Mike Hershberger

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1961-1971)

Mike Hershberger was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1971 for 4 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 11 seasons. In 1,150 career games, he hit .252 with 900 hits, 26 home runs, and 344 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

AVG .252
HR 26
RBI 344
H 900
OPS .645
PIV -2,577
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'10" / 175 lb
Born
10/9/1939 in Massillon, OH, USA
Died
7/1/2012 in Massillon, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1961-09-05
Last Game
1971-09-17

Full name: Norman Michael Hershberger

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Career Batting Statistics

Mike Hershberger — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,150 3,572 398 900 150 22 26 344 74 319 311 .252 .316 .328 .645 -2,577

Career AVG .252 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .328 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — 12.1% below league average.

Career OPS .645 vs. league average .688 across their career seasons — 6.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Mike Hershberger 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
1961 CHA AL 15 55 9 17 3 0 0 5 1 2 2 .309 .258 (+20%) .328 (+2%) .399 (-9%) .727 (-4%) -37.7
1962 CHA AL 148 427 54 112 14 2 4 46 10 37 36 .262 .257 (+2%) .326 (-1%) .393 (-15%) .719 (-9%) -530.9
1963 CHA AL 135 476 64 133 26 2 3 45 9 39 39 .279 .246 (+13%) .308 (+9%) .371 (-3%) .680 (+3%) 324.3
1964 CHA AL 141 452 55 104 15 3 2 31 8 48 47 .230 .250 (-8%) .312 (-1%) .377 (-23%) .690 (-13%) -805.3
1965 KC1 AL 150 494 43 114 15 5 5 48 7 37 42 .231 .245 (-6%) .310 (-7%) .371 (-16%) .682 (-12%) -884.8
1966 KC1 AL 146 538 55 136 27 7 2 57 13 47 37 .253 .248 (+2%) .309 (+1%) .376 (-10%) .685 (-5%) -401.5
1967 KC1 AL 142 480 55 122 25 1 1 49 10 38 40 .254 .242 (+5%) .306 (+2%) .357 (-11%) .663 (-5%) -318.7
1968 OAK AL 99 246 23 67 9 2 5 32 8 21 22 .272 .236 (+15%) .298 (+10%) .340 (+14%) .638 (+12%) 461.3
1969 OAK AL 51 129 11 26 2 0 1 10 1 10 15 .202 .248 (-19%) .320 (-19%) .369 (-35%) .689 (-28%) -532.3
1970 ML4 AL 49 98 7 23 5 0 1 6 1 10 8 .235 .253 (-8%) .325 (-6%) .385 (-18%) .711 (-13%) -183.2
1971 CHA AL 74 177 22 46 9 0 2 15 6 30 23 .260 .249 (+4%) .316 (+19%) .365 (-6%) .682 (+6%) 332.1
Career · 11 seasons 1,150 3,572 398 900 150 22 26 344 74 319 311 .252 — — — — -2,577

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 (1150 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Mike Hershberger — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home588182121547012199.258
Away562175118343014144.246

Last 10 Games — Batting

Mike Hershberger — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1971-09-17 CHWLAAW 413100110
1971-09-12 CHWKCRW 100000010
1971-09-11 CHWKCRL 101000100
1971-09-10 CHWKCRL 401000000
1971-09-08 CHWMINL 400000000
1971-09-06 CHWMINW 401000010
1971-09-05 CHWKCRW 422100110
1971-09-03 CHWKCRL 110000120
1971-08-31 CHWMINL 411001100
1971-08-29 CHWDETW 501100000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Mike Hershberger — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1037 882 1763 84 38 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Mike Hershberger — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1961 CHA OF 13 13 29 2 0 0
1962 CHA OF 135 106 236 7 4 0
1963 CHA OF 119 107 230 13 6 3
1964 CHA OF 134 107 231 10 4 2
1965 KC1 OF 144 131 238 14 3 7
1966 KC1 OF 143 139 285 14 7 3
1967 KC1 OF 130 122 206 17 4 2
1968 OAK OF 90 61 128 5 3 0
1969 OAK OF 35 32 50 0 1 0
1970 ML4 OF 35 21 34 1 2 0
1971 CHA OF 59 43 96 1 4 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Mike Hershberger Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Left Field 116
Center Field 255
Right Field 745

College History

Mike Hershberger — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH 1958

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Mike Hershberger (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Jim Wohlford
    .260 avg, 21 HR
  2. 90
    Ken Berry
    .255 avg, 58 HR
  3. 86
    Cliff Carroll
    .251 avg, 31 HR
  4. 83
    Jim Busby
    .262 avg, 48 HR
  5. 81
    John Barry
    .267 avg, 10 HR
  6. 81
    Ted Uhlaender
    .263 avg, 36 HR

Mike Hershberger: the record in brief

September 5, 1961 and September 17, 1971 bracket Mike Hershberger's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1961 through 1971), the Kansas City Athletics (1965 through 1967), the Oakland Athletics (1968 through 1969), and the Milwaukee Brewers (1970). Hershberger, an outfielder by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 175 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The birth record reads October 9, 1939, in Massillon, OH, USA. Hershberger died on July 1, 2012, in Massillon, OH, USA. Mike Hershberger was the playing name; the full given name is Norman Michael.

Hershberger finished with 900 hits from 3,572 at bats in 1,150 games, which works out to .252, along with 26 home runs, 344 RBI, and 74 stolen bases. Hershberger got on base at a .316 rate and slugged .328 (.645 OPS). Against a .249 league average for those years, Hershberger's .252 average was near the norm. Hershberger collected a career-high 136 hits in 1966. Hershberger drove in a season-high 57 runs in 1966.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Hershberger

What years did Mike Hershberger play?
Mike Hershberger played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1971.
Was Mike Hershberger a pitcher?
No. Mike Hershberger was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Mike Hershberger hit?
Mike Hershberger hit 26 career home runs with 900 hits.
What teams did Mike Hershberger play for?
Mike Hershberger played for 3 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1961–1964, 1971), the Oakland Athletics (1965–1969), and the Milwaukee Brewers (1970).
What were Mike Hershberger's career stats?
In 1,150 games, Mike Hershberger had 900 hits, 26 home runs, 344 RBI, 398 runs, and 74 stolen bases, with a .252 batting average.
What position did Mike Hershberger play?
Mike Hershberger played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Mike Hershberger and how much did he weigh?
Mike Hershberger was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
How many home runs did Mike Hershberger hit each season?
Mike Hershberger's home runs by season: 0 in 1961, 4 in 1962, 3 in 1963, 2 in 1964, 5 in 1965, 2 in 1966, 1 in 1967, 5 in 1968, 1 in 1969, 1 in 1970, and 2 in 1971. His most in one season was 5, in 1965 and 1968.
What was Mike Hershberger's career batting average?
Mike Hershberger batted .252 over his career, with 900 hits in 3,572 at bats.
How many RBI did Mike Hershberger have?
Mike Hershberger drove in 344 runs in his career.
Is Mike Hershberger in the Hall of Fame?
No. Mike Hershberger has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.