Ice Box Chamberlain
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1886-1896)
Ice Box Chamberlain was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1886 to 1896 for 6 teams, including the Louisville Colonels, a span of 11 seasons. Across 321 career appearances, he went 157-120 with a 3.57 ERA and 1,133 strikeouts. He also batted .203 with 9 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 7374.5.
- 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 168 lb
- Died
- 9/22/1929 in Baltimore, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1886-09-13
- Last Game
- 1896-05-13
Full name: Elton P. Chamberlain
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 | LS2 | AA | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 31.1 | 39 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 6.61 | 3.37 (-96%) | -164.4 |
| 1887 | LS2 | AA | 18 | 16 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 309.0 | 340 | 130 | 117 | 118 | 3.79 | 4.17 (+9%) | 423.3 |
| 1888 | LS2 | AA | 14 | 9 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 196.0 | 178 | 55 | 59 | 119 | 2.53 | 2.95 (+14%) | 1909.0 |
| 1888 | SL4 | AA | 11 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 112.0 | 61 | 20 | 27 | 57 | 1.61 | 2.95 (+45%) | 1092.0 |
| 1889 | SL4 | AA | 32 | 15 | 53 | 51 | 44 | 3 | 1 | 421.2 | 376 | 139 | 165 | 202 | 2.97 | 3.93 (+25%) | 409.0 |
| 1890 | SL4 | AA | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35.0 | 47 | 23 | 26 | 14 | 5.91 | 3.88 (-52%) | -728.6 |
| 1890 | CL6 | AA | 12 | 6 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 175.0 | 128 | 43 | 70 | 114 | 2.21 | 3.88 (+43%) | 3574.9 |
| 1891 | PH4 | AA | 22 | 23 | 49 | 46 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 405.2 | 397 | 190 | 206 | 204 | 4.22 | 3.52 (-20%) | 787.4 |
| 1892 | CIN | NL | 19 | 23 | 52 | 49 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 406.1 | 391 | 153 | 170 | 169 | 3.39 | 3.28 (-3%) | 498.1 |
| 1893 | CIN | NL | 16 | 12 | 34 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 241.0 | 248 | 100 | 112 | 59 | 3.73 | 4.66 (+20%) | 1042.4 |
| 1894 | CIN | NL | 10 | 9 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 177.2 | 220 | 114 | 91 | 57 | 5.77 | 5.33 (-8%) | -1411.6 |
| 1896 | CL4 | NL | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 21 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7.36 | 4.36 (-69%) | -56.9 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 157 | 120 | 321 | 301 | 264 | 16 | 1 | 2,521.2 | 2,446 | 999 | 1,065 | 1,133 | 3.57 | — | 7,374 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 332 | 1,051 | 114 | 213 | 33 | 14 | 9 | 110 | 27 | 85 | 125 | .203 | .267 | .286 | .553 | -2,939 |
Career AVG .203 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 23.2% below league average.
Career OBP .267 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 19.6% below league average.
Career SLG .286 vs. league average .358 across their career seasons — 19.9% below league average.
