Cliff Bolton
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1931-1941)
Cliff Bolton was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1941 for the Washington Senators and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 11 seasons. In 335 career games, he hit .291 with 280 hits, 6 home runs, and 143 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 744.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 160 lb
- Died
- 4/21/1979 in Lexington, NC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1931-04-20
- Last Game
- 1941-09-24
Full name: William Clifton Bolton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 335 | 962 | 113 | 280 | 49 | 18 | 6 | 143 | 3 | 110 | 50 | .291 | .366 | .398 | .764 | 744 |
Career AVG .291 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — +5.7% above league average.
Career OBP .366 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — +7.7% above league average.
Career SLG .398 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .764 vs. league average .730 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | WS1 | AL | 23 | 43 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1933 | WS1 | AL | 33 | 39 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 3 | .410 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1934 | WS1 | AL | 42 | 148 | 12 | 40 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 9 | .270 | .278 (-3%) | .340 (-6%) | .392 (-7%) | .733 (-6%) | -166.5 |
| 1935 | WS1 | AL | 110 | 375 | 47 | 114 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 55 | 0 | 58 | 13 | .304 | .279 (+9%) | .342 (+16%) | .399 (+7%) | .742 (+11%) | 974.6 |
| 1936 | WS1 | AL | 86 | 289 | 41 | 84 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 51 | 1 | 25 | 12 | .291 | .283 (+2%) | .349 (avg) | .404 (-1%) | .753 (avg) | -38.9 |
| 1937 | DET | AL | 27 | 57 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 6 | .263 | .276 (-5%) | .342 (+3%) | .398 (-12%) | .740 (-5%) | -25.1 |
| 1941 | WS1 | AL | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 335 | 962 | 113 | 280 | 49 | 18 | 6 | 143 | 3 | 110 | 50 | .291 | — | — | — | — | 744 | ||
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 (335 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 190 | 539 | 67 | 154 | 2 | 81 | .286 |
| Away | 145 | 420 | 47 | 126 | 4 | 65 | .300 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-09-24 | MIN | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-13 | MIN | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-10 | MIN | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-07 | MIN | PHA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-07-14 | MIN | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-07-10 | MIN | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-07-05 | MIN | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-06-29 | MIN | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-06-25 | MIN | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-06-22 | MIN | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 267 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Cliff Bolton: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 20, 1931 and the final game on September 24, 1941, Cliff Bolton built the record summarized on this page. By club, Bolton's seasons break down as the Washington Senators (1931 through 1941) and the Detroit Tigers (1937). Born on April 10, 1907, in High Point, NC, USA, Bolton is listed as a catcher and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Bolton's listed size is 5'9" and 160 pounds. Bolton's death is recorded on April 21, 1979, in Lexington, NC, USA. On the record, Cliff Bolton was born William Clifton Bolton.
Bolton finished with 280 hits from 962 at bats in 335 games, which works out to .291, plus 6 homers and 143 runs batted in. Bolton's career OPS of .764 combines a .366 on-base mark with .398 slugging. Measured against the leagues Bolton played in, the .291 career average compares with a .275 league average over the same seasons, 5.7% above the league. No season topped the 114 hits of 1935.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cliff Bolton
- What years did Cliff Bolton play?
- Cliff Bolton played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1941.
- Was Cliff Bolton a pitcher?
- No. Cliff Bolton was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Cliff Bolton hit?
- Cliff Bolton hit 6 career home runs with 280 hits.
- What was Cliff Bolton's career batting average?
- Cliff Bolton batted .291 over his career, with 280 hits in 962 at bats.
- How many RBI did Cliff Bolton have?
- Cliff Bolton drove in 143 runs in his career.
- Is Cliff Bolton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Cliff Bolton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.