Bill Fox
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1897-1901)
Bill Fox was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1901 for the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 5 seasons. In 47 career games, he hit .185 with 32 hits and 7 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 160 lb
- Died
- 5/7/1946 in Minneapolis, MN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1897-08-20
- Last Game
- 1901-09-12
Full name: William Henry Fox
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 173 | 13 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 24 | .185 | .212 | .208 | .420 | -1,007 |
Career AVG .185 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — 34.0% below league average.
Career OBP .212 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 37.3% below league average.
Career SLG .208 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 44.0% below league average.
Career OPS .420 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — 40.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | WAS | NL | 4 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | CIN | NL | 43 | 159 | 9 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 22 | .176 | .271 (-35%) | .326 (-38%) | .359 (-44%) | .686 (-41%) | -1007.1 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 47 | 173 | 13 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 24 | .185 | — | — | — | — | -1,007 | ||
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 (43 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 20 | 72 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 5 | .111 |
| Away | 23 | 86 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 2 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-09-12 | CIN | NY1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-11 | CIN | NY1 | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-10 | CIN | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-09 | CIN | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-07 | CIN | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1901-09-07 | CIN | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901-09-06 | CIN | BRO | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-05 | CIN | BRO | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901-09-04 | CIN | BRO | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1901-09-02 | CIN | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 45 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | MA | 1895, 1896, 1897 |
Bill Fox: the record in brief
August 20, 1897 and September 12, 1901 bracket Bill Fox's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Fox played for the Washington Senators (1897) and the Cincinnati Reds (1901). Listed as a second baseman, Fox batted from both sides and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 160 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The birth record reads January 15, 1872, in Sturbridge, MA, USA. The bio records the death on May 7, 1946, in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Fox's full given name, per the bio, is William Henry Fox.
Fox's career batting table shows 47 games, 173 at bats and 32 hits, a .185 average, plus 7 RBI. Fox got on base at a .212 rate and slugged .208 (.420 OPS). The league as a whole hit .280 across Fox's seasons, which puts the .185 career mark 34.0% below average. 1901 produced Fox's most hits, 28 of them for the Cincinnati Reds. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .176 in 1901, did not top the league's .271.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Fox
- What years did Bill Fox play?
- Bill Fox played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1901.
- Was Bill Fox a pitcher?
- No. Bill Fox was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bill Fox hit?
- Bill Fox hit 0 career home runs with 32 hits.
- What was Bill Fox's career batting average?
- Bill Fox batted .185 over his career, with 32 hits in 173 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Fox have?
- Bill Fox drove in 7 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Fox in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Fox has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.