Willard Hershberger
Born: 5/28/1910 in Lemoncove, CA, USA
Died: 8/3/1940 in Boston, MA, USA
MLB Debut: 1938-04-19 | Final Game: 1940-08-02
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 167 lbs
Full name: Willard McKee Hershberger
Biography
Willard Hershberger was an American professional baseball player born in 1910, who played as a position player from 1938 to 1940. Over the course of his brief but impactful career, he participated in 160 games, accumulating 127 hits and achieving a commendable batting average of .316. Despite not hitting any home runs, he contributed significantly to his teams with 70 RBIs and a couple of stolen bases, showcasing his ability to get on base and drive in runs.
Hershberger's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, just prior to the outbreak of World War II. His performance reflected the offensive strategies of the time, emphasizing contact hitting and the importance of situational batting. Although his time in Major League Baseball was relatively short, his .316 batting average demonstrates his proficiency as a hitter and his potential contributions to the teams he played for. His legacy is remembered as part of an era that laid the groundwork for the dynamic changes that would soon sweep through the sport.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | 402 | 41 | 127 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 70 | 2 | 20 | 16 | 0.316 | 0.356 | 0.381 | 0.737 | 15.8 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CIN | NL | 49 | 105 | 12 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0.276 | -254.6 |
| 1939 | CIN | NL | 63 | 174 | 23 | 60 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 0.345 | 269.6 |
| 1940 | CIN | NL | 48 | 123 | 6 | 38 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0.309 | 0.7 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | WS | CIN | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C | 136 | 0 | 433 | 45 | 10 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CIN | C | 39 | 0 | 108 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| 1938 | CIN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | CIN | C | 60 | 0 | 204 | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| 1940 | CIN | C | 37 | 0 | 121 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 136 |
| Second Base | 1 |