Fred Bankhead
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Fred Bankhead was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Birmingham Black Barons, the Memphis Red Sox, and the New York Black Yankees. In 290 career games, he hit .260 with 271 hits, 2 home runs, and 109 RBI. Fred Bankhead was an All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 163 lb
- Died
- 12/17/1972 in Memphis, TN, USA
- Awards
- All-Star
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 290 | 1,042 | 165 | 271 | 29 | 11 | 2 | 109 | 40 | 94 | 7 | .260 | .333 | .315 | .648 | -855 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .315 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — 15.4% below league average.
Career OPS .648 vs. league average .706 across their career seasons — 8.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | BBB | NAL | 25 | 91 | 8 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | .297 | .276 (+7%) | .342 (+1%) | .398 (-14%) | .740 (-7%) | -94.3 |
| 1938 | BBB | NAL | 28 | 102 | 12 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 5 | .206 | .272 (-25%) | .341 (-13%) | .392 (-30%) | .734 (-22%) | -355.3 |
| 1938 | MRS | NAL | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .600 | — | — | — | — | -355.3 |
| 1939 | MRS | NAL | 32 | 104 | 10 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 0 | .231 | .274 (-16%) | .342 (-11%) | .393 (-22%) | .735 (-17%) | -281.3 |
| 1940 | MRS | NAL | 47 | 166 | 40 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 0 | .241 | .267 (-10%) | .335 (-1%) | .387 (-19%) | .722 (-11%) | -232.4 |
| 1941 | MRS | NAL | 18 | 55 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 1 | .236 | .262 (-10%) | .332 (-6%) | .373 (-22%) | .705 (-15%) | -117.6 |
| 1942 | MRS | NAL | 26 | 101 | 16 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 0 | .277 | .253 (+9%) | .323 (+4%) | .349 (-9%) | .672 (-3%) | -26.6 |
| 1943 | MRS | NAL | 29 | 120 | 21 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 1 | .292 | .255 (+14%) | .324 (+2%) | .346 (-1%) | .671 (avg) | -6.2 |
| 1944 | MRS | NAL | 29 | 103 | 21 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 0 | .320 | .261 (+23%) | .325 (+12%) | .357 (+3%) | .683 (+7%) | 124.3 |
| 1945 | MRS | NAL | 21 | 78 | 17 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 | .269 | .260 (+3%) | .328 (+9%) | .354 (-2%) | .683 (+3%) | 62.0 |
| 1946 | MRS | NAL | 11 | 46 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .196 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | MRS | NAL | 14 | 51 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 0 | .255 | .262 (-3%) | .336 (+26%) | .376 (-27%) | .712 (-2%) | 72.5 |
| 1948 | NBY | NN2 | 8 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 290 | 1,042 | 165 | 271 | 29 | 11 | 2 | 109 | 40 | 94 | 7 | .260 | — | — | — | — | -1,210 | ||
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 (252 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 101 | 296 | 54 | 110 | 1 | 36 | .372 |
| Away | 151 | 468 | 70 | 133 | 0 | 46 | .284 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-06-11 | NY5 | HOM | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1948-06-04 | NY5 | BLG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-05-29 | NY5 | PH5 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-05-26 | NY5 | NW2 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-05-25 | NY5 | NW2 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-05-11 | NY5 | NY6 | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-05-09 | NY5 | BLG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-05-02 | NY5 | PH5 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-14 | MEM | KCM | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-14 | MEM | KCM | W | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 3 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2B | 220 | 215 | 525 | 589 | 60 | 83 |
| 3B | 52 | 47 | 51 | 90 | 11 | 1 |
| C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 8 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 11 | 11 | 27 | 29 | 4 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | BBB | 2B | 17 | 17 | 32 | 47 | 5 | 5 |
| 1937 | BBB | 3B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | BBB | SS | 7 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 1938 | BBB | 2B | 24 | 24 | 61 | 67 | 9 | 10 |
