Buster Chatham
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1930-1931)
Buster Chatham was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1931 for the Boston Braves, a span of 2 seasons. In 129 career games, he hit .263 with 118 hits, 6 home runs, and 59 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'5" / 150 lb
- Died
- 12/15/1975 in Waco, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1930-06-01
- Last Game
- 1931-06-13
Full name: Charles Lorenzo Chatham
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | 448 | 52 | 118 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 59 | 8 | 43 | 47 | .263 | .331 | .400 | .730 | -509 |
Career AVG .263 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.
Career OBP .331 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .400 vs. league average .410 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .730 vs. league average .757 across their career seasons — near 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 | BSN | NL | 112 | 404 | 48 | 108 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 56 | 8 | 37 | 41 | .267 | .293 (-9%) | .354 (-6%) | .429 (-5%) | .784 (-6%) | -435.6 |
| 1931 | BSN | NL | 17 | 44 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | .227 | — | — | — | — | -73.1 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 129 | 448 | 52 | 118 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 59 | 8 | 43 | 47 | .263 | — | — | — | — | -509 | ||
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 (129 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 68 | 221 | 29 | 65 | 3 | 29 | .294 |
| Away | 61 | 227 | 23 | 53 | 3 | 31 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-06-13 | BSN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931-06-09 | BSN | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-06-07 | BSN | CIN | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-06-04 | BSN | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-06-03 | BSN | PIT | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-05-30 | BSN | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931-05-27 | BSN | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-05-26 | BSN | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1931-05-26 | BSN | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931-05-24 | BSN | NY1 | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 98 |
| Shortstop | 24 |
Buster Chatham: the record in brief
Between the debut on June 1, 1930 and the final game on June 13, 1931, Buster Chatham built the record summarized on this page. The team column never changes: it is the Boston Braves from 1930 to 1931. Chatham, a third baseman by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 150 pounds on a 5-foot-5 frame. Chatham was born on December 25, 1901, in West, TX, USA. Chatham's death is recorded on December 15, 1975, in Waco, TX, USA. The given name on file is Charles Lorenzo Chatham.
Chatham's career batting table shows 129 games, 448 at bats and 118 hits, a .263 average, adding 6 home runs and 59 RBI. The on-base percentage is .331 and the slugging percentage .400, for an OPS of .730. Chatham's .263 average ran 7.8% below the .286 that the league posted over the same seasons. The hits column peaks at 108, in 1930. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .267 in 1930, did not top the league's .293.
Frequently Asked Questions about Buster Chatham
- What years did Buster Chatham play?
- Buster Chatham played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1931.
- Was Buster Chatham a pitcher?
- No. Buster Chatham was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Buster Chatham hit?
- Buster Chatham hit 6 career home runs with 118 hits.
- What teams did Buster Chatham play for?
- Buster Chatham played for one team, the Boston Braves (1930–1931).
- What were Buster Chatham's career stats?
- In 129 games, Buster Chatham had 118 hits, 6 home runs, 59 RBI, 52 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .263 batting average.
- What position did Buster Chatham play?
- Buster Chatham played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Buster Chatham and how much did he weigh?
- Buster Chatham was listed at 5 feet 5 inches and 150 pounds.
- How many home runs did Buster Chatham hit each season?
- Buster Chatham's home runs by season: 5 in 1930 and 1 in 1931. His most in one season was 5, in 1930.
- What was Buster Chatham's career batting average?
- Buster Chatham batted .263 over his career, with 118 hits in 448 at bats.
- How many RBI did Buster Chatham have?
- Buster Chatham drove in 59 runs in his career.
- Is Buster Chatham in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Buster Chatham has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.