Career OPS .553 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — 19.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 | LS2 | AA | 6 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .158 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1887 | LS2 | AA | 37 | 131 | 14 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 13 | .198 | .270 (-27%) | .331 (-20%) | .373 (-35%) | .705 (-28%) | -549.5 |
| 1888 | LS2 | AA | 26 | 94 | 11 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 7 | .191 | .238 (-20%) | .290 (-17%) | .319 (-13%) | .610 (-15%) | -214.2 |
| 1888 | SL4 | AA | 14 | 50 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | .100 | .238 (-58%) | .290 (-37%) | .319 (-50%) | .610 (-44%) | -214.2 |
| 1889 | SL4 | AA | 53 | 171 | 18 | 34 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 3 | 12 | 32 | .199 | .263 (-25%) | .334 (-22%) | .357 (-12%) | .691 (-17%) | -492.7 |
| 1890 | SL4 | AA | 5 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .133 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1890 | CL6 | AA | 25 | 65 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .231 | .260 (-11%) | .336 (-9%) | .351 (-21%) | .687 (-15%) | 0.0 |
| 1891 | PH4 | AA | 54 | 176 | 21 | 33 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 21 | 33 | .188 | .254 (-26%) | .331 (-16%) | .343 (-14%) | .675 (-15%) | -427.8 |
| 1892 | CIN | NL | 53 | 160 | 13 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 17 | .225 | .244 (-8%) | .316 (-19%) | .327 (-10%) | .644 (-14%) | -371.9 |
| 1893 | CIN | NL | 34 | 97 | 9 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 10 | .196 | .279 (-30%) | .356 (-30%) | .379 (-32%) | .735 (-31%) | -508.5 |
| 1894 | CIN | NL | 23 | 70 | 10 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 5 | .314 | .309 (+2%) | .379 (-1%) | .435 (+12%) | .814 (+6%) | 62.5 |
| 1896 | CL4 | NL | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 332 | 1,051 | 114 | 213 | 33 | 14 | 9 | 110 | 27 | 85 | 125 | .203 | — | — | — | — | -2,716 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | WS | SL4 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 44.0 | 52 | 26 | 16 | 13 | 5.32 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 16 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| P | 321 | 0 | 105 | 461 | 54 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 | LS2 | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1886 | LS2 | P | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1887 | LS2 | OF | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1887 | LS2 | P | 36 | 0 | 12 | 65 | 10 | 2 |
| 1888 | LS2 | OF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | LS2 | P | 24 | 0 | 9 | 45 | 3 | 0 |
| 1888 | SL4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | SL4 | P | 14 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | SL4 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | SL4 | P | 53 | 0 | 15 | 67 | 7 | 0 |
| 1890 | SL4 | P | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1890 | CL6 | P | 25 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| 1891 | PH4 | OF | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1891 | PH4 | P | 49 | 0 | 20 | 89 | 10 | 2 |
| 1892 | CIN | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1892 | CIN | P | 52 | 0 | 16 | 67 | 9 | 0 |
| 1893 | CIN | P | 34 | 0 | 8 | 46 | 5 | 0 |
| 1894 | CIN | P | 23 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 3 | 1 |
| 1896 | CL4 | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 321 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 3 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 11 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ice Box Chamberlain (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ice Box Chamberlain: the record in brief
The profile opens with Ice Box Chamberlain's first major league game on September 13, 1886; the last one listed came on May 13, 1896. The season rows list, in order, the Louisville Colonels (1886 through 1888), the St. Louis Browns (1888 to 1890), the Columbus Solons (1890), the Philadelphia Athletics (1891), the Cincinnati Reds (1892 to 1894), and the Cleveland Spiders (1896). Chamberlain is listed as a pitcher at 5 feet, 9 inches and 168 pounds. Chamberlain batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is November 5, 1867, in Buffalo, NY, USA. The bio records the death on September 22, 1929, in Baltimore, MD, USA. The given name on file is Elton P. Chamberlain.
Chamberlain's career pitching line is 157 wins, 120 losses and a 3.57 ERA over 321 appearances. The same table counts 1,133 strikeouts, 264 complete games, and 16 shutouts. That 3.57 ERA compares with a 3.88 league average across the same seasons, 8.1% better. 1889 brought Chamberlain a season-high 32 wins.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ice Box Chamberlain
- What years did Ice Box Chamberlain play?
- Ice Box Chamberlain played in Major League Baseball from 1886 to 1896.
- Was Ice Box Chamberlain a pitcher?
- Yes. Ice Box Chamberlain pitched in the major leagues, recording 157 wins and 1133 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ice Box Chamberlain hit?
- Ice Box Chamberlain hit 9 career home runs with 213 hits.
- What was Ice Box Chamberlain's career batting average?
- Ice Box Chamberlain batted .203 over his career, with 213 hits in 1,051 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ice Box Chamberlain have?
- Ice Box Chamberlain drove in 110 runs in his career.
- What was Ice Box Chamberlain's career ERA?
- Ice Box Chamberlain finished with a 3.57 career ERA, going 157-120 with 1,133 strikeouts.