Bruno Betzel
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1914-1918)
Bruno Betzel was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1918 for the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 5 seasons. In 448 career games, he hit .231 with 333 hits, 2 home runs, and 94 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 158 lb
- Died
- 2/7/1965 in West Hollywood, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1914-09-03
- Last Game
- 1918-09-02
Full name: Christian Frederick Albert John Henry David Betzel
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 448 | 1,444 | 135 | 333 | 37 | 25 | 2 | 94 | 49 | 90 | 189 | .231 | .278 | .295 | .573 | -2,380 |
Career AVG .231 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 8.4% below league average.
Career OBP .278 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Career SLG .295 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 10.8% below league average.
Career OPS .573 vs. league average .648 across their career seasons — 11.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | SLN | NL | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1915 | SLN | NL | 117 | 367 | 42 | 92 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 10 | 18 | 48 | .251 | .250 (avg) | .318 (-9%) | .332 (-8%) | .651 (-8%) | -501.1 |
| 1916 | SLN | NL | 142 | 510 | 49 | 119 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 37 | 22 | 39 | 77 | .233 | .248 (-6%) | .314 (-8%) | .326 (-5%) | .640 (-6%) | -556.7 |
| 1917 | SLN | NL | 106 | 328 | 24 | 71 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 47 | .216 | .248 (-13%) | .312 (-15%) | .323 (-21%) | .635 (-18%) | -842.5 |
| 1918 | SLN | NL | 76 | 230 | 18 | 51 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 16 | .222 | .255 (-13%) | .318 (-18%) | .326 (-5%) | .645 (-12%) | -479.4 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 448 | 1,444 | 135 | 333 | 37 | 25 | 2 | 94 | 49 | 90 | 189 | .231 | — | — | — | — | -2,380 | ||
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 (450 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 233 | 730 | 72 | 170 | 0 | 48 | .233 |
| Away | 217 | 715 | 62 | 163 | 2 | 51 | .228 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918-09-02 | STL | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918-09-02 | STL | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-09-01 | STL | CIN | L | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-09-01 | STL | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918-08-29 | STL | PIT | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918-08-29 | STL | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-26 | STL | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1918-08-26 | STL | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-22 | STL | BRO | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918-08-22 | STL | BRO | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 205 | 0 | 465 | 632 | 50 | 110 |
| 3B | 177 | 0 | 173 | 359 | 45 | 17 |
| OF | 51 | 0 | 84 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | SLN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | SLN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | SLN | 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915 | SLN | 3B | 105 | 0 | 105 | 221 | 22 | 10 |
| 1915 | SLN | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 1916 | SLN | 2B | 113 | 0 | 275 | 366 | 27 | 64 |
| 1916 | SLN | 3B | 33 | 0 | 34 | 69 | 13 | 3 |
| 1916 | SLN | OF | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917 | SLN | 2B | 75 | 0 | 159 | 217 | 15 | 40 |
| 1917 | SLN | 3B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1917 | SLN | OF | 23 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1918 | SLN | 2B | 10 | 0 | 26 | 37 | 7 | 6 |
| 1918 | SLN | 3B | 34 | 0 | 32 | 64 | 9 | 3 |
| 1918 | SLN | OF | 21 | 0 | 42 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 202 |
| Third Base | 176 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
| Left Field | 14 |
| Center Field | 20 |
| Right Field | 23 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bruno Betzel (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bruno Betzel: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 3, 1914 and the final game on September 2, 1918, Bruno Betzel built the record summarized on this page. Betzel spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the St. Louis Cardinals. Betzel, a second baseman by primary position, both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 158 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The birth record reads December 6, 1894, in Chattanooga, OH, USA. Betzel's death is recorded on February 7, 1965, in West Hollywood, FL, USA. The given name on file is Christian Frederick Albert John Henry David Betzel.
Betzel's career batting table shows 448 games, 1,444 at bats and 333 hits, a .231 average, along with 2 home runs, 94 runs batted in, and 49 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .278 and the slugging percentage .295, for an OPS of .573. Set against a .252 league average for the same years, Betzel's .231 average sits 8.4% below it. In OPS terms, Betzel's .573 stands 11.6% below the league's .648. Betzel collected a career-high 119 hits in 1916. On the bases, the high point was 22 steals in 1916.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bruno Betzel
- What years did Bruno Betzel play?
- Bruno Betzel played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1918.
- Was Bruno Betzel a pitcher?
- No. Bruno Betzel was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bruno Betzel hit?
- Bruno Betzel hit 2 career home runs with 333 hits.
- What teams did Bruno Betzel play for?
- Bruno Betzel played for one team, the St. Louis Cardinals (1914–1918).
- What were Bruno Betzel's career stats?
- In 448 games, Bruno Betzel had 333 hits, 2 home runs, 94 RBI, 135 runs, and 49 stolen bases, with a .231 batting average.
- What position did Bruno Betzel play?
- Bruno Betzel played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bruno Betzel and how much did he weigh?
- Bruno Betzel was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 158 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bruno Betzel hit each season?
- Bruno Betzel's home runs by season: 0 in 1914, 0 in 1915, 1 in 1916, 1 in 1917, and 0 in 1918. His most in one season was 1, in 1916 and 1917.
- What was Bruno Betzel's career batting average?
- Bruno Betzel batted .231 over his career, with 333 hits in 1,444 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bruno Betzel have?
- Bruno Betzel drove in 94 runs in his career.
- Is Bruno Betzel in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bruno Betzel has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.