Merl Combs
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1947-1952)
Merl Combs was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1952 for the Boston Red Sox, the Washington Senators, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 6 seasons. In 140 career games, he hit .202 with 73 hits, 2 home runs, and 25 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 172 lb
- Died
- 7/7/1981 in Riverside, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1947-09-12
- Last Game
- 1952-09-28
Full name: Merrill Russell Combs
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | 361 | 45 | 73 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 57 | 43 | .202 | .314 | .241 | .555 | -1,048 |
Career AVG .202 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 22.5% below league average.
Career OBP .314 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 7.0% below league average.
Career SLG .241 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 37.1% below league average.
Career OPS .555 vs. league average .721 across their career seasons — 23.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | BOS | AL | 17 | 68 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 9 | .221 | .262 (-16%) | .336 (-2%) | .376 (-26%) | .712 (-15%) | -126.1 |
| 1949 | BOS | AL | 14 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1950 | BOS | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1950 | WS1 | AL | 37 | 102 | 19 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 16 | .245 | .265 (-8%) | .346 (+10%) | .401 (-37%) | .747 (-15%) | 0.0 |
| 1951 | CLE | AL | 19 | 28 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CLE | AL | 52 | 139 | 11 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 15 | .165 | .252 (-35%) | .326 (-26%) | .369 (-44%) | .696 (-35%) | -754.1 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 140 | 361 | 45 | 73 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 57 | 43 | .202 | — | — | — | — | -880 | ||
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 (140 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 65 | 174 | 13 | 31 | 1 | 12 | .178 |
| Away | 75 | 187 | 32 | 42 | 1 | 13 | .225 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-09-28 | CLE | DET | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1952-08-09 | CLE | SLA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-03 | CLE | PHA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1952-07-27 | CLE | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1952-07-27 | CLE | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-07-26 | CLE | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-07-25 | CLE | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-07-24 | CLE | NYY | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1952-07-23 | CLE | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-07-22 | CLE | NYY | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 26 |
| Shortstop | 96 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | CA | 1940, 1941 |
Merl Combs: the record in brief
The profile opens with Merl Combs's first major league game on September 12, 1947; the last one listed came on September 28, 1952. Combs played for the Boston Red Sox (1947 to 1950), the Washington Senators (1950), and the Cleveland Indians (1951 to 1952). Combs, born on December 11, 1919, in Los Angeles, CA, USA, is listed as a shortstop and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Size on record: 172 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. Combs died on July 7, 1981, in Riverside, CA, USA. Combs's full given name, per the bio, is Merrill Russell Combs.
Across 140 games at the plate, Combs's career line reads 73 hits in 361 at bats for a .202 average, along with 2 homers and 25 RBI. Reaching base at a .314 clip and slugging .241, Combs finished with a .555 OPS. Over the seasons Combs played, league hitters batted .261; the .202 career figure is 22.5% below that. The OPS comparison is .555 to a league .721, 23.0% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 25, in 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions about Merl Combs
- What years did Merl Combs play?
- Merl Combs played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1952.
- Was Merl Combs a pitcher?
- No. Merl Combs was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Merl Combs hit?
- Merl Combs hit 2 career home runs with 73 hits.
- What was Merl Combs's career batting average?
- Merl Combs batted .202 over his career, with 73 hits in 361 at bats.
- How many RBI did Merl Combs have?
- Merl Combs drove in 25 runs in his career.
- Is Merl Combs in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Merl Combs has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.