Bill Harvey

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Bill Harvey was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 9 teams, including the Memphis Red Sox. Across 109 career appearances, he went 24-38 with a 5.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts. He also batted .250 with 7 home runs. Bill Harvey was a 2-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 766.5.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):
For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated

W–L 24–38
ERA 5.21
WHIP 1.48
SO 241
Pitcher PIV 766.5
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
L / L
Height / Weight
5'8" / 175 lb
Born
3/23/1908 in Clarksdale, MS, USA
Died
3/3/1989 in Baltimore, MD, USA
Awards
2× All-Star

Full name: David William Harvey

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Bill Harvey — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
443.0 392.0 52.0 102.0 20.0 7.0 8.0 32.0 39.0 2.0 5.0 .260 .332 .408 .740

Pitching

Bill Harvey — Pitching
W L GS CG GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP
31 43 73 46 56 5 618.1 627 418 105 28 187 163 1.53 1.32

Career Pitching Statistics

Bill Harvey — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
24 38 109 57 33 4 3 509.1 549 295 29 203 241 5.21 766.5

Career ERA 5.21 vs. league average 3.98 across their career seasons — 31.0% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bill Harvey Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1932 MRS NSL 3 2 8 4 2 0 1 30.2 27 20 16 24 5.87 4.13 (-42%) 368.8
1932 MRM NSL 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1.2 4 2 1 1 10.80 — 0.0
1933 PC NN2 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 5.2 10 6 7 3 9.53 — 0.0
1933 ACG NN2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.2 7 7 2 0 23.62 — 0.0
1935 PC NN2 2 3 12 5 3 0 0 51.2 47 24 22 27 4.18 4.35 (+4%) 803.1
1936 PC NN2 3 4 14 6 5 0 0 76.0 89 51 40 37 6.04 4.59 (-32%) -339.7
1937 PC NN2 1 4 9 3 2 0 0 50.0 53 31 25 20 5.58 4.34 (-29%) -1880.1
1938 PC NN2 4 3 11 7 4 0 0 56.0 54 32 20 28 5.14 4.35 (-18%) 715.1
1939 BEG NN2 1 0 3 2 1 1 1 13.2 10 3 1 6 1.98 4.28 (+54%) 567.0
1939 TC2 NN2 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 13.2 11 6 7 7 3.95 4.28 (+8%) 241.0
1939 TC NAL 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 12.0 18 9 6 5 6.75 4.28 (-58%) 165.1
1942 BEG NN2 5 3 17 7 3 2 1 57.0 51 27 15 31 4.26 3.57 (-19%) 468.6
1943 BEG NN2 2 11 14 13 10 1 0 94.2 112 48 29 34 4.56 3.50 (-30%) 15.4
1944 BEG NN2 1 3 6 4 2 0 0 25.1 36 21 9 10 7.46 3.57 (-109%) -732.3
1945 BEG NN2 2 1 4 1 0 0 0 14.2 13 3 3 5 1.84 3.67 (+50%) 374.4
1946 BEG NN2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 4.0 7 5 0 3 11.25 — 0.0
Career · 16 seasons 24 38 109 57 33 4 3 509.1 549 295 203 241 5.21 — 766

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.

Career Batting Statistics

Bill Harvey — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
196 388 57 97 18 7 7 40 5 47 8 .250 .336 .387 .722 -35

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .268 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Career OBP .336 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .387 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .722 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bill Harvey Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1932 MRS NSL 12 21 8 8 1 1 1 8 0 2 0 .381 — — — — 0.0
1932 MRM NSL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1933 PC NN2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1933 ACG NN2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1935 PC NN2 15 19 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 .263 — — — — 0.0
1936 PC NN2 16 29 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 .069 — — — — 0.0
1937 PC NN2 22 53 9 15 5 1 1 7 1 7 0 .283 .276 (+2%) .342 (+10%) .398 (+18%) .740 (+15%) 135.0
1938 PC NN2 17 31 10 10 0 1 2 10 0 4 0 .323 — — — — 0.0
1939 BEG NN2 3 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1939 TC2 NN2 5 16 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .125 — — — — 0.0
1939 TC NAL 7 24 2 10 3 0 0 3 1 3 0 .417 — — — — 0.0
1940 TIC NAL 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 .500 — — — — 0.0
1942 BEG NN2 29 41 7 9 0 1 1 2 1 4 8 .220 — — — — 0.0
1943 BEG NN2 34 97 6 21 3 3 1 4 1 6 0 .216 .255 (-15%) .324 (-17%) .346 (-2%) .671 (-9%) -170.2
1944 BEG NN2 19 33 4 8 4 0 1 2 0 7 0 .242 — — — — 0.0
1945 BEG NN2 7 11 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 .364 — — — — 0.0
1946 BEG NN2 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .500 — — — — 0.0
1946 NBY NN2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 18 seasons 196 388 57 97 18 7 7 40 5 47 8 .250 — — — — -35

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

Bill Harvey — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Bill Harvey — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1935 NLC PC 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Bill Harvey — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 2 1 0 4.0 6 4 2 1 9.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Bill Harvey — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1935 NLC PC 0 0 2 1 0 4.0 6 4 2 1 9.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (274 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Bill Harvey — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home88135233729.274
Away871752040414.229

Pitching — Home / Away

Bill Harvey — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home56224.22483466711.36
Away43220.02116280422.54

