Sam Hairston
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951)
Sam Hairston was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball in 1951 for the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns, the Indianapolis Clowns, and the Chicago White Sox. In 118 career games, he hit .313 with 131 hits, 5 home runs, and 63 RBI. Sam Hairston was an All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,022.
- 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
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 187 lb
- Died
- 10/31/1997 in Birmingham, AL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-07-21
- Last Game
- 1951-08-26
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Samuel Harding Hairston
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 418 | 75 | 131 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 63 | 7 | 44 | 1 | .313 | .383 | .426 | .809 | 1,022 |
Career AVG .313 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +20.1% above league average.
Career OBP .383 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +15.0% above league average.
Career SLG .426 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — +15.6% above league average.
Career OPS .809 vs. league average .701 across their career seasons — +15.4% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | CIC | NAL | 8 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .227 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CIC | NAL | 20 | 62 | 10 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .258 | .260 (-1%) | .328 (+7%) | .354 (-5%) | .683 (+1%) | 25.8 |
| 1946 | CIC | NAL | 26 | 102 | 16 | 33 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 1 | .324 | .256 (+26%) | .328 (+20%) | .358 (+31%) | .687 (+26%) | 430.9 |
| 1947 | CIC | NAL | 29 | 112 | 20 | 34 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .304 | .262 (+16%) | .336 (+4%) | .376 (+14%) | .712 (+9%) | 142.1 |
| 1948 | IC | NAL | 31 | 115 | 25 | 41 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 14 | 0 | .357 | .263 (+35%) | .340 (+25%) | .379 (+15%) | .719 (+20%) | 423.3 |
| 1951 | CHA | AL | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 118 | 418 | 75 | 131 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 63 | 7 | 44 | 1 | .313 | — | — | — | — | 1,022 | ||
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 (207 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 80 | 63 | 11 | 34 | 5 | 22 | .540 |
| Away | 127 | 301 | 57 | 112 | 2 | 49 | .372 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-08-26 | CHW | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951-07-24 | CHW | BOS | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1951-07-22 | CHW | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951-07-21 | CHW | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-08-28 | IN9 | BIR | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-09 | IN9 | BLG | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-08 | IN9 | NY6 | L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1949-08-07 | IN9 | NY6 | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1949-08-07 | IN9 | NY6 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-06 | IN9 | PH5 | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 9 | 9 | 85 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 3B | 63 | 59 | 68 | 110 | 15 | 5 |
| C | 50 | 41 | 211 | 31 | 10 | 3 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | CIC | C | 6 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1945 | CIC | 3B | 11 | 9 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 1945 | CIC | C | 9 | 8 | 44 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1946 | CIC | 1B | 2 | 2 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1946 | CIC | 3B | 14 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| 1946 | CIC | C | 14 | 12 | 81 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1947 | CIC | 3B | 21 | 21 | 17 | 43 | 5 | 3 |
| 1947 | CIC | C | 11 | 8 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947 | CIC | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | IC | 1B | 7 | 7 | 58 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 1948 | IC | 3B | 17 | 17 | 26 | 29 | 4 | 0 |
| 1948 | IC | C | 8 | 7 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1951 | CHA | C | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 50 |
| First Base | 9 |
| Third Base | 63 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
Sam Hairston: the record in brief
Sam Hairston appears in the season tables from 1944, when the club was a Negro Leagues team; the bio's debut date, July 21, 1951, marks the first game in the American or National League era of the record, and the final game as August 26, 1951. By club, Hairston's seasons break down as the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns (1944 through 1947), the Indianapolis Clowns (1948), and the Chicago White Sox (1951). Listed as a third baseman, Hairston batted and threw right-handed. Hairston is listed at 5 feet, 10 inches and 187 pounds. The birth record reads January 20, 1920, in Crawford, MS, USA. The bio records the death on October 31, 1997, in Birmingham, AL, USA. The bio lists the given name Samuel Harding.
Hairston collected 131 hits in 418 at bats across 118 games, good for a .313 batting average, adding 5 homers and 63 RBI. Hairston's career OPS of .809 combines a .383 on-base mark with .426 slugging.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sam Hairston
- Was Sam Hairston a pitcher?
- No. Sam Hairston was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Sam Hairston hit?
- Sam Hairston hit 5 career home runs with 131 hits.
- What teams did Sam Hairston play for?
- Sam Hairston played for 2 teams: the Indianapolis Clowns (1944–1948) and the Chicago White Sox (1951).
- Did Sam Hairston win an MVP award?
- No. Sam Hairston did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Sam Hairston win?
- Sam Hairston was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Sam Hairston's career stats?
- In 118 games, Sam Hairston had 131 hits, 5 home runs, 63 RBI, 75 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .313 batting average.
- What position did Sam Hairston play?
- Sam Hairston played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Sam Hairston and how much did he weigh?
- Sam Hairston was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 187 pounds.
- How many home runs did Sam Hairston hit each season?
- Sam Hairston's home runs by season: 1 in 1944, 0 in 1945, 2 in 1946, 1 in 1947, 1 in 1948, and 0 in 1951. His most in one season was 2, in 1946.
- What was Sam Hairston's career batting average?
- Sam Hairston batted .313 over his career, with 131 hits in 418 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sam Hairston have?
- Sam Hairston drove in 63 runs in his career.
- Is Sam Hairston in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Sam Hairston has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Sam Hairston make?
- Sam Hairston was selected to 1 All-Star Game.