Billy Cowan
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1963-1972)
Billy Cowan was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1972 for 6 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 10 seasons. In 493 career games, he hit .236 with 281 hits, 40 home runs, and 125 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 170 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1963-09-09
- Last Game
- 1972-04-24
Full name: Billy Rolland Cowan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 493 | 1,190 | 131 | 281 | 44 | 8 | 40 | 125 | 17 | 50 | 297 | .236 | .269 | .387 | .656 | -916 |
Career AVG .236 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .269 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 14.6% below league average.
Career SLG .387 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .656 vs. league average .684 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | CHN | NL | 14 | 36 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 139 | 497 | 52 | 120 | 16 | 4 | 19 | 50 | 12 | 18 | 128 | .241 | .250 (-4%) | .312 (-14%) | .377 (+7%) | .690 (-3%) | -354.2 |
| 1965 | NYN | NL | 82 | 156 | 16 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 45 | .179 | .245 (-27%) | .310 (-34%) | .371 (-15%) | .682 (-24%) | -620.7 |
| 1965 | ML1 | NL | 19 | 27 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .185 | — | — | — | — | -620.7 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 34 | 59 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 14 | .153 | .242 (-37%) | .306 (-34%) | .357 (-15%) | .663 (-23%) | -223.6 |
| 1969 | NYA | AL | 32 | 48 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | .167 | — | — | — | — | -261.4 |
| 1969 | CAL | AL | 28 | 56 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 9 | .304 | .248 (+22%) | .320 (+9%) | .369 (+45%) | .689 (+28%) | -261.4 |
| 1970 | CAL | AL | 68 | 134 | 20 | 37 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 11 | 29 | .276 | .253 (+9%) | .325 (+3%) | .385 (+22%) | .711 (+13%) | 286.7 |
| 1971 | CAL | AL | 74 | 174 | 12 | 48 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 41 | .276 | .249 (+11%) | .316 (-4%) | .365 (+7%) | .682 (+2%) | 13.1 |
| 1972 | CAL | AL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 493 | 1,190 | 131 | 281 | 44 | 8 | 40 | 125 | 17 | 50 | 297 | .236 | — | — | — | — | -2,042 | ||
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 (493 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 232 | 553 | 66 | 146 | 24 | 68 | .264 |
| Away | 261 | 637 | 65 | 135 | 16 | 57 | .212 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-04-24 | LAA | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-04-21 | LAA | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-04-19 | LAA | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-30 | LAA | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-28 | LAA | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-09-26 | LAA | CHW | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-25 | LAA | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-09-24 | LAA | CHW | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-23 | LAA | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1971-09-19 | LAA | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 25 | 17 | 133 | 8 | 1 | 18 |
| 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 329 | 251 | 540 | 10 | 13 | 3 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | CHN | OF | 10 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964 | CHN | OF | 134 | 127 | 297 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 1965 | NYN | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | NYN | OF | 61 | 35 | 80 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1965 | NYN | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | ML1 | OF | 10 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | PHI | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | PHI | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | PHI | OF | 20 | 16 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | NYA | OF | 14 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | CAL | 1B | 6 | 4 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1969 | CAL | OF | 13 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | CAL | 1B | 14 | 9 | 69 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| 1970 | CAL | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | CAL | OF | 27 | 18 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1971 | CAL | 1B | 5 | 4 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 1971 | CAL | OF | 40 | 31 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 25 |
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 80 |
| Center Field | 211 |
| Right Field | 42 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Utah | Salt Lake City | UT | 1959, 1960 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Cowan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Billy Cowan: the record in brief
Billy Cowan played a first major league game on September 9, 1963 and a last one on April 24, 1972. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago Cubs (1963 to 1964), the New York Mets (1965), the Milwaukee Braves (1965), the Philadelphia Phillies (1967), the New York Yankees (1969), and the California Angels (1969 to 1972). The bio lists Cowan as an outfielder who both batted and threw right-handed. Cowan is listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 170 pounds. The birth record reads August 28, 1938, in Calhoun City, MS, USA. The given name on file is Billy Rolland Cowan.
In 493 games and 1,190 at bats, Cowan batted .236 with 281 hits, plus 40 homers and 125 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .269 clip and slugging .387, Cowan finished with a .656 OPS. Cowan hit .236 while the league hit .248 over the same span, a figure close to average. The home run peak was 19 in 1964 with the Chicago Cubs. The hits column peaks at 120, in 1964. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .241 in 1964, did not top the league's .250.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Cowan
- What years did Billy Cowan play?
- Billy Cowan played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1972.
- Was Billy Cowan a pitcher?
- No. Billy Cowan was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Billy Cowan hit?
- Billy Cowan hit 40 career home runs with 281 hits.
- What teams did Billy Cowan play for?
- Billy Cowan played for 6 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1963–1964), the New York Mets (1965), the Milwaukee Braves (1965), the Philadelphia Phillies (1967), the New York Yankees (1969), and the California Angels (1969–1972).
- What were Billy Cowan's career stats?
- In 493 games, Billy Cowan had 281 hits, 40 home runs, 125 RBI, 131 runs, and 17 stolen bases, with a .236 batting average.
- What position did Billy Cowan play?
- Billy Cowan played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Billy Cowan and how much did he weigh?
- Billy Cowan was listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Billy Cowan hit each season?
- Billy Cowan's home runs by season: 1 in 1963, 19 in 1964, 3 in 1965, 3 in 1967, 5 in 1969, 5 in 1970, 4 in 1971, and 0 in 1972. His most in one season was 19, in 1964.
- What was Billy Cowan's career batting average?
- Billy Cowan batted .236 over his career, with 281 hits in 1,190 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Cowan have?
- Billy Cowan drove in 125 runs in his career.
- Is Billy Cowan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Cowan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.