Chris Bando
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1981-1989)
Chris Bando was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1989 for the Cleveland Guardians, the Detroit Tigers, and the Athletics, a span of 9 seasons. In 498 career games, he hit .227 with 292 hits, 27 home runs, and 142 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1981-08-13
- Last Game
- 1989-10-01
Full name: Christopher Michael Bando
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 498 | 1,284 | 134 | 292 | 46 | 2 | 27 | 142 | 1 | 138 | 197 | .227 | .300 | .329 | .629 | -2,320 |
Career AVG .227 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career OBP .300 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 7.2% below league average.
Career SLG .329 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 15.1% below league average.
Career OPS .629 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — 11.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | CLE | AL | 21 | 47 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .213 | — | — | — | — | -195.3 |
| 1982 | CLE | AL | 66 | 184 | 13 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 24 | 30 | .212 | .261 (-19%) | .324 (-8%) | .388 (-22%) | .712 (-15%) | -430.0 |
| 1983 | CLE | AL | 48 | 121 | 15 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 19 | .256 | .260 (-2%) | .324 (+3%) | .389 (-2%) | .714 (avg) | 33.9 |
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 75 | 220 | 38 | 64 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 41 | 1 | 33 | 35 | .291 | .259 (+12%) | .322 (+17%) | .384 (+31%) | .707 (+25%) | 1006.8 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 73 | 173 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 21 | .139 | .257 (-46%) | .323 (-28%) | .390 (-56%) | .714 (-43%) | -1163.1 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | 92 | 254 | 28 | 68 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 22 | 49 | .268 | .257 (+4%) | .325 (avg) | .395 (-17%) | .720 (-10%) | -356.0 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 89 | 211 | 20 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 28 | .218 | .262 (-17%) | .331 (-21%) | .415 (-20%) | .746 (-21%) | -733.8 |
| 1988 | CLE | AL | 32 | 72 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 12 | .125 | .254 (-51%) | .317 (-32%) | .377 (-52%) | .695 (-43%) | -482.2 |
| 1988 | DET | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | -482.2 |
| 1989 | OAK | AL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 498 | 1,284 | 134 | 292 | 46 | 2 | 27 | 142 | 1 | 138 | 197 | .227 | — | — | — | — | -2,802 | ||
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 (498 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 258 | 633 | 69 | 156 | 13 | 78 | .246 |
| Away | 240 | 651 | 65 | 136 | 14 | 64 | .209 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-10-01 | OAK | KCR | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-09-13 | DET | TOR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-08-04 | CLE | BAL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-08-02 | CLE | BAL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-07-31 | CLE | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1988-07-30 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-07-29 | CLE | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-07-28 | CLE | BAL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1988-07-27 | CLE | BAL | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-07-26 | CLE | BAL | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 457 | 367 | 1888 | 183 | 27 | 23 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | CLE | C | 15 | 8 | 53 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | CLE | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | CLE | C | 63 | 49 | 268 | 23 | 3 | 1 |
| 1983 | CLE | C | 43 | 34 | 170 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| 1984 | CLE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CLE | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CLE | C | 63 | 59 | 305 | 30 | 6 | 4 |
| 1985 | CLE | C | 67 | 57 | 251 | 28 | 4 | 3 |
| 1986 | CLE | C | 86 | 72 | 359 | 30 | 4 | 3 |
| 1987 | CLE | C | 86 | 65 | 351 | 34 | 4 | 8 |
| 1988 | CLE | C | 32 | 23 | 123 | 14 | 3 | 2 |
| 1988 | DET | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | OAK | C | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 456 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Designated Hitter | 3 |
Salary History
Chris Bando's recorded salaries total $1,080,000 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Bando's career ran from 1981 to 1989. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1989.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | CLE | AL | $325,000 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | $305,000 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | $225,000 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | $225,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $1,080,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | Tempe | AZ | 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Chris Bando (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Chris Bando: the record in brief
August 13, 1981 and October 1, 1989 bracket Chris Bando's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Bando's seasons break down as the Cleveland Indians (1981 to 1988), the Detroit Tigers (1988), and the Oakland Athletics (1989). The bio lists Bando as a catcher who switch-hit and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6 feet, 0 inches and 195 pounds. The birth record reads February 4, 1956, in Cleveland, OH, USA. The bio lists the given name Christopher Michael.
Bando finished with 292 hits from 1,284 at bats in 498 games, which works out to .227, adding 27 homers and 142 runs batted in. Bando got on base at a .300 rate and slugged .329 (.629 OPS). The league as a whole hit .258 across Bando's seasons, which puts the .227 career mark 12.0% below average. In OPS terms, Bando's .629 stands 11.5% below the league's .711. The home run peak was 12 in 1984 with the Cleveland Indians. No season topped the 68 hits of 1986.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chris Bando
- What years did Chris Bando play?
- Chris Bando played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1989.
- Was Chris Bando a pitcher?
- No. Chris Bando was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Chris Bando hit?
- Chris Bando hit 27 career home runs with 292 hits.
- What teams did Chris Bando play for?
- Chris Bando played for 3 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1981–1988), the Detroit Tigers (1988), and the Oakland Athletics (1989).
- What were Chris Bando's career stats?
- In 498 games, Chris Bando had 292 hits, 27 home runs, 142 RBI, 134 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .227 batting average.
- How much did Chris Bando earn in his career?
- Chris Bando's recorded salaries total $1,080,000 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Bando's career ran from 1981 to 1989. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1989.
- What was Chris Bando's salary?
- Chris Bando's last recorded salary was $325,000, in 1988. His highest recorded salary was $325,000, in 1988, and his lowest was $225,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1988.
- What position did Chris Bando play?
- Chris Bando played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Chris Bando and how much did he weigh?
- Chris Bando was listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds.
- How many home runs did Chris Bando hit each season?
- Chris Bando's home runs by season: 0 in 1981, 3 in 1982, 4 in 1983, 12 in 1984, 0 in 1985, 2 in 1986, 5 in 1987, 1 in 1988, and 0 in 1989. His most in one season was 12, in 1984.
- What was Chris Bando's career batting average?
- Chris Bando batted .227 over his career, with 292 hits in 1,284 at bats.
- How many RBI did Chris Bando have?
- Chris Bando drove in 142 runs in his career.
- Is Chris Bando in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Chris Bando has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.