team column moves through the Cincinnati Reds (1953 to 1961), the Cincinnati Redlegs (1954 to 1959), the San Francisco Giants (1961 through 1965), the Milwaukee Braves (1964), the Chicago Cubs (1965), and the California Angels (1966). Born on April 15, 1931, in Strawberry Plains, TN, USA, Bailey is listed as a catcher and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Bailey's listed size is 205 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. The bio records the death on March 23, 2007, in Knoxville, TN, USA. Bailey's full given name, per the bio, is Lonas Edgar Bailey.
The batting record for Bailey: 1,212 games, 915 hits in 3,581 at bats, and a .256 average, along with 155 homers and 540 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .355 clip and slugging .429, Bailey finished with a .784 OPS. Bailey hit .256 while the league hit .255 over the same span, a figure close to average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Bailey
- What years did Ed Bailey play?
- Ed Bailey played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1966.
- Was Ed Bailey a pitcher?
- No. Ed Bailey was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Ed Bailey hit?
- Ed Bailey hit 155 career home runs with 915 hits.
- What teams did Ed Bailey play for?
- Ed Bailey played for 5 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1953–1961), the San Francisco Giants (1961–1963, 1965), the Milwaukee Braves (1964), the Chicago Cubs (1965), and the California Angels (1966).
- Did Ed Bailey win an MVP award?
- No. Ed Bailey did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Ed Bailey win?
- Ed Bailey was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
- What were Ed Bailey's career stats?
- In 1,212 games, Ed Bailey had 915 hits, 155 home runs, 540 RBI, 432 runs, and 17 stolen bases, with a .256 batting average.
- What position did Ed Bailey play?
- Ed Bailey played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ed Bailey and how much did he weigh?
- Ed Bailey was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 205 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ed Bailey hit each season?
- Ed Bailey's home runs by season: 0 in 1953, 9 in 1954, 1 in 1955, 28 in 1956, 20 in 1957, 11 in 1958, 12 in 1959, 13 in 1960, 13 in 1961, 17 in 1962, 21 in 1963, 5 in 1964, 5 in 1965, and 0 in 1966. His most in one season was 28, in 1956.
- What was Ed Bailey's career batting average?
- Ed Bailey batted .256 over his career, with 915 hits in 3,581 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ed Bailey have?
- Ed Bailey drove in 540 runs in his career.
- Is Ed Bailey in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ed Bailey has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Ed Bailey make?
- Ed Bailey was selected to 5 All-Star Games.