Ed Goodson
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1970-1977)
Ed Goodson was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1977 for the San Francisco Giants, the Atlanta Braves, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a span of 8 seasons. In 515 career games, he hit .260 with 329 hits, 30 home runs, and 170 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1970-09-05
- Last Game
- 1977-10-02
Full name: James Edward Goodson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 515 | 1,266 | 108 | 329 | 51 | 2 | 30 | 170 | 1 | 63 | 135 | .260 | .297 | .374 | .671 | -491 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .297 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.
Career SLG .374 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .671 vs. league average .697 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | SFN | NL | 7 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | SFN | NL | 20 | 42 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | SFN | NL | 58 | 150 | 15 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 30 | 0 | 8 | 12 | .280 | .243 (+15%) | .310 (+3%) | .353 (+19%) | .664 (+11%) | 243.0 |
| 1973 | SFN | NL | 102 | 384 | 37 | 116 | 20 | 1 | 12 | 53 | 0 | 15 | 44 | .302 | .256 (+18%) | .325 (+2%) | .378 (+20%) | .703 (+11%) | 683.6 |
| 1974 | SFN | NL | 98 | 298 | 25 | 81 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 48 | 1 | 18 | 22 | .272 | .256 (+6%) | .324 (-1%) | .369 (+4%) | .693 (+1%) | 48.5 |
| 1975 | SFN | NL | 39 | 121 | 10 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 14 | .207 | .257 (-20%) | .327 (-24%) | .374 (-23%) | .701 (-23%) | -468.1 |
| 1975 | ATL | NL | 47 | 76 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .211 | .257 (-18%) | .327 (-30%) | .374 (-26%) | .701 (-28%) | -468.1 |
| 1976 | LAN | NL | 83 | 118 | 8 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 19 | .229 | .255 (-10%) | .320 (-15%) | .360 (-6%) | .681 (-10%) | -208.3 |
| 1977 | LAN | NL | 61 | 66 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .167 | .264 (-37%) | .329 (-38%) | .401 (-43%) | .730 (-41%) | -436.4 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 515 | 1,266 | 108 | 329 | 51 | 2 | 30 | 170 | 1 | 63 | 135 | .260 | — | — | — | — | -606 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (515 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 271 | 636 | 59 | 164 | 16 | 93 | .258 |
| Away | 244 | 630 | 49 | 165 | 14 | 77 | .262 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-10-02 | LAD | HOU | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-10-01 | LAD | HOU | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-30 | LAD | HOU | W | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-29 | LAD | HOU | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-26 | LAD | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-09-21 | LAD | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-18 | LAD | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-09-13 | LAD | SDP | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-09-12 | LAD | SDP | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-09-11 | LAD | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 176 | 135 | 1256 | 88 | 8 | 91 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 135 | 131 | 95 | 253 | 34 | 18 |
| OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | SFN | 1B | 2 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1971 | SFN | 1B | 14 | 9 | 81 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 1972 | SFN | 1B | 42 | 30 | 299 | 27 | 3 | 9 |
| 1973 | SFN | 3B | 93 | 93 | 64 | 171 | 23 | 13 |
| 1974 | SFN | 1B | 73 | 67 | 593 | 30 | 2 | 52 |
| 1974 | SFN | 3B | 8 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 1975 | SFN | 1B | 16 | 16 | 139 | 13 | 1 | 13 |
| 1975 | SFN | 3B | 13 | 13 | 9 | 30 | 4 | 2 |
| 1975 | ATL | 1B | 13 | 10 | 91 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 1975 | ATL | 3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | LAN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | LAN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | LAN | 3B | 16 | 13 | 8 | 27 | 7 | 2 |
| 1976 | LAN | OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | LAN | 1B | 13 | 1 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 1977 | LAN | 3B | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 176 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 135 |
| Left Field | 2 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | TN | 1967, 1968 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ed Goodson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ed Goodson: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 5, 1970 and the final game on October 2, 1977, Ed Goodson built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the San Francisco Giants (1970 to 1975), the Atlanta Braves (1975), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1976 to 1977). The bio lists Goodson as a first baseman who hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Goodson is listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds. Goodson was born on January 25, 1948, in Pulaski, VA, USA. The given name on file is James Edward Goodson.
Goodson collected 329 hits in 1,266 at bats across 515 games, good for a .260 batting average, plus 30 home runs and 170 runs batted in. Goodson got on base at a .297 rate and slugged .374 (.671 OPS). The .260 career average is close to the .255 the league hit across the same seasons. No season beat the 12 home runs Goodson hit in 1973. No season topped the 116 hits of 1973. In 1973, a season of regular play, Goodson hit .302 while the league hit .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Goodson
- What years did Ed Goodson play?
- Ed Goodson played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1977.
- Was Ed Goodson a pitcher?
- No. Ed Goodson was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ed Goodson hit?
- Ed Goodson hit 30 career home runs with 329 hits.
- What was Ed Goodson's career batting average?
- Ed Goodson batted .260 over his career, with 329 hits in 1,266 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ed Goodson have?
- Ed Goodson drove in 170 runs in his career.
- Is Ed Goodson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ed Goodson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.