Birdie Cree
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1915)
Birdie Cree was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1915 for the New York Yankees, a span of 8 seasons. In 742 career games, he hit .292 with 761 hits, 11 home runs, and 332 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 7,837.
- 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
- 5'6" / 150 lb
- Died
- 11/7/1942 in Sunbury, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1908-09-17
- Last Game
- 1915-09-21
Full name: William Franklin Cree
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 742 | 2,603 | 345 | 761 | 117 | 62 | 11 | 332 | 132 | 269 | 274 | .292 | .368 | .398 | .766 | 7,837 |
Career AVG .292 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +14.9% above league average.
Career OBP .368 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — +14.9% above league average.
Career SLG .398 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +18.6% above league average.
Career OPS .766 vs. league average .655 across their career seasons — +16.8% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | NYA | AL | 21 | 78 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 12 | .269 | .240 (+12%) | .298 (+16%) | .306 (+5%) | .605 (+10%) | 135.8 |
| 1909 | NYA | AL | 104 | 343 | 48 | 90 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 10 | 30 | 31 | .262 | .244 (+7%) | .306 (+10%) | .312 (+1%) | .618 (+5%) | 444.0 |
| 1910 | NYA | AL | 134 | 467 | 58 | 134 | 19 | 16 | 4 | 73 | 28 | 40 | 48 | .287 | .249 (+15%) | .317 (+11%) | .326 (+29%) | .644 (+20%) | 1645.2 |
| 1911 | NYA | AL | 137 | 520 | 90 | 181 | 30 | 22 | 4 | 88 | 48 | 56 | 61 | .348 | .266 (+31%) | .336 (+23%) | .356 (+44%) | .693 (+34%) | 3398.1 |
| 1912 | NYA | AL | 50 | 190 | 25 | 63 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 12 | 20 | 25 | .332 | .268 (+23%) | .335 (+22%) | .358 (+26%) | .694 (+24%) | 815.4 |
| 1913 | NYA | AL | 145 | 534 | 51 | 145 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 63 | 22 | 50 | 51 | .272 | .259 (+5%) | .325 (+4%) | .345 (avg) | .670 (+2%) | 266.2 |
| 1914 | NYA | AL | 77 | 275 | 45 | 85 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 40 | 4 | 30 | 24 | .309 | .255 (+21%) | .322 (+21%) | .339 (+21%) | .661 (+21%) | 1057.5 |
| 1915 | NYA | AL | 74 | 196 | 23 | 42 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 36 | 22 | .214 | .250 (-14%) | .318 (+11%) | .332 (-17%) | .651 (-3%) | 74.7 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 742 | 2,603 | 345 | 761 | 117 | 62 | 11 | 332 | 132 | 269 | 274 | .292 | — | — | — | — | 7,837 | ||
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 (743 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 340 | 1153 | 166 | 369 | 6 | 176 | .320 |
| Away | 403 | 1457 | 178 | 396 | 5 | 154 | .272 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915-09-21 | NYY | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-18 | NYY | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-16 | NYY | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-15 | NYY | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-14 | NYY | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-10 | NYY | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-08 | NYY | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-06 | NYY | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915-09-04 | NYY | MIN | L | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1915-08-31 | NYY | MIN | L | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 6 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 689 | 227 | 1252 | 81 | 48 | 20 |
| SS | 10 | 5 | 14 | 34 | 6 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | NYA | OF | 21 | 21 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 1909 | NYA | 2B | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | NYA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | NYA | OF | 79 | 78 | 121 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 1909 | NYA | SS | 6 | 5 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 1910 | NYA | OF | 134 | 128 | 202 | 11 | 10 | 3 |
| 1911 | NYA | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1911 | NYA | OF | 132 | 0 | 245 | 19 | 10 | 2 |
| 1911 | NYA | SS | 4 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| 1912 | NYA | OF | 50 | 0 | 123 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1913 | NYA | OF | 144 | 0 | 239 | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 1914 | NYA | OF | 76 | 0 | 190 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 1915 | NYA | OF | 53 | 0 | 97 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 6 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 10 |
| Left Field | 384 |
| Center Field | 266 |
| Right Field | 43 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| California University of Pennsylvania | California | PA | 1902, 1903 |
| Pennsylvania State University | State College | PA | 1905, 1906, 1907 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 16.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Birdie Cree (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Birdie Cree: the record in brief
September 17, 1908 and September 21, 1915 bracket Birdie Cree's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the New York Highlanders (1908 to 1912) and the New York Yankees (1913 to 1915). Cree, an outfielder by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5'6" and 150 pounds. Cree was born on October 23, 1882, in Khedive, PA, USA. The bio records the death on November 7, 1942, in Sunbury, PA, USA. The given name on file is William Franklin Cree.
Cree finished with 761 hits from 2,603 at bats in 742 games, which works out to .292, adding 11 home runs, 332 runs batted in, and 132 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .368 and the slugging percentage .398, for an OPS of .766. Measured against the leagues Cree played in, the .292 career average compares with a .254 league average over the same seasons, 14.9% above the league. No season topped the 181 hits of 1911. Cree drove in a season-high 88 runs in 1911.
Frequently Asked Questions about Birdie Cree
- What years did Birdie Cree play?
- Birdie Cree played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1915.
- Was Birdie Cree a pitcher?
- No. Birdie Cree was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Birdie Cree hit?
- Birdie Cree hit 11 career home runs with 761 hits.
- What was Birdie Cree's career batting average?
- Birdie Cree batted .292 over his career, with 761 hits in 2,603 at bats.
- How many RBI did Birdie Cree have?
- Birdie Cree drove in 332 runs in his career.
- Is Birdie Cree in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Birdie Cree has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.