Bill Champion
Born: 9/18/1947 in Shelby, NC, USA
Died: 1/7/2017 in Shelby, NC, USA
MLB Debut: 1969-06-04 | Final Game: 1976-06-05
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 188 lbs
Full name: Buford Billy Champion
Biography
Bill Champion, born in 1947, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1969 to June 4, 1976. He played during a transformative era in Major League Baseball, characterized by the transition from the tail end of the deadball era to the more offensive-minded game that emerged in the 1970s. Champion was known for his competitive spirit on the mound and his ability to log significant innings, which made him a reliable option for his teams.
Over the course of his career, Champion recorded a win-loss record of 34-50 and maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.69. He struck out a total of 360 batters and notched 2 saves, demonstrating his capacity to both start games and come in as a reliever when needed. While he may not have been a marquee player, Champion’s contributions to the teams he played for were vital, and he remains a notable figure in the history of pitching during a pivotal time in baseball.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 50 | 202 | 102 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 804.3 | 873 | 419 | 64 | 354 | 360 | 4.69 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | PHI | NL | 5 | 10 | 23 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 116.7 | 130 | 65 | 63 | 70 | 5.01 | -516.4 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 9.00 | -765.6 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 3 | 5 | 37 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.7 | 100 | 53 | 48 | 49 | 4.39 | -1902.2 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 4 | 14 | 30 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 132.7 | 155 | 75 | 54 | 54 | 5.09 | -2189.3 |
| 1973 | ATL | AL | 5 | 8 | 37 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 136.3 | 139 | 56 | 62 | 67 | 3.70 | - |
| 1974 | ATL | AL | 11 | 4 | 31 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 161.7 | 168 | 65 | 49 | 60 | 3.62 | - |
| 1975 | ATL | AL | 6 | 6 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 110.0 | 125 | 72 | 55 | 40 | 5.89 | - |
| 1976 | ATL | AL | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.3 | 35 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 7.03 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204 | 99 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 0.141 | 0.158 | 0.192 | 0.350 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | PHI | NL | 23 | 35 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0.171 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 37 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.111 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 32 | 34 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0.147 | 0.0 |
| 1973 | ATL | AL | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | ATL | AL | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | ATL | AL | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | ATL | AL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 202 | 102 | 64 | 137 | 9 | 13 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | PHI | P | 23 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 2 |
| 1970 | PHI | P | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | PHI | P | 37 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 | PHI | P | 30 | 22 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 2 |
| 1973 | ML4 | P | 37 | 11 | 7 | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 1974 | ML4 | P | 31 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 3 | 2 |
| 1975 | ML4 | P | 27 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 1976 | ML4 | P | 10 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 202 |