Bill Gray
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1890-1898)
Bill Gray was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1898 for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 9 seasons. In 292 career games, he hit .242 with 250 hits, 1 home runs, and 141 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
- Third Baseman
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 12/8/1932 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1890-05-14
- Last Game
- 1898-10-13
Full name: William Tolan Gray
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 292 | 1,033 | 126 | 250 | 44 | 14 | 1 | 141 | 23 | 71 | 70 | .242 | .303 | .315 | .617 | -2,024 |
Career AVG .242 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — 10.6% below league average.
Career OBP .303 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 11.4% below league average.
Career SLG .315 vs. league average .362 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.
Career OPS .617 vs. league average .703 across their career seasons — 12.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | PHI | NL | 34 | 128 | 20 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 3 | .242 | .260 (-7%) | .336 (-15%) | .351 (+5%) | .687 (-5%) | -161.1 |
| 1891 | PHI | NL | 23 | 75 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 10 | .240 | .254 (-6%) | .331 (-11%) | .343 (-30%) | .675 (-21%) | -217.4 |
| 1895 | CIN | NL | 52 | 181 | 24 | 55 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 4 | 15 | 8 | .304 | .296 (+3%) | .361 (+1%) | .399 (+15%) | .761 (+8%) | 218.3 |
| 1896 | CIN | NL | 46 | 121 | 15 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 11 | .207 | .290 (-29%) | .354 (-11%) | .387 (-38%) | .741 (-25%) | -462.5 |
| 1898 | PIT | NL | 137 | 528 | 56 | 121 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 67 | 5 | 28 | 38 | .229 | .270 (-15%) | .333 (-15%) | .347 (-19%) | .680 (-17%) | -1401.2 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 292 | 1,033 | 126 | 250 | 44 | 14 | 1 | 141 | 23 | 71 | 70 | .242 | — | — | — | — | -2,024 | ||
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 (137 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 67 | 263 | 28 | 64 | 0 | 39 | .243 |
| Away | 70 | 265 | 28 | 57 | 0 | 28 | .215 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898-10-13 | PIT | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-12 | PIT | CL4 | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-12 | PIT | CL4 | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-10 | PIT | CL4 | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-09 | PIT | LS3 | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-10-08 | PIT | LS3 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1898-10-06 | PIT | LS3 | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-09-22 | PIT | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898-09-21 | PIT | BSN | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1898-09-20 | PIT | BRO | W | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2B | 36 | 0 | 63 | 107 | 19 | 13 |
| 3B | 174 | 0 | 236 | 326 | 77 | 24 |
| C | 34 | 0 | 94 | 27 | 20 | 3 |
| OF | 24 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| SS | 16 | 0 | 17 | 39 | 9 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | PHI | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1890 | PHI | 2B | 8 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 6 | 2 |
| 1890 | PHI | 3B | 8 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| 1890 | PHI | C | 7 | 0 | 28 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| 1890 | PHI | OF | 10 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | PHI | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1891 | PHI | C | 11 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
| 1891 | PHI | OF | 10 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1891 | PHI | SS | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1895 | CIN | 2B | 16 | 0 | 27 | 33 | 7 | 5 |
| 1895 | CIN | 3B | 27 | 0 | 47 | 59 | 11 | 7 |
| 1895 | CIN | C | 5 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1895 | CIN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | CIN | SS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| 1896 | CIN | 1B | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1896 | CIN | 2B | 12 | 0 | 25 | 51 | 6 | 6 |
| 1896 | CIN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1896 | CIN | C | 11 | 0 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 1896 | CIN | OF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1896 | CIN | SS | 8 | 0 | 9 | 21 | 4 | 1 |
| 1898 | PIT | 3B | 137 | 0 | 172 | 258 | 59 | 16 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 34 |
| First Base | 3 |
| Second Base | 36 |
| Third Base | 174 |
| Shortstop | 16 |
| Left Field | 8 |
| Center Field | 7 |
| Right Field | 9 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Gray (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Gray: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bill Gray's first major league game on May 14, 1890; the last one listed came on October 13, 1898. Gray played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1890 to 1891), the Cincinnati Reds (1895 to 1896), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1898). Gray, born on April 15, 1871, in Philadelphia, PA, USA, is listed as a third baseman. Size on record: 5 feet, 11 inches and 175 pounds. Gray's death is recorded on December 8, 1932, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. On the record, Bill Gray was born William Tolan Gray.
Gray finished with 250 hits from 1,033 at bats in 292 games, which works out to .242, plus 1 home run, 141 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .303 clip and slugging .315, Gray finished with a .617 OPS. Gray's .242 average ran 10.6% below the .271 that the league posted over the same seasons. 1898 produced Gray's most hits, 121 of them for the Pittsburgh Pirates. 1898 brought the most runs batted in, 67. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .229 in 1898, did not top the league's .270.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Gray
- What years did Bill Gray play?
- Bill Gray played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1898.
- Was Bill Gray a pitcher?
- No. Bill Gray was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bill Gray hit?
- Bill Gray hit 1 career home runs with 250 hits.
- What was Bill Gray's career batting average?
- Bill Gray batted .242 over his career, with 250 hits in 1,033 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Gray have?
- Bill Gray drove in 141 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Gray in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Gray has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.