Bill Geiss
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1884)
Bill Geiss was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1884 for the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Wolverines, a span of 3 seasons. In 88 career games, he hit .173 with 56 hits, 2 home runs, and 18 RBI. He also pitched in 14 games, going 4-9 with a 5.27 ERA.
- 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
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 164 lb
- Died
- 9/18/1924 in Chicago, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1882-07-19
- Last Game
- 1884-08-13
Full name: William J. Geiss
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 324 | 24 | 56 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 60 | .173 | .190 | .256 | .447 | -977 |
Career AVG .173 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — 29.4% below league average.
Career OBP .190 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 31.6% below league average.
Career SLG .256 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 21.9% below league average.
Career OPS .447 vs. league average .606 across their career seasons — 26.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | BL2 | AA | 13 | 41 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .146 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1884 | DTN | NL | 75 | 283 | 22 | 50 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 60 | .177 | .243 (-27%) | .278 (-31%) | .327 (-19%) | .606 (-24%) | -976.9 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 88 | 324 | 24 | 56 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 60 | .173 | — | — | — | — | -977 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | BL2 | AA | 4 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 95.2 | 84 | 51 | 22 | 10 | 4.80 | 2.80 (-71%) | -1706.0 |
| 1884 | DTN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 14.40 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 4 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 100.2 | 98 | 59 | 24 | 11 | 5.27 | — | -1,706 | ||
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 Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 14 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 73 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Bill Geiss: the record in brief
Bill Geiss's major league career runs from a debut on July 19, 1882 to a final game on August 13, 1884. Club by club, the record runs the Baltimore Orioles (1882) and the Detroit Wolverines (1884). The bio lists Geiss's primary position as second baseman. Geiss is listed at 5'10" and 164 pounds. Geiss was born on July 15, 1858, in Chicago, IL, USA. The bio records the death on September 18, 1924, in Chicago, IL, USA. On the record, Bill Geiss was born William J. Geiss.
Across 88 games at the plate, Geiss's career line reads 56 hits in 324 at bats for a .173 average, plus 2 home runs and 18 RBI. Geiss's career OPS of .447 combines a .190 on-base mark with .256 slugging. Geiss's .173 average ran 29.4% below the .245 that the league posted over the same seasons. Geiss collected a career-high 50 hits in 1884. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .177 in 1884, did not top the league's .243.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Geiss
- What years did Bill Geiss play?
- Bill Geiss played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1884.
- Was Bill Geiss a pitcher?
- Both. Bill Geiss pitched in 14 games, going 4-9 with a 5.27 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Second Baseman.
- How many home runs did Bill Geiss hit?
- Bill Geiss hit 2 career home runs with 56 hits.
- What teams did Bill Geiss play for?
- Bill Geiss played for 2 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1882) and the Detroit Wolverines (1884).
- What were Bill Geiss's career stats?
- In 88 games, Bill Geiss had 56 hits, 2 home runs, 18 RBI, and 24 runs, with a .173 batting average. As a pitcher, in 14 games, he went 4-9 with a 5.27 ERA, 11 strikeouts, and 100.2 innings pitched.
- What position did Bill Geiss play?
- Bill Geiss played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Geiss and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Geiss was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 164 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bill Geiss hit each season?
- Bill Geiss's home runs by season: 0 in 1882 and 2 in 1884. His most in one season was 2, in 1884.
- What was Bill Geiss's career batting average?
- Bill Geiss batted .173 over his career, with 56 hits in 324 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Geiss have?
- Bill Geiss drove in 18 runs in his career.
- What was Bill Geiss's career ERA?
- Bill Geiss finished with a 5.27 career ERA, going 4-9 with 11 strikeouts.
- Is Bill Geiss in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Geiss has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.