Doug Bird
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1973-1983)
Doug Bird was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1983 for 5 teams, including the Kansas City Royals, a span of 11 seasons. Across 432 career appearances, he went 73-60 with a 3.99 ERA, 680 strikeouts, and 60 saves. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 3743.1.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 180 lb
- Died
- 9/24/2024 in Asheville, NC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1973-04-29
- Last Game
- 1983-09-10
Full name: James Douglas Bird
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | KCA | AL | 4 | 4 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 102.1 | 81 | 34 | 30 | 83 | 2.99 | 3.75 (+20%) | 1551.7 |
| 1974 | KCA | AL | 7 | 6 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 92.1 | 100 | 28 | 27 | 62 | 2.73 | 3.63 (+25%) | 1499.6 |
| 1975 | KCA | AL | 9 | 6 | 51 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 105.1 | 100 | 38 | 40 | 81 | 3.25 | 3.71 (+12%) | 1618.2 |
| 1976 | KCA | AL | 12 | 10 | 39 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 197.2 | 191 | 74 | 31 | 107 | 3.37 | 3.51 (+4%) | 1697.9 |
| 1977 | KCA | AL | 11 | 4 | 53 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 118.1 | 120 | 51 | 29 | 83 | 3.88 | 4.00 (+3%) | 951.5 |
| 1978 | KCA | AL | 6 | 6 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 98.2 | 110 | 58 | 31 | 48 | 5.29 | 3.69 (-43%) | 44.5 |
| 1979 | PHI | NL | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 61.0 | 73 | 35 | 16 | 33 | 5.16 | 4.00 (-29%) | -38.5 |
| 1980 | NYA | AL | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50.2 | 47 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 2.66 | 3.84 (+31%) | 131.3 |
| 1981 | NYA | AL | 5 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53.1 | 58 | 16 | 16 | 28 | 2.70 | 3.58 (+25%) | -114.0 |
| 1981 | CHN | NL | 4 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 75.1 | 72 | 30 | 16 | 34 | 3.58 | 3.58 (avg) | 661.9 |
| 1982 | CHN | NL | 9 | 14 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 191.0 | 230 | 109 | 30 | 71 | 5.14 | 3.86 (-33%) | -1901.2 |
| 1983 | BOS | AL | 1 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67.2 | 91 | 50 | 16 | 33 | 6.65 | 3.87 (-72%) | -2359.9 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 73 | 60 | 432 | 100 | 8 | 3 | 60 | 1,213.2 | 1,273 | 538 | 296 | 680 | 3.99 | — | 3,743 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 432 | 82 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 35 | .134 | .155 | .146 | .301 | -505 |
Career AVG .134 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 48.4% below league average.
Career OBP .155 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 52.4% below league average.
Career SLG .146 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 61.7% below league average.
Career OPS .301 vs. league average .707 across their career seasons — 57.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | KCA | AL | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | KCA | AL | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | KCA | AL | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | KCA | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | KCA | AL | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | KCA | AL | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | PHI | NL | 32 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | NYA | AL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1981 | NYA | AL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1981 | CHN | NL | 12 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | CHN | NL | 35 | 56 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | .143 | .261 (-45%) | .324 (-56%) | .388 (-59%) | .712 (-57%) | -504.8 |
| 1983 | BOS | AL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 432 | 82 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 35 | .134 | — | — | — | — | -505 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (864 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 212 | 45 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | .156 |
| Away | 220 | 37 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .108 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 212 | 649.0 | 680 | 282 | 139 | 338 | 3.91 |
| Away | 220 | 564.2 | 593 | 256 | 157 | 342 | 4.08 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-09-10 | BOS | CLE | L | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1983-09-06 | BOS | BAL | — | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1983-08-28 | BOS | CHW | — | 4.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1983-08-16 | BOS | MIL | — | 6.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-04 | BOS | TEX | — | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-26 | BOS | OAK | — | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983-07-19 | BOS | LAA | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-17 | BOS | OAK | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983-07-16 | BOS | OAK | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983-07-13 | BOS | SEA | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | KCA | P | 54 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1974 | KCA | P | 55 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 1975 | KCA | P | 51 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| 1976 | KCA | P | 39 | 27 | 14 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| 1977 | KCA | P | 53 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | KCA | P | 40 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | PHI | P | 32 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | NYA | P | 22 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 | NYA | P | 17 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 | CHN | P | 12 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1982 | CHN | P | 35 | 33 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | BOS | P | 22 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 432 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount San Antonio College | Walnut | CA | 1969 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Doug Bird (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Doug Bird: the record in brief
Doug Bird played a first major league game on April 29, 1973 and a last one on September 10, 1983. By club, Bird's seasons break down as the Kansas City Royals (1973 to 1978), the Philadelphia Phillies (1979), the New York Yankees (1980 to 1981), the Chicago Cubs (1981 through 1982), and the Boston Red Sox (1983). The bio lists Bird as a pitcher who threw and hit right-handed. Bird is listed at 6'4" and 180 pounds. Bird was born on March 5, 1950, in Corona, CA, USA. Bird died on September 24, 2024, in Asheville, NC, USA. The given name on file is James Douglas Bird.
Across 432 games (100 starts), Bird recorded 73 wins against 60 losses with a 3.99 ERA. Also on Bird's record: 680 strikeouts and 60 saves. The league ERA over Bird's seasons was 3.78, so the 3.99 figure ran 5.6% worse than average. Bird won 12 games in 1976, the most of any season listed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Doug Bird
- What years did Doug Bird play?
- Doug Bird played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1983.
- Was Doug Bird a pitcher?
- Yes. Doug Bird pitched in the major leagues, recording 73 wins and 680 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Doug Bird hit?
- Doug Bird hit 0 career home runs with 11 hits.
- What was Doug Bird's career batting average?
- Doug Bird batted .134 over his career, with 11 hits in 82 at bats.
- How many RBI did Doug Bird have?
- Doug Bird drove in 3 runs in his career.
- What was Doug Bird's career ERA?
- Doug Bird finished with a 3.99 career ERA, going 73-60 with 680 strikeouts.