Bill Butland
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1940-1947)
Bill Butland was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1947 for the Boston Red Sox, a span of 8 seasons. Across 32 career appearances, he went 9-3 with a 3.88 ERA and 62 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
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'5" / 185 lb
- Died
- 9/19/1997 in Terre Haute, IN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1940-05-29
- Last Game
- 1947-05-10
Full name: Wilburn Rue Butland
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | BOS | AL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 5.57 | 4.21 (-32%) | 135.8 |
| 1942 | BOS | AL | 7 | 1 | 23 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 111.1 | 85 | 31 | 33 | 46 | 2.51 | 3.57 (+30%) | -240.3 |
| 1946 | BOS | AL | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 | 23 | 20 | 13 | 10 | 11.02 | 3.59 (-207%) | -1039.8 |
| 1947 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.50 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 9 | 3 | 32 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 150.2 | 138 | 65 | 56 | 62 | 3.88 | — | -1,144 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 16 | .051 | .196 | .051 | .247 | 0 |
Career AVG .051 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 80.3% below league average.
Career OBP .196 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 40.9% below league average.
Career SLG .051 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — 86.1% below league average.
Career OPS .247 vs. league average .699 across their career seasons — 64.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | BOS | AL | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | BOS | AL | 23 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 12 | .036 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | BOS | AL | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | BOS | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 32 | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 16 | .051 | — | — | — | — | 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 (64 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 20 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .071 |
| Away | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 20 | 100.2 | 87 | 42 | 38 | 48 | 3.75 |
| Away | 12 | 50.0 | 51 | 23 | 18 | 15 | 4.14 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-05-10 | BOS | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-26 | BOS | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-24 | BOS | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-10 | BOS | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-05 | BOS | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1946-04-24 | BOS | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-19 | BOS | NYY | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1942-09-13 | BOS | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1942-09-03 | BOS | DET | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1942-08-30 | BOS | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-05-10 | BOS | NYY | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-06-26 | BOS | DET | — | 1.2 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1946-06-24 | BOS | DET | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-06-10 | BOS | CLE | W | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 1946-06-05 | BOS | SLA | — | 4.1 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 1946-04-24 | BOS | NYY | — | 1.1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-19 | BOS | NYY | — | 7.0 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1942-09-13 | BOS | CHW | W | 9.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1942-09-03 | BOS | DET | W | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1942-08-30 | BOS | SLA | W | 9.0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 32 |
Bill Butland: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 29, 1940 and the final game on May 10, 1947, Bill Butland built the record summarized on this page. The team column never changes: it is the Boston Red Sox from 1940 to 1947. Born on March 22, 1918, in Terre Haute, IN, USA, Butland is listed as a pitcher and hit right-handed while throwing left-handed. Butland's listed size is 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds. Butland's death is recorded on September 19, 1997, in Terre Haute, IN, USA. Bill Butland was the playing name; the full given name is Wilburn Rue.
Butland pitched in 32 games, starting 15, and finished with a 9-3 record and 3.88 ERA. Also on Butland's record: 62 strikeouts. Butland's 3.88 ERA was close to the 3.84 league figure for those seasons. 1942 brought Butland a season-high 7 wins. 1942 was Butland's sharpest full season, a 2.51 ERA against the league's 3.57.
Every defensive appearance on record for Butland, 32 games, came at pitcher. Fielding on the mound produced 15 putouts and 31 assists against 0 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Butland
- What years did Bill Butland play?
- Bill Butland played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1947.
- Was Bill Butland a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Butland pitched in the major leagues, recording 9 wins and 62 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Butland hit?
- Bill Butland hit 0 career home runs with 2 hits.
- What teams did Bill Butland play for?
- Bill Butland played for one team, the Boston Red Sox (1940, 1942, 1946–1947).
- What were Bill Butland's career stats?
- In 32 games, Bill Butland went 9-3 with a 3.88 ERA, 62 strikeouts, 150.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Bill Butland play?
- Bill Butland played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Butland and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Butland was listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 185 pounds.
- What was Bill Butland's career ERA?
- Bill Butland finished with a 3.88 career ERA, going 9-3 with 62 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bill Butland have?
- Bill Butland recorded 62 career strikeouts.
- Is Bill Butland in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Butland has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.