Ray Bates
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1913-1917)
Ray Bates was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1917 for the Cleveland Guardians and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 5 seasons. In 154 career games, he hit .233 with 120 hits, 2 home runs, and 70 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 165 lb
- Died
- 8/15/1970 in Tucson, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1913-05-31
- Last Game
- 1917-10-03
Full name: Raymond Bates
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 154 | 515 | 51 | 120 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 70 | 15 | 24 | 48 | .233 | .277 | .318 | .595 | -541 |
Career AVG .233 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.
Career OBP .277 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 13.2% below league average.
Career SLG .318 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .595 vs. league average .653 across their career seasons — 8.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | CLE | AL | 27 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1917 | PHA | AL | 127 | 485 | 47 | 115 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 66 | 12 | 21 | 39 | .237 | .248 (-5%) | .312 (-11%) | .323 (-1%) | .635 (-6%) | -540.9 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 154 | 515 | 51 | 120 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 70 | 15 | 24 | 48 | .233 | — | — | — | — | -541 | ||
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 (155 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 72 | 228 | 21 | 50 | 2 | 33 | .219 |
| Away | 83 | 289 | 31 | 71 | 0 | 36 | .246 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917-10-03 | PHA | NYY | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-10-02 | PHA | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-25 | PHA | SLA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-24 | PHA | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1917-09-22 | PHA | CLE | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-22 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-21 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-15 | PHA | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1917-09-14 | PHA | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-13 | PHA | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 136 |
| Center Field | 2 |
Ray Bates: the record in brief
Ray Bates's major league career runs from a debut on May 31, 1913 to a final game on October 3, 1917. Club by club, the record runs the Cleveland Naps (1913) and the Philadelphia Athletics (1917). Bates played primarily as a third baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on February 8, 1890, in Paterson, NJ, USA and a listed size of 6'0" and 165 pounds. Bates's death is recorded on August 15, 1970, in Tucson, AZ, USA. Bates's full given name, per the bio, is Raymond Bates.
Across 154 games at the plate, Bates's career line reads 120 hits in 515 at bats for a .233 average, plus 2 home runs and 70 RBI. Bates got on base at a .277 rate and slugged .318 (.595 OPS). Measured against the leagues Bates played in, the .233 career average compares with a .254 league average over the same seasons, 8.3% below the league. Bates collected a career-high 115 hits in 1917. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .237 in 1917, did not top the league's .248.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ray Bates
- What years did Ray Bates play?
- Ray Bates played in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1917.
- Was Ray Bates a pitcher?
- No. Ray Bates was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ray Bates hit?
- Ray Bates hit 2 career home runs with 120 hits.
- What was Ray Bates's career batting average?
- Ray Bates batted .233 over his career, with 120 hits in 515 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ray Bates have?
- Ray Bates drove in 70 runs in his career.
- Is Ray Bates in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ray Bates has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.