Bill Hoffer
Born: 11/8/1870 in Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
Died: 7/21/1959 in Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
MLB Debut: 1895-04-26 | Final Game: 1901-07-04
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 155 lbs
Full name: William Leopold Hoffer
Biography
Bill Hoffer was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1895 to 1901. Born in 1870, Hoffer made a name for himself during the late 19th century, a period marked by the transition from the deadball era to the modern game. He achieved a career record of 92 wins and 46 losses, showcasing his effectiveness on the mound. With a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.75, Hoffer established himself as a reliable pitcher, contributing significantly to his teams' successes during his tenure.
Over his six-season career, Hoffer recorded a total of 314 strikeouts, demonstrating his ability to dominate hitters with his pitching repertoire. He also registered 3 saves, which, while modest by today’s standards, reflected the evolving role of relief pitchers in the game at that time. Hoffer's performance and consistency on the mound played a crucial role in shaping competitive baseball during the late 1890s, making him a noteworthy figure in the early history of the sport.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 46 | 161 | 142 | 125 | 10 | 3 | 1254.3 | 1333 | 523 | 22 | 453 | 314 | 3.75 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | BLN | NL | 31 | 6 | 41 | 38 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 314.0 | 296 | 112 | 124 | 80 | 3.21 | -321.4 |
| 1896 | BLN | NL | 25 | 7 | 35 | 35 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 309.0 | 317 | 116 | 95 | 93 | 3.38 | 4866.5 |
| 1897 | BLN | NL | 22 | 11 | 38 | 33 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 303.3 | 350 | 145 | 104 | 62 | 4.30 | -163.6 |
| 1898 | BLN | NL | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 34.3 | 62 | 28 | 16 | 5 | 7.34 | -310.2 |
| 1898 | PIT | NL | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 | 26 | 6 | 15 | 11 | 1.74 | 73.2 |
| 1899 | PIT | NL | 8 | 10 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 163.7 | 169 | 66 | 64 | 44 | 3.63 | -1303.7 |
| 1901 | CLE | AL | 3 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 99.0 | 113 | 50 | 35 | 19 | 4.55 | -1035.1 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | 560 | 82 | 128 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 48 | 11 | 34 | 78 | 0.229 | 0.292 | 0.304 | 0.595 | -1449.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | BLN | NL | 41 | 126 | 22 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 0.214 | -647.6 |
| 1896 | BLN | NL | 35 | 125 | 23 | 38 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 0.304 | 180.6 |
| 1897 | BLN | NL | 42 | 139 | 20 | 33 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 0.237 | -467.8 |
| 1898 | BLN | NL | 8 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0.208 | 0.0 |
| 1898 | PIT | NL | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.091 | 0.0 |
| 1899 | PIT | NL | 33 | 91 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0.198 | -514.8 |
| 1901 | CLE | AL | 17 | 44 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0.136 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 14 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| P | 161 | 0 | 73 | 281 | 21 | 15 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | BLN | P | 41 | 0 | 15 | 55 | 2 | 2 |
| 1896 | BLN | P | 35 | 0 | 15 | 83 | 9 | 6 |
| 1897 | BLN | P | 38 | 0 | 22 | 64 | 4 | 4 |
| 1897 | BLN | OF | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | BLN | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | BLN | OF | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1898 | PIT | P | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899 | PIT | P | 23 | 0 | 13 | 37 | 5 | 2 |
| 1899 | PIT | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1899 | PIT | OF | 6 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1901 | CLE | P | 16 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| 1901 | CLE | SS | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 161 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 10 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 1 |