Art Ball
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1894-1898)
Art Ball was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1894 to 1898 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 5 seasons. In 33 career games, he hit .190 with 16 hits and 8 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- — / 168 lb
- Born
- 1872 in Madison, IN, USA
- Died
- 12/26/1915 in Chicago, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1894-08-01
- Last Game
- 1898-10-15
Full name: Arthur Ball
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 84 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 11 | .190 | .261 | .214 | .475 | -374 |
Career AVG .190 vs. league average .289 across their career seasons — 34.1% below league average.
Career OBP .261 vs. league average .356 across their career seasons — 26.6% below league average.
Career SLG .214 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 44.9% below league average.
Career OPS .475 vs. league average .745 across their career seasons — 36.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | SLN | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1898 | BLN | NL | 32 | 81 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 10 | .185 | .270 (-32%) | .333 (-23%) | .347 (-40%) | .680 (-31%) | -373.9 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 33 | 84 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 11 | .190 | — | — | — | — | -374 | ||
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 (32 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 18 | 42 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 4 | .214 |
| Away | 14 | 39 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | .154 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898-10-15 | BLN | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-12 | BLN | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1898-10-12 | BLN | NY1 | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-11 | BLN | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-11 | BLN | NY1 | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-10 | BLN | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1898-10-07 | BLN | NY1 | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1898-10-06 | BLN | NY1 | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-09-29 | BLN | BRO | W | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1898-09-22 | BLN | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 15 |
| Shortstop | 14 |
| Center Field | 1 |
Art Ball: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 1, 1894 and the final game on October 15, 1898, Art Ball built the record summarized on this page. Ball played for the St. Louis Browns (1894) and the Baltimore Orioles (1898). The bio lists Ball's primary position as third baseman. Ball was born in 1872, in Madison, IN, USA. Ball died on December 26, 1915, in Chicago, IL, USA. The given name on file is Arthur Ball.
Ball collected 16 hits in 84 at bats across 33 games, good for a .190 batting average, along with 8 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .261 clip and slugging .214, Ball finished with a .475 OPS. Measured against the leagues Ball played in, the .190 career average compares with a .289 league average over the same seasons, 34.1% below the league. Ball collected a career-high 15 hits in 1898. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .185 in 1898, did not top the league's .270.
Frequently Asked Questions about Art Ball
- What years did Art Ball play?
- Art Ball played in Major League Baseball from 1894 to 1898.
- Was Art Ball a pitcher?
- No. Art Ball was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Art Ball hit?
- Art Ball hit 0 career home runs with 16 hits.
- What was Art Ball's career batting average?
- Art Ball batted .190 over his career, with 16 hits in 84 at bats.
- How many RBI did Art Ball have?
- Art Ball drove in 8 runs in his career.
- Is Art Ball in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Art Ball has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.