Bubba Church
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1950-1955)
Bubba Church was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1955 for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 6 seasons. Across 147 career appearances, he went 36-37 with a 4.10 ERA and 274 strikeouts. He also batted .226 with 3 home runs.
- 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
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 9/17/2001 in Birmingham, AL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1950-04-30
- Last Game
- 1955-05-01
Full name: Emory Nicholas Church
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | PHI | NL | 8 | 6 | 31 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 142.0 | 113 | 43 | 56 | 50 | 2.73 | 4.36 (+37%) | 721.7 |
| 1951 | PHI | NL | 15 | 11 | 38 | 33 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 247.0 | 246 | 97 | 90 | 104 | 3.53 | 4.04 (+12%) | 2619.6 |
| 1952 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10.80 | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CIN | NL | 5 | 9 | 29 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 153.1 | 173 | 74 | 48 | 47 | 4.34 | 3.70 (-17%) | -3270.5 |
| 1953 | CIN | NL | 3 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43.2 | 55 | 29 | 19 | 12 | 5.98 | 4.14 (-44%) | -2212.1 |
| 1953 | CHN | NL | 4 | 5 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 104.1 | 115 | 58 | 49 | 47 | 5.00 | 4.14 (-21%) | -2642.1 |
| 1954 | CHN | NL | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 | 21 | 16 | 13 | 8 | 9.82 | 3.90 (-152%) | -2625.3 |
| 1955 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5.40 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 36 | 37 | 147 | 95 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 713.1 | 738 | 325 | 277 | 274 | 4.10 | — | -7,409 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162 | 235 | 21 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 42 | .226 | .242 | .302 | .544 | -400 |
Career AVG .226 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 13.4% below league average.
Career OBP .242 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 27.9% below league average.
Career SLG .302 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 22.5% below league average.
Career OPS .544 vs. league average .725 across their career seasons — 25.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | PHI | NL | 39 | 44 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | PHI | NL | 39 | 86 | 8 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .256 | .260 (-2%) | .336 (-21%) | .385 (-16%) | .721 (-18%) | -271.8 |
| 1952 | PHI | NL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CIN | NL | 32 | 50 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .240 | .252 (-5%) | .326 (-22%) | .369 (-8%) | .696 (-15%) | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CIN | NL | 12 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .267 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CHN | NL | 27 | 33 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .212 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1954 | CHN | NL | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1955 | CHN | NL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 162 | 235 | 21 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 42 | .226 | — | — | — | — | -272 | ||
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 (309 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 86 | 116 | 8 | 27 | 1 | 8 | .233 |
| Away | 76 | 119 | 14 | 26 | 2 | 5 | .218 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 79 | 377.2 | 393 | 177 | 156 | 142 | 4.22 |
| Away | 68 | 335.1 | 345 | 149 | 121 | 132 | 4.00 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-01 | CHC | PHI | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955-04-17 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955-04-16 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-23 | CHC | ATL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-22 | CHC | ATL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-16 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-14 | CHC | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-13 | CHC | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-11 | CHC | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-02 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-01 | CHC | PHI | SV | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1955-04-16 | CHC | STL | — | 2.2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1954-05-23 | CHC | ATL | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1954-05-22 | CHC | ATL | L | 0.2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-05-16 | CHC | PIT | — | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1954-05-14 | CHC | NY1 | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954-05-13 | CHC | NY1 | L | 1.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1954-05-02 | CHC | PIT | L | 0.2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954-04-25 | CHC | CIN | W | 9.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 1953-09-22 | CHC | CIN | L | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 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 | 147 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 4th | 2.0 | 24 | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bubba Church (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bubba Church: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bubba Church's first major league game on April 30, 1950; the last one listed came on May 1, 1955. By club, Church's seasons break down as the Philadelphia Phillies (1950 through 1952), the Cincinnati Reds (1952 through 1953), and the Chicago Cubs (1953 through 1955). Born on September 12, 1924, in Birmingham, AL, USA, Church is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 0 inches and 180 pounds. Church's death is recorded on September 17, 2001, in Birmingham, AL, USA. Bubba Church was the playing name; the full given name is Emory Nicholas.
Church pitched in 147 games, starting 95, and finished with a 36-37 record and 4.10 ERA. The totals include 274 strikeouts, 32 complete games, and 7 shutouts. Church's 4.10 ERA was close to the 4.02 league figure for those seasons. Church won 15 games in 1951, the most of any season listed. 1951 was Church's sharpest full season, a 3.53 ERA against the league's 4.04.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bubba Church
- What years did Bubba Church play?
- Bubba Church played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1955.
- Was Bubba Church a pitcher?
- Yes. Bubba Church pitched in the major leagues, recording 36 wins and 274 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bubba Church hit?
- Bubba Church hit 3 career home runs with 53 hits.
- What teams did Bubba Church play for?
- Bubba Church played for 3 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1950–1952), the Cincinnati Reds (1952–1953), and the Chicago Cubs (1953–1955).
- What were Bubba Church's career stats?
- In 147 games, Bubba Church went 36-37 with a 4.10 ERA, 274 strikeouts, 713.1 innings pitched, and 4 saves. At the plate he had 53 hits and 3 home runs.
- What position did Bubba Church play?
- Bubba Church played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bubba Church and how much did he weigh?
- Bubba Church was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- What was Bubba Church's career ERA?
- Bubba Church finished with a 4.10 career ERA, going 36-37 with 274 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bubba Church have?
- Bubba Church recorded 274 career strikeouts.
- Is Bubba Church in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bubba Church has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.