Jim Ball
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1907-1908)
Jim Ball was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1908 for the Boston Braves, a span of 2 seasons. In 16 career games, he hit .137 with 7 hits and 3 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 4/7/1963 in Glendale, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1907-09-21
- Last Game
- 1908-06-17
Full name: James Chandler Ball
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 51 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | .137 | .185 | .176 | .362 | 0 |
Career AVG .137 vs. league average .243 across their career seasons — 43.5% below league average.
Career OBP .185 vs. league average .301 across their career seasons — 38.5% below league average.
Career SLG .176 vs. league average .308 across their career seasons — 42.7% below league average.
Career OPS .362 vs. league average .609 across their career seasons — 40.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | BSN | NL | 10 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1908 | BSN | NL | 6 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 16 | 51 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | .137 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (16 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 6 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .136 |
| Away | 10 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .138 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908-06-17 | BSN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1908-06-10 | BSN | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1908-06-08 | BSN | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1908-06-06 | BSN | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1908-05-20 | BSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908-05-18 | BSN | STL | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907-10-05 | BSN | BRO | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1907-10-04 | BSN | BRO | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1907-10-01 | BSN | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907-09-30 | BSN | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 16 |
Jim Ball: the record in brief
According to the bio, Jim Ball debuted on September 21, 1907 and played a final game on June 17, 1908. Ball's only club in the season tables is the Boston Doves. Ball played primarily as a catcher and batted and threw right-handed. Born on February 22, 1884, in Harford County, MD, USA, Ball was listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 175 pounds. Ball's death is recorded on April 7, 1963, in Glendale, CA, USA. The given name on file is James Chandler Ball.
Ball finished with 7 hits from 51 at bats in 16 games, which works out to .137; the totals also include 3 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .185 and .176 give Ball a career OPS of .362. Ball's .137 average ran 43.5% below the .243 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, Ball's .362 stands 40.6% below the league's .609. Ball collected a career-high 6 hits in 1907.
The position breakdown shows 16 games, all at catcher. Fielding behind the plate produced 51 putouts and 23 assists against 4 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Ball
- What years did Jim Ball play?
- Jim Ball played in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1908.
- Was Jim Ball a pitcher?
- No. Jim Ball was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jim Ball hit?
- Jim Ball hit 0 career home runs with 7 hits.
- What was Jim Ball's career batting average?
- Jim Ball batted .137 over his career, with 7 hits in 51 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Ball have?
- Jim Ball drove in 3 runs in his career.
- Is Jim Ball in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Ball has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.