Bob Bescher

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1918)

Bob Bescher was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1918 for 4 teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 11 seasons. In 1,228 career games, he hit .258 with 1,171 hits, 28 home runs, and 345 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 7,597.

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

AVG .258
HR 28
RBI 345
H 1,171
OPS .704
PIV 7,597
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
B / L
Height / Weight
6'1" / 200 lb
Born
2/25/1884 in London, OH, USA
Died
11/29/1942 in London, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1908-09-05
Last Game
1918-09-01

Full name: Robert Henry Bescher

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Career Batting Statistics

Bob Bescher — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,228 4,536 749 1,171 190 74 28 345 428 619 549 .258 .353 .351 .704 7,597

Career AVG .258 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .353 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — +10.7% above league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +5.5% above league average.

Career OPS .704 vs. league average .652 across their career seasons — +8.1% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bob Bescher Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1908 CIN NL 32 114 16 31 5 5 0 17 10 9 22 .272 .240 (+13%) .298 (+13%) .306 (+32%) .605 (+22%) 339.2
1909 CIN NL 124 446 73 107 17 6 1 34 54 56 76 .240 .244 (-2%) .306 (+9%) .312 (avg) .618 (+5%) 558.0
1910 CIN NL 150 589 95 147 20 10 4 48 70 81 75 .250 .249 (avg) .317 (+8%) .326 (+3%) .644 (+6%) 840.3
1911 CIN NL 153 599 106 165 32 10 1 45 81 102 78 .275 .266 (+3%) .336 (+15%) .356 (+3%) .693 (+9%) 1399.6
1912 CIN NL 145 548 120 154 29 11 4 38 67 83 61 .281 .268 (+5%) .335 (+14%) .358 (+10%) .694 (+12%) 1549.6
1913 CIN NL 141 511 86 132 22 11 1 37 38 94 68 .258 .259 (-1%) .325 (+16%) .345 (+1%) .670 (+8%) 1212.7
1914 NY1 NL 135 512 82 138 23 4 6 35 36 45 48 .270 .255 (+6%) .322 (+4%) .339 (+8%) .661 (+6%) 598.6
1915 SLN NL 130 486 71 128 15 7 4 34 27 52 53 .263 .250 (+5%) .318 (+7%) .332 (+5%) .651 (+6%) 634.5
1916 SLN NL 151 561 78 132 24 8 6 43 39 60 50 .235 .248 (-5%) .314 (+1%) .326 (+4%) .640 (+2%) 262.0
1917 SLN NL 42 110 10 17 1 1 1 8 3 20 13 .155 .248 (-38%) .312 (-7%) .323 (-35%) .635 (-21%) -271.4
1918 CLE AL 25 60 12 20 2 1 0 6 3 17 5 .333 .255 (+31%) .318 (+53%) .326 (+23%) .645 (+37%) 473.9
Career · 11 seasons 1,228 4,536 749 1,171 190 74 28 345 428 619 549 .258 — — — — 7,597

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 (1228 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Bob Bescher — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home620224736257215162.255
Away608228538759813183.262

Last 10 Games — Batting

Bob Bescher — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1918-09-01 CLECHWW 432000110
1918-08-31 CLECHWW 311000010
1918-08-30 CLEDETW 300000020
1918-08-30 CLEDETW 500000001
1918-08-28 CLEPHAL 403100000
1918-08-27 CLEPHAW 321000020
1918-08-26 CLEPHAL 300000010
1918-08-26 CLEPHAW 401100202
1918-08-24 CLEMINL 301000011
1918-08-23 CLEMINW 412000010

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Bob Bescher — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1188 294 2493 137 109 28

Season-by-Season Fielding

Bob Bescher — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1908 CIN OF 32 32 82 2 0 2
1909 CIN OF 117 112 247 14 13 4
1910 CIN OF 150 150 339 16 20 4
1911 CIN OF 153 0 267 21 14 2
1912 CIN OF 143 0 347 15 14 4
1913 CIN OF 138 0 283 22 10 2
1914 NY1 OF 126 0 298 14 13 7
1915 SLN OF 129 0 257 12 8 1
1916 SLN OF 151 0 284 18 15 2
1917 SLN OF 32 0 61 0 1 0
1918 CLE OF 17 0 28 3 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Bob Bescher Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Left Field 1054
Center Field 121
Right Field 18

College History

Bob Bescher — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Wittenberg University Springfield OH 1904, 1905

Award Voting History

Bob Bescher — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1912 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 17.0 64 0
1911 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 4.0 64 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Bob Bescher (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Curt Welch
    .263 avg, 16 HR
  2. 91
    Burt Shotton
    .271 avg, 9 HR
  3. 90
    Bill North
    .261 avg, 20 HR
  4. 90
    Dave Collins
    .272 avg, 32 HR
  5. 85
    Emmett Seery
    .252 avg, 27 HR
  6. 82
    Jimmy Slagle
    .268 avg, 2 HR

Bob Bescher: the record in brief

September 5, 1908 and September 1, 1918 bracket Bob Bescher's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Cincinnati Reds (1908 through 1913), the New York Giants (1914), the St. Louis Cardinals (1915 through 1917), and the Cleveland Indians (1918). At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Bescher is listed as an outfielder. Bescher batted from both sides and threw left-handed, per the bio block. Bescher was born on February 25, 1884, in London, OH, USA. Bescher's death is recorded on November 29, 1942, in London, OH, USA. The bio lists the given name Robert Henry.

Across 1,228 games at the plate, Bescher's career line reads 1,171 hits in 4,536 at bats for a .258 average, along with 28 home runs, 345 runs batted in, and 428 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .353 clip and slugging .351, Bescher finished with a .704 OPS. Bescher hit .258 while the league hit .253 over the same span, a figure close to average.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Bescher

What years did Bob Bescher play?
Bob Bescher played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1918.
Was Bob Bescher a pitcher?
No. Bob Bescher was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Bob Bescher hit?
Bob Bescher hit 28 career home runs with 1,171 hits.
What teams did Bob Bescher play for?
Bob Bescher played for 4 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1908–1913), the New York Giants (1914), the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1917), and the Cleveland Indians (1918).
What were Bob Bescher's career stats?
In 1,228 games, Bob Bescher had 1,171 hits, 28 home runs, 345 RBI, 749 runs, and 428 stolen bases, with a .258 batting average.
What position did Bob Bescher play?
Bob Bescher played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Bob Bescher and how much did he weigh?
Bob Bescher was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 200 pounds.
How many home runs did Bob Bescher hit each season?
Bob Bescher's home runs by season: 0 in 1908, 1 in 1909, 4 in 1910, 1 in 1911, 4 in 1912, 1 in 1913, 6 in 1914, 4 in 1915, 6 in 1916, 1 in 1917, and 0 in 1918. His most in one season was 6, in 1914 and 1916.
What was Bob Bescher's career batting average?
Bob Bescher batted .258 over his career, with 1,171 hits in 4,536 at bats.
How many RBI did Bob Bescher have?
Bob Bescher drove in 345 runs in his career.
Is Bob Bescher in the Hall of Fame?
No. Bob Bescher has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.