Zeke Bella
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1957-1959)
Zeke Bella was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1959 for the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 3 seasons. In 52 career games, he hit .196 with 18 hits, 1 home runs, and 9 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 185 lb
- Died
- 11/17/2013 in Greenwich, CT, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1957-09-11
- Last Game
- 1959-09-25
Full name: John Bella
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 92 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 16 | .196 | .282 | .272 | .553 | -220 |
Career AVG .196 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 23.9% below league average.
Career OBP .282 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 13.1% below league average.
Career SLG .272 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 30.6% below league average.
Career OPS .553 vs. league average .716 across their career seasons — 22.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | NYA | AL | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | KC1 | AL | 47 | 82 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 14 | .207 | .256 (-19%) | .323 (-9%) | .392 (-25%) | .715 (-18%) | -220.4 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 52 | 92 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 16 | .196 | — | — | — | — | -220 | ||
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 (52 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 24 | 33 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3 | .212 |
| Away | 28 | 59 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 7 | .186 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-09-25 | KC1 | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-22 | KC1 | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-19 | KC1 | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-09-12 | KC1 | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-06 | KC1 | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-09-04 | KC1 | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1959-08-30 | KC1 | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-08-25 | KC1 | BAL | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-08-23 | KC1 | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-08-21 | KC1 | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 17 |
Zeke Bella: the record in brief
Zeke Bella played a first major league game on September 11, 1957 and a last one on September 25, 1959. The team column moves through the New York Yankees (1957) and the Kansas City Athletics (1959). Bella played primarily as an outfielder and batted right-handed and threw left-handed. Born on August 23, 1930, in Greenwich, CT, USA, Bella was listed at 185 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Bella died on November 17, 2013, in Greenwich, CT, USA. Bella's full given name, per the bio, is John Bella.
Across 52 games at the plate, Bella's career line reads 18 hits in 92 at bats for a .196 average, along with 1 home run and 9 runs batted in. Bella's career OPS of .553 combines a .282 on-base mark with .272 slugging. Over the seasons Bella played, league hitters batted .257; the .196 career figure is 23.9% below that. In OPS terms, Bella's .553 stands 22.7% below the league's .716. 1959 produced Bella's most hits, 17 of them for the Kansas City Athletics. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .207 in 1959, did not top the league's .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zeke Bella
- What years did Zeke Bella play?
- Zeke Bella played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1959.
- Was Zeke Bella a pitcher?
- No. Zeke Bella was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Zeke Bella hit?
- Zeke Bella hit 1 career home runs with 18 hits.
- What was Zeke Bella's career batting average?
- Zeke Bella batted .196 over his career, with 18 hits in 92 at bats.
- How many RBI did Zeke Bella have?
- Zeke Bella drove in 9 runs in his career.
- Is Zeke Bella in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Zeke Bella has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.