Rocky Ellis
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Rocky Ellis was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Hilldale Club, the Philadelphia Stars, and the Homestead Grays. Across 84 career appearances, he went 24-25 with a 4.90 ERA and 189 strikeouts. 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 1851.3.
- 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
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 141 lb
- Died
- 11/15/1989 in Richmond, VA, USA
Full name: Raymond Charles Ellis
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | PS | NN2 | 9 | 3 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 118.0 | 96 | 37 | 38 | 47 | 2.82 | 4.29 (+34%) | 1086.1 |
| 1935 | PS | NN2 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 98.1 | 108 | 53 | 33 | 41 | 4.85 | 4.35 (-12%) | -181.2 |
| 1936 | PS | NN2 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 57.1 | 70 | 40 | 14 | 30 | 6.28 | 4.59 (-37%) | 594.0 |
| 1937 | PS | NN2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 53.2 | 63 | 28 | 11 | 32 | 4.70 | 4.34 (-8%) | 1263.5 |
| 1938 | PS | NN2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 | 51 | 23 | 16 | 21 | 5.05 | 4.35 (-16%) | -239.0 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33.0 | 48 | 32 | 10 | 14 | 8.73 | 4.28 (-104%) | -672.1 |
| 1940 | HG | NN2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.1 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 12.79 | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PS | NN2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5.00 | 4.21 (-19%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 24 | 25 | 84 | 48 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 416.2 | 460 | 227 | 126 | 189 | 4.90 | — | 1,851 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | 180 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 4 | .161 | .218 | .183 | .401 | -475 |
Career AVG .161 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — 41.8% below league average.
Career OBP .218 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 36.4% below league average.
Career SLG .183 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 53.6% below league average.
Career OPS .401 vs. league average .738 across their career seasons — 45.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | HIL | EAS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1934 | PS | NN2 | 22 | 57 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .140 | .278 (-50%) | .340 (-42%) | .392 (-60%) | .733 (-52%) | -474.9 |
| 1935 | PS | NN2 | 16 | 36 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1936 | PS | NN2 | 19 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .174 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | PS | NN2 | 12 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .053 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | PS | NN2 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 17 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | HG | NN2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PS | NN2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 108 | 180 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 4 | .161 | — | — | — | — | -475 | ||
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 (162 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 62 | 80 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 2 | .150 |
| Away | 28 | 46 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | .152 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 48 | 185.0 | 230 | 43 | 30 | 22 | 2.09 |
| Away | 24 | 116.1 | 135 | 43 | 27 | 30 | 3.33 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940-07-14 | HOM | BLG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-07-13 | HOM | PH5 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-06-30 | HOM | NY5 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-06-01 | HOM | PH5 | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-19 | HOM | BLG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-12 | HOM | NY6 | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-07-22 | PH5 | NY5 | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939-07-15 | PH5 | HOM | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-07-08 | PH5 | BLG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-07-08 | PH5 | BLG | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940-07-13 | HOM | PH5 | L | 4.0 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1940-06-30 | HOM | NY5 | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-19 | HOM | BLG | — | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-12 | HOM | NY6 | — | 3.0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-07-22 | PH5 | NY5 | W | 2.1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-07-15 | PH5 | HOM | — | 4.0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939-07-02 | PH5 | NW2 | L | 2.2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 1939-06-27 | PH5 | BLG | — | 0.1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-06-17 | PH5 | NW2 | — | 5.0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-06-15 | PH5 | NW2 | — | 6.0 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 14 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| P | 84 | 48 | 16 | 97 | 5 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | HIL | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934 | PS | OF | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934 | PS | P | 16 | 15 | 6 | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| 1935 | PS | P | 15 | 12 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 2 |
| 1936 | PS | OF | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936 | PS | P | 15 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 1937 | PS | P | 12 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | PS | P | 12 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| 1939 | PS | OF | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | PS | P | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | HG | P | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | PS | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1940 | PS | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 84 |
| Left Field | 9 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 4 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Rocky Ellis: the record in brief
The season rows for Rocky Ellis begin in 1928. The season rows list, in order, the Hilldale Club (1928), the Philadelphia Stars (1934 through 1940), and the Homestead Grays (1940). The bio lists Ellis's primary position as pitcher. Height and weight on file: 141 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. Ellis was born on January 26, 1911, in Darby, PA, USA. Ellis died on November 15, 1989, in Richmond, VA, USA. The given name on file is Raymond Charles Ellis.
Ellis pitched in 84 games, starting 48, and finished with a 24-25 record and 4.90 ERA. The same table counts 189 strikeouts and 24 complete games. Against a 4.34 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.90 mark was 12.9% worse. Ellis won 9 games in 1934, the most of any season listed. In 1934, one of the busiest seasons, Ellis posted a 2.82 ERA; the league figure that year was 4.29. Ellis's career Pitcher PIV, which scores run prevention against each season's league, is 1,851.3.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rocky Ellis
- Was Rocky Ellis a pitcher?
- Yes. Rocky Ellis pitched in the major leagues, recording 24 wins and 189 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Rocky Ellis hit?
- Rocky Ellis hit 1 career home run with 29 hits.
- What teams did Rocky Ellis play for?
- Rocky Ellis played for 3 teams: the Hilldale Club (1928), the Philadelphia Stars (1934–1940), and the Homestead Grays (1940).
- What were Rocky Ellis's career stats?
- In 84 games, Rocky Ellis went 24-25 with a 4.90 ERA, 189 strikeouts, 416.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Rocky Ellis play?
- Rocky Ellis played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rocky Ellis and how much did he weigh?
- Rocky Ellis was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 141 pounds.
- What was Rocky Ellis's career ERA?
- Rocky Ellis finished with a 4.90 career ERA, going 24-25 with 189 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Rocky Ellis have?
- Rocky Ellis recorded 189 career strikeouts.
- Is Rocky Ellis in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rocky Ellis has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.