Sumner Bowman

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1890-1891)

Sumner Bowman was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1891 for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 2 seasons. Across 18 career appearances, he went 4-10 with a 5.22 ERA and 46 strikeouts.

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

W–L 4–10
ERA 5.22
WHIP 1.86
SO 46
Pitcher PIV -2445.1
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
L / L
Height / Weight
6'0" / 160 lb
Born
2/9/1867 in Millersburg, PA, USA
Died
1/11/1954 in Millersburg, PA, USA
MLB Debut
1890-06-11
Last Game
1891-10-05

Full name: Sumner Sallade Bowman

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Career Pitching Statistics

Sumner Bowman — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
4 10 18 16 14 0 0 146.2 184 85 1 89 46 5.22 -2445.1

Career ERA 5.22 vs. league average 3.73 across their career seasons — 39.7% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Sumner Bowman — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1890 PHI NL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 8.0 11 7 2 2 7.88 — 0.0
1890 PIT NL 2 5 9 7 6 0 0 70.2 100 52 50 22 6.62 3.88 (-71%) -2091.1
1891 PH4 AA 2 5 8 8 8 0 0 68.0 73 26 37 22 3.44 3.52 (+2%) -354.0
Career · 3 seasons 4 10 18 16 14 0 0 146.2 184 85 89 46 5.22 — -2,445

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

Sumner Bowman — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
25 94 15 25 5 0 0 6 1 6 17 .266 .310 .319 .629 -131

Career AVG .266 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .310 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.

Career SLG .319 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.

Career OPS .629 vs. league average .683 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Sumner Bowman — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1890 PHI NL 1 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .500 — — — — 0.0
1890 PIT NL 10 36 7 10 1 0 0 3 0 4 5 .278 — — — — 0.0
1891 PH4 AA 14 54 8 13 4 0 0 2 1 2 12 .241 .254 (-5%) .331 (-19%) .343 (-8%) .675 (-14%) -131.1
Career · 3 seasons 25 94 15 25 5 0 0 6 1 6 17 .266 — — — — -131

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.

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Sumner Bowman — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 8 0 5 2 0 0
P 18 0 7 27 8 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Sumner Bowman — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1890 PHI P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1890 PIT OF 2 0 0 0 0 0
1890 PIT P 9 0 4 14 4 0
1891 PH4 OF 6 0 5 2 0 0
1891 PH4 P 8 0 3 12 4 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Sumner Bowman — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 18
Left Field 2
Center Field 1
Right Field 5

College History

Sumner Bowman — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 1889, 1890, 1891

Sumner Bowman: the record in brief

June 11, 1890 and October 5, 1891 bracket Sumner Bowman's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Philadelphia Phillies (1890), the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1890), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1891). Born on February 9, 1867, in Millersburg, PA, USA, Bowman is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw left-handed. Bowman's listed size is 6'0" and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on January 11, 1954, in Millersburg, PA, USA. Bowman's full given name, per the bio, is Sumner Sallade Bowman.

The pitching table credits Bowman with a 4-10 record and a 5.22 ERA in 18 games. Also on Bowman's record: 46 strikeouts and 14 complete games. Against a 3.73 league ERA for the same seasons, the 5.22 mark was 39.7% worse. In 1891, one of the busiest seasons, Bowman posted a 3.44 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.52.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sumner Bowman

What years did Sumner Bowman play?
Sumner Bowman played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1891.
Was Sumner Bowman a pitcher?
Yes. Sumner Bowman pitched in the major leagues, recording 4 wins and 46 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Sumner Bowman hit?
Sumner Bowman hit 0 career home runs with 25 hits.
What was Sumner Bowman's career batting average?
Sumner Bowman batted .266 over his career, with 25 hits in 94 at bats.
How many RBI did Sumner Bowman have?
Sumner Bowman drove in 6 runs in his career.
What was Sumner Bowman's career ERA?
Sumner Bowman finished with a 5.22 career ERA, going 4-10 with 46 strikeouts.