Bill Friel
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1901-1903)
Bill Friel was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1901 to 1903 for the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Browns, a span of 3 seasons. In 283 career games, he hit .245 with 244 hits, 6 home runs, and 80 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 165 lb
- Died
- 12/24/1959 in St. Louis, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1901-05-03
- Last Game
- 1903-09-13
Full name: William Edward Friel
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 283 | 994 | 123 | 244 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 80 | 23 | 60 | 85 | .245 | .292 | .331 | .623 | -1,213 |
Career AVG .245 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.
Career OBP .292 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — 9.3% below league average.
Career SLG .331 vs. league average .350 across their career seasons — 5.4% below league average.
Career OPS .623 vs. league average .671 across their career seasons — 7.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | MLA | AL | 106 | 376 | 51 | 100 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 35 | 15 | 23 | 17 | .266 | .271 (-2%) | .326 (-5%) | .359 (+3%) | .686 (-1%) | -114.8 |
| 1902 | SLA | AL | 80 | 267 | 26 | 64 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 4 | 14 | 25 | .240 | .266 (-10%) | .321 (-12%) | .343 (-10%) | .665 (-11%) | -449.5 |
| 1903 | SLA | AL | 97 | 351 | 46 | 80 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 4 | 23 | 43 | .228 | .261 (-13%) | .316 (-12%) | .345 (-12%) | .662 (-12%) | -649.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 283 | 994 | 123 | 244 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 80 | 23 | 60 | 85 | .245 | — | — | — | — | -1,213 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | SLA | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | — | 0 | ||
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 (284 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 160 | 534 | 63 | 130 | 3 | 43 | .243 |
| Away | 123 | 455 | 60 | 114 | 3 | 37 | .251 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 4.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903-09-13 | SLA | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-13 | SLA | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903-09-12 | SLA | CHW | W | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-11 | SLA | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1903-09-09 | SLA | CLE | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-09 | SLA | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-07 | SLA | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903-09-07 | SLA | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-06 | SLA | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-06 | SLA | DET | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Last 1 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902-09-28 | SLA | CHW | — | 4.0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 10 | 0 | 85 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 2B | 97 | 0 | 187 | 253 | 36 | 24 |
| 3B | 93 | 0 | 94 | 228 | 48 | 12 |
| C | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 71 | 0 | 83 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SS | 9 | 0 | 23 | 18 | 9 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | MLA | 2B | 9 | 0 | 17 | 20 | 3 | 2 |
| 1901 | MLA | 3B | 61 | 0 | 65 | 149 | 33 | 11 |
| 1901 | MLA | OF | 29 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1901 | MLA | SS | 6 | 0 | 21 | 12 | 8 | 3 |
| 1902 | SLA | 1B | 10 | 0 | 85 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 1902 | SLA | 2B | 25 | 0 | 62 | 62 | 7 | 7 |
| 1902 | SLA | 3B | 8 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| 1902 | SLA | C | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1902 | SLA | OF | 33 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1902 | SLA | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1902 | SLA | SS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903 | SLA | 2B | 63 | 0 | 108 | 171 | 26 | 15 |
| 1903 | SLA | 3B | 24 | 0 | 22 | 63 | 13 | 0 |
| 1903 | SLA | OF | 9 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 10 |
| Second Base | 97 |
| Third Base | 93 |
| Shortstop | 9 |
| Left Field | 6 |
| Center Field | 27 |
| Right Field | 39 |
Bill Friel: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bill Friel's first major league game on May 3, 1901; the last one listed came on September 13, 1903. Club by club, the record runs the Milwaukee Brewers (1901) and the St. Louis Browns (1902 through 1903). Friel, born on April 1, 1876, in Renovo, PA, USA, is listed as a second baseman and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Size on record: 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds. Friel's death is recorded on December 24, 1959, in St. Louis, MO, USA. The given name on file is William Edward Friel.
The batting record for Friel: 283 games, 244 hits in 994 at bats, and a .245 average, plus 6 homers, 80 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .292 clip and slugging .331, Friel finished with a .623 OPS. Measured against the leagues Friel played in, the .245 career average compares with a .267 league average over the same seasons, 8.0% below the league. In OPS terms, Friel's .623 stands 7.3% below the league's .671.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Friel
- What years did Bill Friel play?
- Bill Friel played in Major League Baseball from 1901 to 1903.
- Was Bill Friel a pitcher?
- No. Bill Friel was a position player (Second Baseman), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Bill Friel hit?
- Bill Friel hit 6 career home runs with 244 hits.
- What teams did Bill Friel play for?
- Bill Friel played for one team, the St. Louis Browns (1901–1903).
- What were Bill Friel's career stats?
- In 283 games, Bill Friel had 244 hits, 6 home runs, 80 RBI, 123 runs, and 23 stolen bases, with a .245 batting average.
- What position did Bill Friel play?
- Bill Friel played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Friel and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Friel was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bill Friel hit each season?
- Bill Friel's home runs by season: 4 in 1901, 2 in 1902, and 0 in 1903. His most in one season was 4, in 1901.
- What was Bill Friel's career batting average?
- Bill Friel batted .245 over his career, with 244 hits in 994 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Friel have?
- Bill Friel drove in 80 runs in his career.
- What was Bill Friel's career ERA?
- Bill Friel finished with a 4.50 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
- Is Bill Friel in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Friel has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.