Billy Harrell
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1955-1961)
Billy Harrell was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1961 for the Cleveland Guardians and the Boston Red Sox, a span of 7 seasons. In 173 career games, he hit .231 with 79 hits, 8 home runs, and 26 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 180 lb
- Died
- 5/6/2014 in Albany, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1955-09-02
- Last Game
- 1961-09-20
Full name: William Harrell
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 173 | 342 | 54 | 79 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 17 | 23 | 54 | .231 | .283 | .327 | .610 | -658 |
Career AVG .231 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 10.5% below league average.
Career OBP .283 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 13.7% below league average.
Career SLG .327 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 17.1% below league average.
Career OPS .610 vs. league average .722 across their career seasons — 15.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | CLE | AL | 13 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | .421 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CLE | AL | 22 | 57 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | .263 | .257 (+2%) | .323 (-4%) | .391 (-6%) | .715 (-5%) | -46.6 |
| 1958 | CLE | AL | 101 | 229 | 36 | 50 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 36 | .218 | .257 (-15%) | .324 (-17%) | .394 (-17%) | .719 (-17%) | -611.7 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 37 | 37 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | .162 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 173 | 342 | 54 | 79 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 17 | 23 | 54 | .231 | — | — | — | — | -658 | ||
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 (174 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 93 | 179 | 29 | 39 | 6 | 10 | .218 |
| Away | 81 | 163 | 25 | 40 | 2 | 16 | .245 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-09-20 | BOS | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-09-09 | BOS | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-22 | BOS | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-20 | BOS | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-19 | BOS | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-13 | BOS | BAL | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-07 | BOS | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-03 | BOS | LAA | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-08-02 | BOS | LAA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-07-30 | BOS | CHW | 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 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2B | 8 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| 3B | 62 | 20 | 32 | 69 | 1 | 10 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 77 | 56 | 80 | 158 | 17 | 28 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | CLE | SS | 11 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| 1957 | CLE | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | CLE | 3B | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | CLE | SS | 14 | 11 | 17 | 33 | 6 | 6 |
| 1958 | CLE | 2B | 7 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| 1958 | CLE | 3B | 46 | 14 | 21 | 50 | 1 | 7 |
| 1958 | CLE | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | CLE | SS | 45 | 38 | 49 | 98 | 7 | 20 |
| 1961 | BOS | 1B | 3 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1961 | BOS | 3B | 10 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 1961 | BOS | SS | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 3 |
| Second Base | 8 |
| Third Base | 63 |
| Shortstop | 77 |
| Right Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siena College | Loudonville | NY | 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 |
Billy Harrell: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 2, 1955 and the final game on September 20, 1961, Billy Harrell built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Cleveland Indians (1955 to 1958) and the Boston Red Sox (1961). Listed as a shortstop, Harrell batted and threw right-handed. Harrell is listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. The birth record reads July 18, 1928, in Norristown, PA, USA. Harrell's death is recorded on May 6, 2014, in Albany, NY, USA. Billy Harrell was the playing name; the full given name is William.
In 173 games and 342 at bats, Harrell batted .231 with 79 hits, plus 8 homers and 26 RBI. Reaching base at a .283 clip and slugging .327, Harrell finished with a .610 OPS. Set against a .258 league average for the same years, Harrell's .231 average sits 10.5% below it. The OPS comparison is .610 to a league .722, 15.5% below average. 1958 produced Harrell's most hits, 50 of them for the Cleveland Indians. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .218 in 1958, did not top the league's .257.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Harrell
- What years did Billy Harrell play?
- Billy Harrell played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1961.
- Was Billy Harrell a pitcher?
- No. Billy Harrell was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Billy Harrell hit?
- Billy Harrell hit 8 career home runs with 79 hits.
- What was Billy Harrell's career batting average?
- Billy Harrell batted .231 over his career, with 79 hits in 342 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Harrell have?
- Billy Harrell drove in 26 runs in his career.
- Is Billy Harrell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Harrell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.