James Buford
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records
James Buford was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Nashville Elite Giants, the Cleveland Cubs, and the Indianapolis ABCs/Detroit Stars. In 105 career games, he hit .288 with 109 hits, 3 home runs, and 44 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 165 lb
- Died
- 11/8/1966 in Nashville, TN, USA
Full name: James L. Buford
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 379 | 43 | 109 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 44 | 12 | 13 | 0 | .288 | .320 | .369 | .689 | -481 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .320 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 5.9% below league average.
Career SLG .369 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — 7.1% below league average.
Career OPS .689 vs. league average .737 across their career seasons — 6.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | NEG | NNL | 46 | 176 | 20 | 52 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 0 | .295 | .293 (+1%) | .354 (-6%) | .429 (-6%) | .784 (-6%) | -190.9 |
| 1931 | CCU | NNL | 5 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1932 | NEG | NSL | 36 | 129 | 18 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .295 | .275 (+7%) | .335 (-4%) | .391 (-11%) | .726 (-8%) | -160.6 |
| 1933 | ID | NN2 | 18 | 60 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .250 | .270 (-7%) | .329 (-13%) | .377 (-12%) | .707 (-12%) | -129.3 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 105 | 379 | 43 | 109 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 44 | 12 | 13 | 0 | .288 | — | — | — | — | -481 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | ID | NN2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 27.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 27.00 | — | 0 | ||
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
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 68 | 67 | 108 | 183 | 24 | 15 |
| 3B | 27 | 24 | 19 | 28 | 9 | 2 |
| OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| SS | 9 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | NEG | 2B | 30 | 30 | 41 | 69 | 13 | 7 |
| 1930 | NEG | 3B | 12 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| 1930 | NEG | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | NEG | SS | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1931 | CCU | 2B | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 1932 | NEG | 2B | 25 | 25 | 36 | 75 | 6 | 3 |
| 1932 | NEG | 3B | 11 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1933 | ID | 2B | 10 | 9 | 24 | 29 | 3 | 3 |
| 1933 | ID | 3B | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1933 | ID | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1933 | ID | SS | 5 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Second Base | 68 |
| Third Base | 27 |
| Shortstop | 9 |
| Left Field | 1 |
James Buford: the record in brief
James Buford's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1930 to 1933. By club, Buford's seasons break down as the Nashville Elite Giants (1930 to 1932), the Cleveland Cubs (1931), and the Indianapolis ABCs/Detroit Stars (1933). The bio lists Buford's primary position as second baseman. Buford is listed at 165 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The birth record reads December 25, 1906, in Spring Hill, TN, USA. The bio records the death on November 8, 1966, in Nashville, TN, USA. The given name on file is James L. Buford.
Buford collected 109 hits in 379 at bats across 105 games, good for a .288 batting average, plus 3 home runs and 44 RBI. Buford got on base at a .320 rate and slugged .369 (.689 OPS). Buford hit .288 while the league hit .279 over the same span, a figure close to average. In OPS terms, Buford's .689 stands 6.5% below the league's .737.
Frequently Asked Questions about James Buford
- Was James Buford a pitcher?
- No. James Buford was a position player (Second Baseman), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did James Buford hit?
- James Buford hit 3 career home runs with 109 hits.
- What was James Buford's career batting average?
- James Buford batted .288 over his career, with 109 hits in 379 at bats.
- How many RBI did James Buford have?
- James Buford drove in 44 runs in his career.
- What was James Buford's career ERA?
- James Buford finished with a 27.00 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
- Is James Buford in the Hall of Fame?
- No. James Buford has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.