Billy Goeckel
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1899)
Billy Goeckel was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball in 1899 for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 37 career games, he hit .262 with 37 hits and 16 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 162 lb
- Died
- 11/1/1922 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1899-08-10
- Last Game
- 1899-09-21
Full name: William John Goeckel
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 141 | 17 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | .262 | .283 | .298 | .581 | -420 |
Career AVG .262 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — 7.1% below league average.
Career OBP .283 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 17.7% below league average.
Career SLG .298 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 18.8% below league average.
Career OPS .581 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — 18.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | PHI | NL | 37 | 141 | 17 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | .262 | .282 (-7%) | .343 (-18%) | .366 (-19%) | .710 (-18%) | -420.1 |
| Career · 1 season | 37 | 141 | 17 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | .262 | — | — | — | — | -420 | ||
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 (37 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 21 | 77 | 13 | 26 | 0 | 13 | .338 |
| Away | 16 | 64 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 3 | .172 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899-09-21 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-18 | PHI | LS3 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-16 | PHI | LS3 | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-15 | PHI | LS3 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-14 | PHI | CL4 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-13 | PHI | CL4 | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-12 | PHI | CL4 | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-12 | PHI | CL4 | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-09 | PHI | WSN | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899-09-08 | PHI | WSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 36 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | PA | 1893, 1894, 1895 |
Billy Goeckel: the record in brief
The profile opens with Billy Goeckel's first major league game on August 10, 1899; the last one listed came on September 21, 1899. All of the seasons listed were played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Goeckel, born on September 3, 1871, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA, is listed as a first baseman and hit right-handed while throwing left-handed. The bio gives 5-foot-11 and 162 pounds. The bio records the death on November 1, 1922, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The given name on file is William John Goeckel.
In 37 games and 141 at bats, Goeckel batted .262 with 37 hits, adding 16 RBI. Goeckel's career OPS of .581 combines a .283 on-base mark with .298 slugging. Over the seasons Goeckel played, league hitters batted .282; the .262 career figure is 7.1% below that. By OPS the gap is 18.2% below league average (.581 against .710). Only one season appears, 1899 for the Philadelphia Phillies, when Goeckel played 37 games and went 37 for 141. That year the league hit .282, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
Goeckel appears at one position only: first base, in 36 games. The fielding table credits Goeckel with 384 putouts, 11 assists and 9 errors at first base.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Goeckel
- Was Billy Goeckel a pitcher?
- No. Billy Goeckel was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Billy Goeckel hit?
- Billy Goeckel hit 0 career home runs with 37 hits.
- What teams did Billy Goeckel play for?
- Billy Goeckel played for one team, the Philadelphia Phillies (1899).
- What were Billy Goeckel's career stats?
- In 37 games, Billy Goeckel had 37 hits, 16 RBI, 17 runs, and 6 stolen bases, with a .262 batting average.
- What position did Billy Goeckel play?
- Billy Goeckel played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Billy Goeckel and how much did he weigh?
- Billy Goeckel was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 162 pounds.
- What was Billy Goeckel's career batting average?
- Billy Goeckel batted .262 over his career, with 37 hits in 141 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Goeckel have?
- Billy Goeckel drove in 16 runs in his career.
- Is Billy Goeckel in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Goeckel has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.