Rollie Hemsley

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1928-1947)

Rollie Hemsley was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1928 to 1947 for 7 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 20 seasons. In 1,593 career games, he hit .262 with 1,321 hits, 31 home runs, and 555 RBI. Rollie Hemsley was a 5-time All-Star.

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

AVG .262
HR 31
RBI 555
H 1,321
OPS .671
PIV -6,836
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'10" / 170 lb
Born
6/24/1907 in Syracuse, OH, USA
Died
7/31/1972 in Washington, DC, USA
MLB Debut
1928-04-19
Last Game
1947-04-17
Awards
5× All-Star

Full name: Ralston Burdett Hemsley

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Career Batting Statistics

Rollie Hemsley — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,593 5,047 562 1,321 257 72 31 555 29 357 395 .262 .311 .360 .671 -6,836

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .311 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.

Career SLG .360 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 6.9% below league average.

Career OPS .671 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Rollie Hemsley 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
1928 PIT NL 50 133 14 36 2 3 0 18 1 4 10 .271 .280 (-4%) .342 (-15%) .395 (-16%) .737 (-16%) -358.6
1929 PIT NL 88 235 31 68 13 7 0 37 1 11 22 .289 .289 (avg) .353 (-9%) .415 (-3%) .769 (-6%) -297.3
1930 PIT NL 104 324 45 82 19 6 2 45 3 22 21 .253 .293 (-14%) .354 (-15%) .429 (-15%) .784 (-15%) -879.6
1931 PIT NL 10 35 3 6 3 0 0 1 0 3 3 .171 — — — — 0.0
1931 CHN NL 66 204 28 63 17 4 3 31 4 17 30 .309 .276 (+12%) .338 (+7%) .388 (+22%) .726 (+15%) 0.0
1932 CHN NL 60 151 27 36 10 3 4 20 2 10 16 .238 .275 (-13%) .335 (-15%) .391 (+8%) .726 (-2%) -116.1
1933 CIN NL 49 116 9 22 8 0 0 7 0 6 8 .190 .270 (-30%) .329 (-30%) .377 (-31%) .707 (-31%) -579.4
1933 SLA AL 32 95 7 23 2 1 1 15 0 11 12 .242 .270 (-10%) .329 (-3%) .377 (-16%) .707 (-10%) -579.4
1934 SLA AL 123 431 47 133 31 7 2 52 6 29 37 .309 .278 (+11%) .340 (+4%) .392 (+9%) .733 (+7%) 491.3
1935 SLA AL 144 504 57 146 32 7 0 48 3 44 41 .290 .279 (+4%) .342 (+2%) .399 (-5%) .742 (-2%) -129.6
1936 SLA AL 116 377 43 99 24 2 2 39 2 46 30 .263 .283 (-8%) .349 (-2%) .404 (-13%) .753 (-8%) -437.9
1937 SLA AL 100 334 30 74 12 3 3 28 0 25 29 .222 .276 (-20%) .342 (-19%) .398 (-24%) .740 (-22%) -1222.0
1938 CLE AL 66 203 27 60 11 3 2 28 1 23 14 .296 .272 (+8%) .341 (+7%) .392 (+4%) .734 (+6%) 226.4
1939 CLE AL 107 395 58 104 17 4 2 36 2 26 26 .263 .274 (-4%) .342 (-10%) .393 (-13%) .735 (-12%) -775.2
1940 CLE AL 119 416 46 111 20 5 4 42 1 22 25 .267 .267 (avg) .335 (-9%) .387 (-5%) .722 (-7%) -558.8
1941 CLE AL 98 288 29 69 10 5 2 24 2 18 19 .240 .262 (-9%) .332 (-15%) .373 (-12%) .705 (-13%) -646.5
1942 CIN NL 36 115 7 13 1 2 0 7 0 4 11 .113 .253 (-55%) .323 (-56%) .349 (-55%) .672 (-56%) -984.3
1942 NYA AL 31 85 12 25 3 1 0 15 1 5 9 .294 .253 (+16%) .323 (+3%) .349 (+1%) .672 (+2%) -984.3
1943 NYA AL 62 180 12 43 6 3 2 24 0 13 9 .239 .255 (-7%) .324 (-11%) .346 (-2%) .671 (-6%) -211.9
1944 NYA AL 81 284 23 76 12 5 2 26 0 9 13 .268 .261 (+2%) .325 (-11%) .357 (+2%) .683 (-4%) -275.2
1946 PHI NL 49 139 7 31 4 1 0 11 0 9 10 .223 .256 (-13%) .328 (-18%) .358 (-26%) .687 (-22%) -478.9
1947 PHI NL 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .333 — — — — 0.0
Career · 22 seasons 1,593 5,047 562 1,321 257 72 31 555 29 357 395 .262 — — — — -8,797

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

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

Playoff Batting by Year

Rollie Hemsley — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1932 WS CHN 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1593 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Rollie Hemsley — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home790245629567013288.273
Away803259326665118265.251

