Walter Blair
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1907-1915)
Walter Blair was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1915 for the New York Yankees and the Buffalo Blues, a span of 9 seasons. In 442 career games, he hit .217 with 272 hits, 3 home runs, and 106 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 185 lb
- Died
- 8/20/1948 in Lewisburg, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1907-09-17
- Last Game
- 1915-09-29
Full name: Walter Allen Blair
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 442 | 1,255 | 80 | 272 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 106 | 18 | 86 | 176 | .217 | .272 | .275 | .547 | -2,821 |
Career AVG .217 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 13.6% below league average.
Career OBP .272 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 13.7% below league average.
Career SLG .275 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 16.1% below league average.
Career OPS .547 vs. league average .644 across their career seasons — 15.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | NYA | AL | 7 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1908 | NYA | AL | 76 | 211 | 9 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 31 | .190 | .240 (-21%) | .298 (-21%) | .306 (-23%) | .605 (-22%) | -631.2 |
| 1909 | NYA | AL | 42 | 110 | 5 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 17 | .209 | .244 (-14%) | .306 (-12%) | .312 (-16%) | .618 (-14%) | -217.2 |
| 1910 | NYA | AL | 6 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .227 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1911 | NYA | AL | 85 | 222 | 18 | 43 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 16 | 24 | .194 | .266 (-27%) | .336 (-23%) | .356 (-29%) | .693 (-26%) | -924.6 |
| 1914 | BUF | FL | 128 | 378 | 22 | 92 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 6 | 32 | 64 | .243 | .255 (-5%) | .322 (-6%) | .339 (-17%) | .661 (-11%) | -595.1 |
| 1915 | BUF | FL | 98 | 290 | 23 | 65 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 4 | 18 | 32 | .224 | .250 (-11%) | .318 (-14%) | .332 (-5%) | .651 (-9%) | -453.2 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 442 | 1,255 | 80 | 272 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 106 | 18 | 86 | 176 | .217 | — | — | — | — | -2,821 | ||
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 (443 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 216 | 574 | 40 | 120 | 1 | 50 | .209 |
| Away | 227 | 682 | 40 | 151 | 2 | 52 | .221 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915-09-29 | BUF | BRF | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915-09-26 | BUF | SLF | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1915-09-25 | BUF | SLF | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-24 | BUF | SLF | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1915-09-22 | BUF | PTF | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1915-09-21 | BUF | PTF | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915-09-19 | BUF | CHF | L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-12 | BUF | KCF | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-11 | BUF | KCF | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-02 | BUF | NEW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| C | 424 | 90 | 1821 | 561 | 64 | 52 |
| OF | 9 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | NYA | C | 7 | 6 | 36 | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| 1908 | NYA | 1B | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908 | NYA | C | 60 | 49 | 225 | 58 | 13 | 4 |
| 1908 | NYA | OF | 9 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1909 | NYA | C | 42 | 29 | 151 | 37 | 7 | 2 |
| 1910 | NYA | C | 6 | 6 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1911 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1911 | NYA | C | 84 | 0 | 379 | 101 | 15 | 12 |
| 1914 | BUF | C | 128 | 0 | 604 | 194 | 13 | 17 |
| 1915 | BUF | C | 97 | 0 | 404 | 150 | 11 | 15 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 423 |
| First Base | 4 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 9 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | PA | 1904 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Walter Blair (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Walter Blair: the record in brief
September 17, 1907 and September 29, 1915 bracket Walter Blair's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the New York Highlanders (1907 to 1911), the Buffalo Buffeds (1914), and the Buffalo Blues (1915). The bio lists Blair as a catcher who batted and threw right-handed. Blair is listed at 6'0" and 185 pounds. Blair was born on October 13, 1883, in Landrus, PA, USA. Blair's death is recorded on August 20, 1948, in Lewisburg, PA, USA. On the record, Walter Blair was born Walter Allen Blair.
In 442 games and 1,255 at bats, Blair batted .217 with 272 hits, plus 3 homers and 106 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .272 clip and slugging .275, Blair finished with a .547 OPS. Over the seasons Blair played, league hitters batted .251; the .217 career figure is 13.6% below that. The highest hit total in a season was 92, in 1914. 1914 brought the most runs batted in, 33. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .243 in 1914, did not top the league's .255.
Frequently Asked Questions about Walter Blair
- What years did Walter Blair play?
- Walter Blair played in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1915.
- Was Walter Blair a pitcher?
- No. Walter Blair was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Walter Blair hit?
- Walter Blair hit 3 career home runs with 272 hits.
- What teams did Walter Blair play for?
- Walter Blair played for 2 teams: the New York Highlanders (1907–1911) and the Buffalo Blues (1914–1915).
- What were Walter Blair's career stats?
- In 442 games, Walter Blair had 272 hits, 3 home runs, 106 RBI, 80 runs, and 18 stolen bases, with a .217 batting average.
- What position did Walter Blair play?
- Walter Blair played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Walter Blair and how much did he weigh?
- Walter Blair was listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Walter Blair hit each season?
- Walter Blair's home runs by season: 0 in 1907, 1 in 1908, 0 in 1909, 0 in 1910, 0 in 1911, 0 in 1914, and 2 in 1915. His most in one season was 2, in 1915.
- What was Walter Blair's career batting average?
- Walter Blair batted .217 over his career, with 272 hits in 1,255 at bats.
- How many RBI did Walter Blair have?
- Walter Blair drove in 106 runs in his career.
- Is Walter Blair in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Walter Blair has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.