Don Buddin
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1956-1962)
Don Buddin was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1956 to 1962 for the Boston Red Sox, the Houston Astros, and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 7 seasons. In 711 career games, he hit .241 with 551 hits, 41 home runs, and 225 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,265.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 178 lb
- Died
- 6/30/2011 in Greenville, SC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1956-04-17
- Last Game
- 1962-09-25
Full name: Donald Thomas Buddin
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 711 | 2,289 | 342 | 551 | 123 | 12 | 41 | 225 | 15 | 410 | 404 | .241 | .358 | .359 | .717 | 1,265 |
Career AVG .241 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 6.5% below league average.
Career OBP .358 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +9.7% above league average.
Career SLG .359 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.
Career OPS .717 vs. league average .721 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | BOS | AL | 114 | 377 | 49 | 90 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 2 | 65 | 62 | .239 | .258 (-8%) | .331 (+6%) | .397 (-14%) | .728 (-5%) | -149.6 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 136 | 497 | 74 | 118 | 25 | 2 | 12 | 43 | 0 | 82 | 106 | .237 | .257 (-8%) | .324 (+7%) | .394 (-7%) | .719 (avg) | 230.5 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 151 | 485 | 75 | 117 | 24 | 1 | 10 | 53 | 6 | 92 | 99 | .241 | .256 (-6%) | .323 (+13%) | .392 (-9%) | .715 (+1%) | 512.4 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 124 | 428 | 62 | 105 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 36 | 4 | 62 | 59 | .245 | .255 (-4%) | .323 (+4%) | .387 (-7%) | .711 (-2%) | -61.4 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 115 | 339 | 58 | 89 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 42 | 2 | 72 | 45 | .263 | .258 (+2%) | .328 (+20%) | .399 (avg) | .727 (+9%) | 885.3 |
| 1962 | HOU | NL | 40 | 80 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 17 | .163 | .257 (-37%) | .326 (-3%) | .393 (-21%) | .719 (-13%) | -126.5 |
| 1962 | DET | AL | 31 | 83 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 16 | .229 | .257 (-11%) | .326 (+18%) | .393 (-33%) | .719 (-10%) | -126.5 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 711 | 2,289 | 342 | 551 | 123 | 12 | 41 | 225 | 15 | 410 | 404 | .241 | — | — | — | — | 1,164 | ||
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 (711 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 359 | 1138 | 183 | 300 | 23 | 136 | .264 |
| Away | 352 | 1151 | 159 | 251 | 18 | 90 | .218 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-09-25 | DET | LAA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-09-22 | DET | KC1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-19 | DET | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-07 | DET | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-08-26 | DET | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-08-25 | DET | TEX | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-08-19 | DET | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-08-18 | DET | CHW | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1962-08-17 | DET | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962-08-15 | DET | BAL | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 3B | 11 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| SS | 678 | 663 | 1229 | 1988 | 155 | 464 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | BOS | SS | 113 | 113 | 213 | 370 | 29 | 98 |
| 1958 | BOS | SS | 136 | 136 | 269 | 445 | 31 | 102 |
| 1959 | BOS | SS | 150 | 145 | 235 | 412 | 35 | 89 |
| 1960 | BOS | SS | 124 | 121 | 230 | 356 | 30 | 79 |
| 1961 | BOS | SS | 109 | 108 | 204 | 294 | 23 | 70 |
| 1962 | HOU | 3B | 9 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| 1962 | HOU | SS | 27 | 22 | 38 | 62 | 5 | 13 |
| 1962 | DET | 2B | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962 | DET | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | DET | SS | 19 | 18 | 40 | 49 | 2 | 13 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 6 |
| Third Base | 11 |
| Shortstop | 677 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Don Buddin (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Don Buddin: the record in brief
According to the bio, Don Buddin debuted on April 17, 1956 and played a final game on September 25, 1962. The team column moves through the Boston Red Sox (1956 to 1961), the Houston Colt .45's (1962), and the Detroit Tigers (1962). Buddin, born on May 5, 1934, in Turbeville, SC, USA, is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 178 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Buddin died on June 30, 2011, in Greenville, SC, USA. Don Buddin was the playing name; the full given name is Donald Thomas.
Across 711 games at the plate, Buddin's career line reads 551 hits in 2,289 at bats for a .241 average, plus 41 home runs and 225 RBI. Buddin's career OPS of .717 combines a .358 on-base mark with .359 slugging. Buddin's .241 average ran 6.5% below the .257 that the league posted over the same seasons. The home run peak was 12 in 1958 with the Boston Red Sox. The highest hit total in a season was 118, in 1958.
Frequently Asked Questions about Don Buddin
- What years did Don Buddin play?
- Don Buddin played in Major League Baseball from 1956 to 1962.
- Was Don Buddin a pitcher?
- No. Don Buddin was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Don Buddin hit?
- Don Buddin hit 41 career home runs with 551 hits.
- What teams did Don Buddin play for?
- Don Buddin played for 3 teams: the Boston Red Sox (1956, 1958–1961), the Houston Colt .45's (1962), and the Detroit Tigers (1962).
- What were Don Buddin's career stats?
- In 711 games, Don Buddin had 551 hits, 41 home runs, 225 RBI, 342 runs, and 15 stolen bases, with a .241 batting average.
- What position did Don Buddin play?
- Don Buddin played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Don Buddin and how much did he weigh?
- Don Buddin was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 178 pounds.
- How many home runs did Don Buddin hit each season?
- Don Buddin's home runs by season: 5 in 1956, 12 in 1958, 10 in 1959, 6 in 1960, 6 in 1961, and 2 in 1962. His most in one season was 12, in 1958.
- What was Don Buddin's career batting average?
- Don Buddin batted .241 over his career, with 551 hits in 2,289 at bats.
- How many RBI did Don Buddin have?
- Don Buddin drove in 225 runs in his career.
- Is Don Buddin in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Don Buddin has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.