Last 10 Games — Batting

Bill Harvey — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1946-07-10 NY5NW2L 100000000
1946-05-26 NY5NW2W 300000000
1946-05-13 BLGNY6L 101100100
1946-05-05 BLGHOMW 100000000
1945-09-09 BLGNW2L 311000010
1945-09-04 BLGNY6W 100000000
1945-09-03 BLGHOML 000000000
1945-09-03 BLGHOML 000000000
1945-08-31 BLGNY5L 100000000
1945-08-20 BLGNY5W 311100010

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Bill Harvey — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1946-05-13 BLGNY6 L 4.0753032
1945-09-09 BLGNW2 — 7.21255200
1945-09-04 BLGNY6 W 2.2100020
1945-09-03 BLGHOM — 0.0000000
1945-09-03 BLGHOM L 2.2410000
1945-08-20 BLGNY5 W 7.2510220
1944-09-03 BLGNY5 W 7.01030020
1944-08-20 BLGNY6 L 4.1740030
1944-08-18 BLGNY6 SV 1.0000000
1944-08-09 BLGHOM L 8.0920000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Bill Harvey — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 11 7 59 1 4 5
OF 44 39 51 5 9 0
P 109 58 9 158 7 5
PH 1 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Bill Harvey — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1932 MRS OF 3 3 1 0 2 0
1932 MRS P 8 4 1 10 1 0
1932 MRM P 2 1 0 1 1 0
1933 PC P 2 1 0 1 0 0
1933 ACG P 1 0 0 2 0 0
1935 PC P 12 5 2 13 0 2
1936 PC P 14 6 0 23 1 0
1937 PC OF 10 8 15 1 0 0
1937 PC P 9 3 3 16 0 0
1938 PC OF 2 2 3 0 2 0
1938 PC P 11 7 0 13 1 1
1939 BEG P 3 2 0 3 0 0
1939 TC2 OF 3 3 3 1 0 0
1939 TC2 P 2 1 0 2 0 0
1939 TC 1B 4 4 25 0 4 2
1939 TC OF 2 2 3 0 0 0
1939 TC P 3 1 0 6 0 1
1940 TIC 1B 2 0 3 0 0 1
1942 BEG 1B 4 3 30 1 0 2
1942 BEG P 17 8 1 25 0 0
1943 BEG OF 17 16 19 2 4 0
1943 BEG P 14 13 2 28 3 0
1944 BEG 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1944 BEG OF 6 4 6 1 0 0
1944 BEG P 6 4 0 13 0 1
1945 BEG OF 1 1 1 0 1 0
1945 BEG P 4 1 0 2 0 0
1946 BEG P 1 1 0 0 0 0
1946 NBY PH 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Bill Harvey Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 109
First Base 11
Left Field 19
Center Field 1
Right Field 24

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

  1. 98
    Doug Johns
    20-22, 5.13 ERA
  2. 92
    Willie Spearman
    19-27, 5.07 ERA
  3. 91
    Dennis Springer
    24-48, 5.18 ERA
  4. 71
    Roy K. Williams
    20-19, 5.04 ERA
  5. 71
    Dick Pole
    25-37, 5.05 ERA
  6. 70
    Harry Kenyon
    31-33, 5.09 ERA

Bill Harvey: the record in brief

The season rows for Bill Harvey begin in 1932. Club by club, the record runs the Memphis Red Sox (1932), the Monroe Monarchs (1932), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1933 to 1938), the Akron Grays / Cleveland Giants (1933), the Baltimore Elite Giants (1939 through 1946), the Toledo Crawfords (1939), the Toledo-Indianapolis Crawfords (1940), and the New York Black Yankees (1946). Harvey played primarily as a pitcher and both batted and threw left-handed. Born on March 23, 1908, in Clarksdale, MS, USA, Harvey was listed at 5'8" and 175 pounds. The bio records the death on March 3, 1989, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Harvey's full given name, per the bio, is David William Harvey.

The pitching table credits Harvey with a 24-38 record and a 5.21 ERA in 109 games. Also on Harvey's record: 241 strikeouts and 33 complete games. Against a 3.98 league ERA for the same seasons, the 5.21 mark was 31.0% worse. 1942 brought Harvey a season-high 5 wins.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Harvey

Was Bill Harvey a pitcher?
Yes. Bill Harvey pitched in the major leagues, recording 24 wins and 241 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Bill Harvey hit?
Bill Harvey hit 7 career home runs with 97 hits.
What teams did Bill Harvey play for?
Bill Harvey played for 6 teams: the Memphis Red Sox (1932), the Monroe Monarchs (1932), the Toledo-Indianapolis Crawfords (1933, 1935–1940), the Akron Grays / Cleveland Giants (1933), the Baltimore Elite Giants (1939, 1942–1946), and the New York Black Yankees (1946).
What awards did Bill Harvey win?
Bill Harvey was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Bill Harvey's career stats?
In 109 games, Bill Harvey went 24-38 with a 5.21 ERA, 241 strikeouts, 509.1 innings pitched, and 3 saves. At the plate he had 97 hits and 7 home runs.
What position did Bill Harvey play?
Bill Harvey played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Bill Harvey and how much did he weigh?
Bill Harvey was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 175 pounds.
What was Bill Harvey's career ERA?
Bill Harvey finished with a 5.21 career ERA, going 24-38 with 241 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Bill Harvey have?
Bill Harvey recorded 241 career strikeouts.
Is Bill Harvey in the Hall of Fame?
No. Bill Harvey has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Bill Harvey make?
Bill Harvey was selected to 2 All-Star Games.