Kitty Bransfield
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1898-1911)
Kitty Bransfield was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1911 for 4 teams, including the Boston Braves, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,330 career games, he hit .270 with 1,351 hits, 13 home runs, and 637 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,832.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 207 lb
- Died
- 5/1/1947 in Worcester, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1898-08-22
- Last Game
- 1911-09-14
Full name: William Edward Bransfield
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,330 | 4,999 | 529 | 1,351 | 225 | 75 | 13 | 637 | 175 | 221 | 384 | .270 | .304 | .353 | .657 | 1,832 |
Career AVG .270 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +6.2% above league average.
Career OBP .304 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .353 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — +7.0% above league average.
Career OPS .657 vs. league average .644 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | BSN | NL | 5 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | PIT | NL | 139 | 566 | 92 | 167 | 26 | 16 | 0 | 91 | 23 | 29 | 60 | .295 | .271 (+9%) | .326 (+3%) | .359 (+11%) | .686 (+7%) | 591.9 |
| 1902 | PIT | NL | 102 | 413 | 49 | 126 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 69 | 23 | 17 | 29 | .305 | .266 (+14%) | .321 (+4%) | .343 (+15%) | .665 (+10%) | 592.5 |
| 1903 | PIT | NL | 127 | 505 | 69 | 134 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 57 | 13 | 33 | 42 | .265 | .261 (+1%) | .316 (-1%) | .345 (+1%) | .662 (avg) | -5.5 |
| 1904 | PIT | NL | 139 | 520 | 47 | 116 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 60 | 11 | 22 | 52 | .223 | .246 (-10%) | .300 (-14%) | .321 (-10%) | .622 (-12%) | -944.1 |
| 1905 | PHI | NL | 151 | 580 | 55 | 150 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 76 | 27 | 27 | 45 | .259 | .248 (+4%) | .307 (-4%) | .322 (+7%) | .629 (+1%) | -33.9 |
| 1906 | PHI | NL | 140 | 524 | 47 | 144 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 60 | 12 | 16 | 45 | .275 | .247 (+11%) | .307 (-2%) | .315 (+12%) | .622 (+5%) | 238.9 |
| 1907 | PHI | NL | 94 | 348 | 25 | 81 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 8 | 14 | 18 | .233 | .245 (-5%) | .304 (-14%) | .308 (-7%) | .613 (-10%) | -578.9 |
| 1908 | PHI | NL | 144 | 527 | 53 | 160 | 25 | 7 | 3 | 71 | 30 | 23 | 25 | .304 | .240 (+26%) | .298 (+12%) | .306 (+29%) | .605 (+21%) | 1709.2 |
| 1909 | PHI | NL | 140 | 527 | 47 | 154 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 59 | 17 | 18 | 27 | .292 | .244 (+20%) | .306 (+4%) | .312 (+19%) | .618 (+12%) | 873.7 |
| 1910 | PHI | NL | 123 | 427 | 39 | 102 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 52 | 10 | 20 | 34 | .239 | .249 (-4%) | .317 (-14%) | .326 (-3%) | .644 (-8%) | -611.6 |
| 1911 | PHI | NL | 23 | 43 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1911 | CHN | NL | 3 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 1,330 | 4,999 | 529 | 1,351 | 225 | 75 | 13 | 637 | 175 | 221 | 384 | .270 | — | — | — | — | 1,832 | ||
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 (1329 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 651 | 2377 | 267 | 634 | 3 | 282 | .267 |
| Away | 678 | 2625 | 262 | 717 | 10 | 344 | .273 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911-09-14 | CHC | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1911-09-12 | CHC | CIN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1911-09-11 | CHC | CIN | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1911-08-24 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-08-21 | PHI | PIT | L | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-08-19 | PHI | STL | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-08-19 | PHI | STL | L | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1911-08-17 | PHI | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-08-16 | PHI | STL | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911-08-14 | PHI | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1291 | 906 | 12797 | 737 | 236 | 670 |
| C | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | BSN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | BSN | C | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901 | PIT | 1B | 139 | 0 | 1374 | 52 | 28 | 72 |
| 1902 | PIT | 1B | 101 | 0 | 1064 | 41 | 18 | 40 |
| 1903 | PIT | 1B | 127 | 0 | 1347 | 88 | 28 | 82 |
| 1904 | PIT | 1B | 139 | 139 | 1454 | 89 | 30 | 70 |
| 1905 | PHI | 1B | 151 | 151 | 1398 | 92 | 23 | 75 |
| 1906 | PHI | 1B | 139 | 139 | 1318 | 88 | 29 | 57 |
| 1907 | PHI | 1B | 92 | 89 | 862 | 53 | 21 | 46 |
| 1908 | PHI | 1B | 143 | 143 | 1472 | 89 | 22 | 67 |
| 1909 | PHI | 1B | 138 | 138 | 1377 | 89 | 16 | 71 |
| 1910 | PHI | 1B | 110 | 107 | 1026 | 51 | 20 | 82 |
| 1911 | PHI | 1B | 8 | 0 | 74 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1911 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 4 |
| First Base | 1291 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Kitty Bransfield (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Kitty Bransfield: the record in brief
August 22, 1898 and September 14, 1911 bracket Kitty Bransfield's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Boston Beaneaters (1898), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1901 through 1904), the Philadelphia Phillies (1905 to 1911), and the Chicago Cubs (1911). At 207 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame, Bransfield is listed as a first baseman. The bio says Bransfield threw and hit right-handed. The recorded birth is January 7, 1875, in Worcester, MA, USA. Bransfield's death is recorded on May 1, 1947, in Worcester, MA, USA. Kitty Bransfield was the playing name; the full given name is William Edward.
Bransfield finished with 1,351 hits from 4,999 at bats in 1,330 games, which works out to .270, along with 13 home runs, 637 RBI, and 175 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .304 clip and slugging .353, Bransfield finished with a .657 OPS. Bransfield's .270 average ran 6.2% above the .254 that the league posted over the same seasons. The highest hit total in a season was 167, in 1901.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kitty Bransfield
- What years did Kitty Bransfield play?
- Kitty Bransfield played in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1911.
- Was Kitty Bransfield a pitcher?
- No. Kitty Bransfield was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Kitty Bransfield hit?
- Kitty Bransfield hit 13 career home runs with 1,351 hits.
- What teams did Kitty Bransfield play for?
- Kitty Bransfield played for 4 teams: the Boston Beaneaters (1898), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1901–1904), the Philadelphia Phillies (1905–1911), and the Chicago Cubs (1911).
- What were Kitty Bransfield's career stats?
- In 1,330 games, Kitty Bransfield had 1,351 hits, 13 home runs, 637 RBI, 529 runs, and 175 stolen bases, with a .270 batting average.
- What position did Kitty Bransfield play?
- Kitty Bransfield played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Kitty Bransfield and how much did he weigh?
- Kitty Bransfield was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 207 pounds.
- How many home runs did Kitty Bransfield hit each season?
- Kitty Bransfield's home runs by season: 0 in 1898, 0 in 1901, 0 in 1902, 2 in 1903, 0 in 1904, 3 in 1905, 1 in 1906, 0 in 1907, 3 in 1908, 1 in 1909, 3 in 1910, and 0 in 1911. His most in one season was 3, in 1905, 1908, and 1910.
- What was Kitty Bransfield's career batting average?
- Kitty Bransfield batted .270 over his career, with 1,351 hits in 4,999 at bats.
- How many RBI did Kitty Bransfield have?
- Kitty Bransfield drove in 637 runs in his career.
- Is Kitty Bransfield in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Kitty Bransfield has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.