| 1938 | BBB | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | BBB | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | BBB | SS | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | MRS | 2B | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | MRS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939 | MRS | 2B | 7 | 7 | 15 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
| 1939 | MRS | 3B | 22 | 21 | 28 | 40 | 5 | 1 |
| 1939 | MRS | OF | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | MRS | 2B | 44 | 43 | 98 | 126 | 9 | 17 |
| 1940 | MRS | 3B | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | MRS | 1B | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1941 | MRS | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | MRS | 3B | 16 | 16 | 15 | 32 | 3 | 0 |
| 1942 | MRS | 2B | 25 | 25 | 68 | 76 | 9 | 8 |
| 1942 | MRS | OF | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | MRS | 2B | 27 | 27 | 73 | 73 | 6 | 11 |
| 1943 | MRS | 3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | MRS | SS | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1944 | MRS | 1B | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | MRS | 2B | 27 | 26 | 70 | 57 | 6 | 8 |
| 1944 | MRS | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | MRS | SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1945 | MRS | 2B | 20 | 19 | 44 | 65 | 6 | 9 |
| 1945 | MRS | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | MRS | 2B | 11 | 11 | 29 | 25 | 4 | 9 |
| 1947 | MRS | 2B | 9 | 9 | 19 | 21 | 3 | 3 |
| 1947 | MRS | 3B | 6 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 1948 | NBY | 2B | 6 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1948 | NBY | 3B | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 3 |
| Second Base | 220 |
| Third Base | 52 |
| Shortstop | 11 |
| Left Field | 4 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Fred Bankhead: the record in brief
Fred Bankhead's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1937 to 1948. By club, Bankhead's seasons break down as the Birmingham Black Barons (1937 through 1938), the Memphis Red Sox (1938 to 1947), and the New York Black Yankees (1948). Bankhead played primarily as a second baseman and batted and threw right-handed. Born on November 22, 1912, in Sulligent, AL, USA, Bankhead was listed at 163 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. Bankhead's death is recorded on December 17, 1972, in Memphis, TN, USA.
In 290 games and 1,042 at bats, Bankhead batted .260 with 271 hits, adding 2 homers, 109 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .333 and the slugging percentage .315, for an OPS of .648. Against a .264 league average for those years, Bankhead's .260 average was near the norm. 1940 produced Bankhead's most hits, 40 of them for the Memphis Red Sox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fred Bankhead
- Was Fred Bankhead a pitcher?
- No. Fred Bankhead was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Fred Bankhead hit?
- Fred Bankhead hit 2 career home runs with 271 hits.
- What teams did Fred Bankhead play for?
- Fred Bankhead played for 3 teams: the Birmingham Black Barons (1937–1938), the Memphis Red Sox (1938–1947), and the New York Black Yankees (1948).
- Did Fred Bankhead win an MVP award?
- No. Fred Bankhead did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Fred Bankhead win?
- Fred Bankhead was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Fred Bankhead's career stats?
- In 290 games, Fred Bankhead had 271 hits, 2 home runs, 109 RBI, 165 runs, and 40 stolen bases, with a .260 batting average.
- What position did Fred Bankhead play?
- Fred Bankhead played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Fred Bankhead and how much did he weigh?
- Fred Bankhead was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 163 pounds.
- How many home runs did Fred Bankhead hit each season?
- Fred Bankhead's home runs by season: 0 in 1937, 1 in 1938, 0 in 1939, 1 in 1940, 0 in 1941, 0 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 0 in 1944, 0 in 1945, 0 in 1946, 0 in 1947, and 0 in 1948. His most in one season was 1, in 1938 and 1940.
- What was Fred Bankhead's career batting average?
- Fred Bankhead batted .260 over his career, with 271 hits in 1,042 at bats.
- How many RBI did Fred Bankhead have?
- Fred Bankhead drove in 109 runs in his career.
- Is Fred Bankhead in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Fred Bankhead has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Fred Bankhead make?
- Fred Bankhead was selected to 1 All-Star Game.