Last 10 Games — Batting

Rollie Hemsley — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1947-04-17 PHINY1W 301000100
1947-04-15 PHINY1W 000000000
1946-09-29 PHINY1L 100000000
1946-09-26 PHIBROL 311100000
1946-09-25 PHIBROW 311100201
1946-09-23 PHIBROL 301000000
1946-09-22 PHINY1W 200000011
1946-09-22 PHINY1W 401000000
1946-09-19 PHICINL 100000000
1946-09-18 PHICINW 200000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Rollie Hemsley — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 6 1 0 0
C 1482 0 5868 897 154 141
OF 7 0 13 1 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Rollie Hemsley — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1928 PIT C 49 0 127 24 6 4
1929 PIT C 80 0 240 48 14 7
1930 PIT C 98 0 325 50 8 11
1931 PIT C 9 0 35 5 0 0
1931 CHN C 53 0 236 40 7 5
1932 CHN C 47 0 173 17 5 3
1932 CHN OF 1 0 1 1 0 0
1933 CIN C 41 0 109 22 4 1
1933 SLA C 27 0 98 13 4 2
1934 SLA C 114 0 487 92 16 15
1934 SLA OF 6 0 12 0 0 0
1935 SLA C 141 0 510 105 13 10
1936 SLA C 114 0 340 68 13 16
1937 SLA 1B 2 0 6 1 0 0
1937 SLA C 94 0 332 70 13 13
1938 CLE C 58 0 358 38 8 5
1939 CLE C 106 0 499 58 9 7
1940 CLE C 117 0 591 65 4 8
1941 CLE C 96 0 401 42 9 8
1942 CIN C 34 0 199 15 4 3
1942 NYA C 29 0 103 11 1 3
1943 NYA C 52 0 234 31 5 3
1944 NYA C 76 0 298 41 6 7
1946 PHI C 45 0 170 42 5 10
1947 PHI C 2 0 3 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Rollie Hemsley Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 1480
First Base 2
Left Field 7
Center Field 1
Right Field 1

Awards & Honors

Rollie Hemsley — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star C2

Award Voting History

Rollie Hemsley — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1944 Most Valuable Player AL 26th 4.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 27th 2.0 336 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 16.0 80 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Rollie Hemsley (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Luke Sewell
    .259 avg, 20 HR
  2. 95
    Frank Snyder
    .265 avg, 47 HR
  3. 90
    Charlie Moore
    .261 avg, 36 HR
  4. 85
    Ivey Wingo
    .260 avg, 25 HR
  5. 84
    Al Lopez HOF
    .261 avg, 51 HR
  6. 79
    Joe Girardi
    .267 avg, 36 HR

Rollie Hemsley: the record in brief

Between the debut on April 19, 1928 and the final game on April 17, 1947, Rollie Hemsley built the record summarized on this page. By club, Hemsley's seasons break down as the Pittsburgh Pirates (1928 through 1931), the Chicago Cubs (1931 to 1932), the Cincinnati Reds (1933 to 1942), the St. Louis Browns (1933 to 1937), the Cleveland Indians (1938 through 1941), the New York Yankees (1942 to 1944), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1946 to 1947). Born on June 24, 1907, in Syracuse, OH, USA, Hemsley is listed as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. The bio records the death on July 31, 1972, in Washington, DC, USA. The given name on file is Ralston Burdett Hemsley.

Across 1,593 games at the plate, Hemsley's career line reads 1,321 hits in 5,047 at bats for a .262 average, plus 31 homers, 555 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. Hemsley's career OPS of .671 combines a .311 on-base mark with .360 slugging. Against a .272 league average for those years, Hemsley's .262 average was near the norm.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rollie Hemsley

What years did Rollie Hemsley play?
Rollie Hemsley played in Major League Baseball from 1928 to 1947.
Was Rollie Hemsley a pitcher?
No. Rollie Hemsley was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Rollie Hemsley hit?
Rollie Hemsley hit 31 career home runs with 1,321 hits.
What teams did Rollie Hemsley play for?
Rollie Hemsley played for 7 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1928–1931), the Chicago Cubs (1931–1932), the Cincinnati Reds (1933, 1942), the St. Louis Browns (1933–1937), the Cleveland Indians (1938–1941), the New York Yankees (1942–1944), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1946–1947).
Did Rollie Hemsley win an MVP award?
No. Rollie Hemsley did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Rollie Hemsley win?
Rollie Hemsley was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
What were Rollie Hemsley's career stats?
In 1,593 games, Rollie Hemsley had 1,321 hits, 31 home runs, 555 RBI, 562 runs, and 29 stolen bases, with a .262 batting average.
What position did Rollie Hemsley play?
Rollie Hemsley played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Rollie Hemsley and how much did he weigh?
Rollie Hemsley was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 170 pounds.
How many home runs did Rollie Hemsley hit each season?
Rollie Hemsley's home runs by season: 0 in 1928, 0 in 1929, 2 in 1930, 3 in 1931, 4 in 1932, 1 in 1933, 2 in 1934, 0 in 1935, 2 in 1936, 3 in 1937, 2 in 1938, 2 in 1939, 4 in 1940, 2 in 1941, 0 in 1942, 2 in 1943, 2 in 1944, 0 in 1946, and 0 in 1947. His most in one season was 4, in 1932 and 1940.
What was Rollie Hemsley's career batting average?
Rollie Hemsley batted .262 over his career, with 1,321 hits in 5,047 at bats.
How many RBI did Rollie Hemsley have?
Rollie Hemsley drove in 555 runs in his career.
Is Rollie Hemsley in the Hall of Fame?
No. Rollie Hemsley has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Rollie Hemsley make?
Rollie Hemsley was selected to 5 All-Star Games.