Dick Cole
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951-1957)
Dick Cole was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1957 for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Milwaukee Braves, a span of 7 seasons. In 456 career games, he hit .249 with 303 hits, 2 home runs, and 107 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 175 lb
- Died
- 10/18/2018 in Costa Mesa, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-04-27
- Last Game
- 1957-07-21
Full name: Richard Roy Cole
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 456 | 1,215 | 106 | 303 | 50 | 10 | 2 | 107 | 2 | 132 | 124 | .249 | .322 | .312 | .634 | -2,074 |
Career AVG .249 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .322 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .312 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 20.5% below league average.
Career OPS .634 vs. league average .725 across their career seasons — 12.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | SLN | NL | 15 | 36 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 5 | .194 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | PIT | NL | 42 | 106 | 9 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 9 | .236 | .260 (-10%) | .336 (-2%) | .385 (-22%) | .721 (-12%) | 0.0 |
| 1953 | PIT | NL | 97 | 235 | 29 | 64 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 38 | 26 | .272 | .264 (+3%) | .335 (+11%) | .397 (-15%) | .733 (-3%) | -11.2 |
| 1954 | PIT | NL | 138 | 486 | 40 | 131 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 41 | 48 | .270 | .261 (+3%) | .333 (-3%) | .390 (-12%) | .723 (-8%) | -663.5 |
| 1955 | PIT | NL | 77 | 239 | 16 | 54 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 18 | 22 | .226 | .258 (-13%) | .332 (-14%) | .393 (-28%) | .726 (-22%) | -832.3 |
| 1956 | PIT | NL | 72 | 99 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 9 | .212 | .258 (-18%) | .331 (-12%) | .397 (-36%) | .728 (-25%) | -385.6 |
| 1957 | ML1 | NL | 15 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | .071 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 456 | 1,215 | 106 | 303 | 50 | 10 | 2 | 107 | 2 | 132 | 124 | .249 | — | — | — | — | -1,893 | ||
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 (456 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 224 | 586 | 57 | 148 | 1 | 52 | .253 |
| Away | 232 | 629 | 49 | 155 | 1 | 54 | .246 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-07-21 | ATL | NY1 | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-07-18 | ATL | PHI | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-07-15 | ATL | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1957-07-06 | ATL | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-06-25 | ATL | BRO | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1957-06-24 | ATL | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-05-30 | ATL | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-05-27 | ATL | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-05-26 | ATL | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-05-25 | ATL | CHC | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 118 | 48 | 250 | 265 | 13 | 56 |
| 3B | 107 | 86 | 78 | 187 | 17 | 16 |
| SS | 169 | 70 | 272 | 421 | 28 | 79 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | SLN | 2B | 14 | 0 | 21 | 41 | 2 | 10 |
| 1951 | PIT | 2B | 34 | 0 | 85 | 74 | 3 | 18 |
| 1951 | PIT | SS | 8 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 1953 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953 | PIT | 2B | 7 | 0 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 1953 | PIT | SS | 77 | 0 | 139 | 192 | 12 | 40 |
| 1954 | PIT | 2B | 17 | 18 | 43 | 46 | 3 | 5 |
| 1954 | PIT | 3B | 55 | 50 | 48 | 112 | 10 | 7 |
| 1954 | PIT | SS | 66 | 62 | 101 | 178 | 15 | 29 |
| 1955 | PIT | 2B | 24 | 22 | 60 | 67 | 4 | 13 |
| 1955 | PIT | 3B | 33 | 29 | 25 | 61 | 6 | 7 |
| 1955 | PIT | SS | 12 | 4 | 18 | 30 | 0 | 5 |
| 1956 | PIT | 2B | 12 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| 1956 | PIT | 3B | 18 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 1956 | PIT | SS | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| 1957 | ML1 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | ML1 | 2B | 10 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| 1957 | ML1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 117 |
| Third Base | 104 |
| Shortstop | 174 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dick Cole (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dick Cole: the record in brief
Dick Cole played a first major league game on April 27, 1951 and a last one on July 21, 1957. By club, Cole's seasons break down as the St. Louis Cardinals (1951), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1951 through 1956), and the Milwaukee Braves (1957). At 6 feet, 2 inches and 175 pounds, Cole is listed as a shortstop. The bio says Cole batted and threw right-handed. Cole was born on May 6, 1926, in Long Beach, CA, USA. The bio records the death on October 18, 2018, in Costa Mesa, CA, USA. The bio lists the given name Richard Roy.
The batting record for Cole: 456 games, 303 hits in 1,215 at bats, and a .249 average, plus 2 homers and 107 runs batted in. Cole got on base at a .322 rate and slugged .312 (.634 OPS). Against a .260 league average for those years, Cole's .249 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 12.5% below league average (.634 against .725). 1954 produced Cole's most hits, 131 of them for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The RBI column peaks at 40 in 1954.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dick Cole
- What years did Dick Cole play?
- Dick Cole played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1957.
- Was Dick Cole a pitcher?
- No. Dick Cole was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Dick Cole hit?
- Dick Cole hit 2 career home runs with 303 hits.
- What was Dick Cole's career batting average?
- Dick Cole batted .249 over his career, with 303 hits in 1,215 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dick Cole have?
- Dick Cole drove in 107 runs in his career.
- Is Dick Cole in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dick Cole has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.