Gene Benson
Center Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Gene Benson was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Bacharach Giants, the Philadelphia Stars, and the Pittsburgh Crawfords. In 569 career games, he hit .291 with 636 hits, 17 home runs, and 319 RBI. Gene Benson was a 4-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,652.
- 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
- Center Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/6/1999 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Awards
- 4× All-Star
Full name: Eugene Henry Fowlkes Benson
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 569 | 2,184 | 326 | 636 | 84 | 31 | 17 | 319 | 20 | 198 | 5 | .291 | .351 | .381 | .732 | 1,652 |
Career AVG .291 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — +9.9% above league average.
Career OBP .351 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +5.1% above league average.
Career SLG .381 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .732 vs. league average .708 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | PBG | NN2 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .316 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | PS | NN2 | 32 | 110 | 17 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 0 | .291 | .276 (+5%) | .342 (+11%) | .398 (-16%) | .740 (-3%) | 0.9 |
| 1938 | PC | NN2 | 25 | 106 | 17 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .217 | .272 (-20%) | .341 (-24%) | .392 (-21%) | .734 (-22%) | -407.8 |
| 1938 | PS | NN2 | 27 | 99 | 15 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 | .242 | .272 (-11%) | .341 (-3%) | .392 (-20%) | .734 (-12%) | -407.8 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 47 | 169 | 25 | 46 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 1 | 14 | 0 | .272 | .274 (-1%) | .342 (-3%) | .393 (+10%) | .735 (+4%) | 83.6 |
| 1940 | PS | NN2 | 61 | 212 | 45 | 66 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 30 | 5 | 28 | 2 | .311 | .267 (+17%) | .335 (+18%) | .387 (+17%) | .722 (+17%) | 707.0 |
| 1941 | PS | NN2 | 25 | 95 | 9 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .274 | .262 (+4%) | .332 (-1%) | .373 (-10%) | .705 (-5%) | -78.8 |
| 1942 | PS | NN2 | 50 | 178 | 23 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 17 | 1 | .242 | .253 (-5%) | .323 (-5%) | .349 (-15%) | .672 (-10%) | -254.7 |
| 1943 | PS | NN2 | 46 | 190 | 27 | 64 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 14 | 1 | .337 | .255 (+32%) | .324 (+18%) | .346 (+23%) | .671 (+20%) | 597.5 |
| 1944 | PS | NN2 | 52 | 225 | 39 | 70 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .311 | .261 (+19%) | .325 (+7%) | .357 (+9%) | .683 (+8%) | 274.7 |
| 1945 | PS | NN2 | 47 | 198 | 30 | 67 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 0 | 13 | 0 | .338 | .260 (+30%) | .328 (+15%) | .354 (+22%) | .683 (+19%) | 584.9 |
| 1946 | PS | NN2 | 61 | 244 | 40 | 78 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 23 | 0 | .320 | .256 (+24%) | .328 (+15%) | .358 (+12%) | .687 (+13%) | 561.1 |
| 1947 | PS | NN2 | 48 | 179 | 27 | 52 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 22 | 0 | .291 | .262 (+11%) | .336 (+9%) | .376 (+8%) | .712 (+9%) | 274.8 |
| 1948 | PS | NN2 | 43 | 160 | 12 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 0 | .244 | .263 (-8%) | .340 (-14%) | .379 (-26%) | .719 (-20%) | -513.0 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 569 | 2,184 | 326 | 636 | 84 | 31 | 17 | 319 | 20 | 198 | 5 | .291 | — | — | — | — | 1,422 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 3 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| OF | 567 | 562 | 1188 | 51 | 36 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | PBG | OF | 5 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | PS | OF | 32 | 32 | 69 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | PC | OF | 25 | 25 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1938 | PS | OF | 27 | 27 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1939 | PS | OF | 47 | 46 | 96 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1940 | PS | OF | 60 | 60 | 140 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1941 | PS | OF | 25 | 25 | 47 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942 | PS | OF | 51 | 50 | 125 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 1943 | PS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | PS | OF | 45 | 45 | 115 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 1944 | PS | OF | 52 | 52 | 121 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 1945 | PS | OF | 47 | 47 | 95 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1946 | PS | 1B | 3 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1946 | PS | OF | 58 | 57 | 122 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947 | PS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | PS | OF | 49 | 48 | 80 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948 | PS | OF | 44 | 43 | 67 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 5 |
| Left Field | 35 |
| Center Field | 498 |
| Right Field | 34 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Gene Benson: the record in brief
The season rows for Gene Benson begin in 1934. Benson played for the Philadelphia Bacharach Giants (1934), the Philadelphia Stars (1937 through 1948), and the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1938). At 5'9" and 180 pounds, Benson is listed as a center fielder. Benson batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. Benson was born on October 2, 1913, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Benson's death is recorded on April 6, 1999, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The bio lists the given name Eugene Henry Fowlkes.
The batting record for Benson: 569 games, 636 hits in 2,184 at bats, and a .291 average, plus 17 homers, 319 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. Benson got on base at a .351 rate and slugged .381 (.732 OPS). Over the seasons Benson played, league hitters batted .265; the .291 career figure is 9.9% above that. Benson collected a career-high 78 hits in 1946. Benson drove in a season-high 39 runs in 1946.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gene Benson
- Was Gene Benson a pitcher?
- No. Gene Benson was a position player (Center Fielder).
- How many home runs did Gene Benson hit?
- Gene Benson hit 17 career home runs with 636 hits.
- What teams did Gene Benson play for?
- Gene Benson played for 3 teams: the Philadelphia Bacharach Giants (1934), the Philadelphia Stars (1937–1948), and the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1938).
- Did Gene Benson win an MVP award?
- No. Gene Benson did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Gene Benson win?
- Gene Benson was selected to 4 All-Star Games.
- What were Gene Benson's career stats?
- In 569 games, Gene Benson had 636 hits, 17 home runs, 319 RBI, 326 runs, and 20 stolen bases, with a .291 batting average.
- What position did Gene Benson play?
- Gene Benson played primarily as a center fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Gene Benson and how much did he weigh?
- Gene Benson was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Gene Benson hit each season?
- Gene Benson's home runs by season: 0 in 1934, 0 in 1937, 2 in 1938, 5 in 1939, 5 in 1940, 0 in 1941, 1 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 1 in 1944, 1 in 1945, 0 in 1946, 1 in 1947, and 1 in 1948. His most in one season was 5, in 1939 and 1940.
- What was Gene Benson's career batting average?
- Gene Benson batted .291 over his career, with 636 hits in 2,184 at bats.
- How many RBI did Gene Benson have?
- Gene Benson drove in 319 runs in his career.
- Is Gene Benson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Gene Benson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Gene Benson make?
- Gene Benson was selected to 4 All-Star Games.