Ed Butka
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1943-1944)
Ed Butka was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1944 for the Washington Senators, a span of 2 seasons. In 18 career games, he hit .220 with 11 hits and 2 RBI.
- 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
- 6'3" / 193 lb
- Died
- 4/21/2005 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1943-09-26
- Last Game
- 1944-09-30
Full name: Edward Luke Butka
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 50 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | .220 | .250 | .260 | .510 | 0 |
Career AVG .220 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 15.0% below league average.
Career OBP .250 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 23.2% below league average.
Career SLG .260 vs. league average .352 across their career seasons — 26.1% below league average.
Career OPS .510 vs. league average .677 across their career seasons — 24.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | WS1 | AL | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | WS1 | AL | 15 | 41 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .195 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 18 | 50 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | .220 | — | — | — | — | 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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (18 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 12 | 31 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | .258 |
| Away | 6 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .158 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944-09-30 | MIN | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1944-09-26 | MIN | CLE | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1944-09-25 | MIN | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1944-09-24 | MIN | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-09-24 | MIN | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-09-23 | MIN | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-07-16 | MIN | PHA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1944-07-09 | MIN | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-07-04 | MIN | CHW | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1944-07-02 | MIN | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 17 |
Ed Butka: the record in brief
Ed Butka played a first major league game on September 26, 1943 and a last one on September 30, 1944. Butka's only club in the season tables is the Washington Senators. Butka played primarily as a first baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Born on January 7, 1916, in Canonsburg, PA, USA, Butka was listed at 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds. Butka died on April 21, 2005, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. The given name on file is Edward Luke Butka.
The batting record for Butka: 18 games, 11 hits in 50 at bats, and a .220 average; the totals also include 2 RBI. Butka's career OPS of .510 combines a .250 on-base mark with .260 slugging. Over the seasons Butka played, league hitters batted .259; the .220 career figure is 15.0% below that. In OPS terms, Butka's .510 stands 24.7% below the league's .677. No season topped the 8 hits of 1944.
Butka appears at one position only: first base, in 17 games. At first base, Butka's fielding totals are 115 putouts, 10 assists and 3 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Butka
- What years did Ed Butka play?
- Ed Butka played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1944.
- Was Ed Butka a pitcher?
- No. Ed Butka was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ed Butka hit?
- Ed Butka hit 0 career home runs with 11 hits.
- What teams did Ed Butka play for?
- Ed Butka played for one team, the Washington Senators (1943–1944).
- What were Ed Butka's career stats?
- In 18 games, Ed Butka had 11 hits, 2 RBI, and 1 runs, with a .220 batting average.
- What position did Ed Butka play?
- Ed Butka played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ed Butka and how much did he weigh?
- Ed Butka was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 193 pounds.
- What was Ed Butka's career batting average?
- Ed Butka batted .220 over his career, with 11 hits in 50 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ed Butka have?
- Ed Butka drove in 2 runs in his career.
- Is Ed Butka in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ed Butka has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.