Bill Drake
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Bill Drake was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the St. Louis Giants. Across 186 career appearances, he went 79-70 with a 3.69 ERA and 556 strikeouts. He also batted .198 with 6 home runs. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 12956.8.
- 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" / 205 lb
- Died
- 10/30/1977 in St. Louis, MO, USA
Full name: William P. Drake
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | SLG | WES | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26.0 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 2.08 | 2.78 (+25%) | 189.6 |
| 1920 | SLG | NNL | 10 | 12 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 191.0 | 206 | 66 | 64 | 90 | 3.11 | 3.45 (+10%) | 1835.4 |
| 1921 | SLG | NNL | 16 | 9 | 28 | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 195.1 | 170 | 63 | 68 | 117 | 2.90 | 4.02 (+28%) | 4557.0 |
| 1922 | SLS | NNL | 0 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29.2 | 43 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 7.58 | 4.18 (-81%) | -419.9 |
| 1922 | KCM | NNL | 6 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 95.2 | 118 | 43 | 29 | 48 | 4.05 | 4.18 (+3%) | 1407.9 |
| 1923 | KCM | NNL | 12 | 10 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 185.0 | 203 | 79 | 59 | 69 | 3.84 | 4.03 (+5%) | 1476.7 |
| 1924 | KCM | NNL | 10 | 7 | 26 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 148.1 | 148 | 65 | 58 | 58 | 3.94 | 4.13 (+4%) | 1409.2 |
| 1925 | KCM | NNL | 9 | 6 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 123.2 | 111 | 46 | 33 | 57 | 3.35 | 4.55 (+26%) | 3399.9 |
| 1926 | ABC | NNL | 8 | 6 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 117.1 | 130 | 52 | 41 | 63 | 3.99 | 4.11 (+3%) | 813.9 |
| 1927 | DS | NNL | 8 | 6 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 111.1 | 127 | 51 | 46 | 33 | 4.12 | 4.08 (-1%) | -1712.9 |
| 1930 | NEG | NNL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1930 | SLS | NNL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5.40 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 79 | 70 | 186 | 144 | 99 | 6 | 6 | 1,234.2 | 1,298 | 506 | 422 | 556 | 3.69 | — | 12,957 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194 | 470 | 49 | 93 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 49 | 6 | 32 | 4 | .198 | .258 | .274 | .532 | -773 |
Career AVG .198 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 29.6% below league average.
Career OBP .258 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 24.8% below league average.
Career SLG .274 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 29.6% below league average.
Career OPS .532 vs. league average .732 across their career seasons — 27.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | SLG | WES | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1920 | SLG | NNL | 26 | 71 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .183 | .271 (-33%) | .331 (-29%) | .363 (-42%) | .694 (-36%) | -384.3 |
| 1921 | SLG | NNL | 28 | 80 | 13 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | .188 | .286 (-34%) | .344 (-27%) | .395 (-40%) | .739 (-34%) | -435.4 |
| 1922 | SLS | NNL | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1922 | KCM | NNL | 16 | 37 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .162 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1923 | KCM | NNL | 27 | 66 | 10 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .242 | .282 (-14%) | .344 (-14%) | .390 (-3%) | .734 (-8%) | -95.1 |
| 1924 | KCM | NNL | 27 | 58 | 5 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .276 | .283 (-3%) | .345 (-10%) | .389 (+6%) | .734 (-1%) | -30.4 |
| 1925 | KCM | NNL | 22 | 45 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .133 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1926 | ABC | NNL | 19 | 46 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .283 | — | — | — | — | 172.3 |
| 1927 | DS | NNL | 16 | 43 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .163 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1930 | NEG | NNL | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1930 | SLS | NNL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 194 | 470 | 49 | 93 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 49 | 6 | 32 | 4 | .198 | — | — | — | — | -773 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Game Log & Splits
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .429 |
| Away | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 15.1 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 0.59 |
| Away | 1 | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2.25 |
Last 3 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925-08-11 | KCM | SSN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-07-10 | SLG | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1921-06-29 | SLG | CB1 | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Last 3 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925-08-11 | KCM | SSN | L | 6.1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 1921-07-10 | SLG | CAG | L | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1921-06-29 | SLG | CB1 | W | 9.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 186 | 142 | 36 | 424 | 35 | 16 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | SLG | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | SLG | P | 24 | 22 | 8 | 69 | 10 | 5 |
| 1921 | SLG | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | SLG | P | 28 | 22 | 5 | 99 | 8 | 1 |
| 1922 | SLS | P | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922 | KCM | P | 16 | 13 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 1 |
| 1923 | KCM | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | KCM | P | 26 | 22 | 5 | 68 | 4 | 2 |
| 1924 | KCM | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | KCM | P | 26 | 19 | 5 | 45 | 5 | 4 |
| 1925 | KCM | P | 22 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | ABC | P | 17 | 12 | 5 | 39 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927 | DS | P | 16 | 14 | 4 | 44 | 3 | 2 |
| 1930 | NEG | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | SLS | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 186 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Drake: the record in brief
The season rows for Bill Drake begin in 1916. Club by club, the record runs the St. Louis Giants (1916 through 1921), the St. Louis Stars (1922 to 1930), the Kansas City Monarchs (1922 through 1925), the Indianapolis ABCs (1926), the Detroit Stars (1927), and the Nashville Elite Giants (1930). At 6'0" and 205 pounds, Drake is listed as a pitcher. The bio says Drake both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is June 8, 1895, in Sedalia, MO, USA. The bio records the death on October 30, 1977, in St. Louis, MO, USA. The given name on file is William P. Drake.
The pitching table credits Drake with a 79-70 record and a 3.69 ERA in 186 games. The same table counts 556 strikeouts, 99 complete games, and 6 shutouts. That 3.69 ERA compares with a 4.04 league average across the same seasons, 8.6% better. No season topped the 16 wins of 1921.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Drake
- Was Bill Drake a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Drake pitched in the major leagues, recording 79 wins and 556 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Drake hit?
- Bill Drake hit 6 career home runs with 93 hits.
- What teams did Bill Drake play for?
- Bill Drake played for 5 teams: the St. Louis Stars (1916, 1920–1922, 1930), the Kansas City Monarchs (1922–1925), the Indianapolis ABCs (1926), the Detroit Stars (1927), and the Nashville Elite Giants (1930).
- What were Bill Drake's career stats?
- In 186 games, Bill Drake went 79-70 with a 3.69 ERA, 556 strikeouts, 1,234.2 innings pitched, and 6 saves. At the plate he had 93 hits and 6 home runs.
- What position did Bill Drake play?
- Bill Drake played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Drake and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Drake was listed at 6 feet and 205 pounds.
- What was Bill Drake's career ERA?
- Bill Drake finished with a 3.69 career ERA, going 79-70 with 556 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bill Drake have?
- Bill Drake recorded 556 career strikeouts.
- Is Bill Drake in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Drake has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.