William Hoover
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1892)
William Hoover was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1892 for 4 teams, including the Philadelphia Keystones, a span of 9 seasons. In 127 career games, he hit .288 with 151 hits, 1 home runs, and 16 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,521.
- 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
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 178 lb
- Died
- 4/16/1924 in Jersey City, NJ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-04-17
- Last Game
- 1892-10-15
Full name: William James Hoover
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | 525 | 114 | 151 | 23 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 37 | 13 | .288 | .337 | .390 | .727 | 1,521 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — +17.6% above league average.
Career OBP .337 vs. league average .296 across their career seasons — +13.7% above league average.
Career SLG .390 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — +18.8% above league average.
Career OPS .727 vs. league average .625 across their career seasons — +16.4% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | PHU | UA | 63 | 275 | 76 | 100 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | .364 | .243 (+49%) | .278 (+40%) | .327 (+51%) | .606 (+46%) | 1855.3 |
| 1884 | PHI | NL | 10 | 42 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 1855.3 |
| 1886 | BL2 | AA | 40 | 157 | 25 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 0 | .217 | .246 (-12%) | .302 (-2%) | .331 (-8%) | .634 (-5%) | -96.2 |
| 1892 | CIN | NL | 14 | 51 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | .176 | .244 (-28%) | .316 (-21%) | .327 (-46%) | .644 (-34%) | -238.1 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 127 | 525 | 114 | 151 | 23 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 37 | 13 | .288 | — | — | — | — | 3,376 | ||
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 Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 6 |
| Second Base | 6 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 15 |
| Left Field | 55 |
| Center Field | 45 |
| Right Field | 2 |
William Hoover: the record in brief
According to the bio, William Hoover debuted on April 17, 1884 and played a final game on October 15, 1892. Hoover played for the Philadelphia Keystones (1884), the Philadelphia Quakers (1884), the Baltimore Orioles (1886), and the Cincinnati Reds (1892). At 6'1" and 178 pounds, Hoover is listed as an outfielder. Hoover both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is April 12, 1863, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The bio records the death on April 16, 1924, in Jersey City, NJ, USA. The bio lists the given name William James.
Hoover collected 151 hits in 525 at bats across 127 games, good for a .288 batting average, adding 1 home run and 16 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .337 clip and slugging .390, Hoover finished with a .727 OPS. Measured against the leagues Hoover played in, the .288 career average compares with a .245 league average over the same seasons, 17.6% above the league. The highest hit total in a season was 100, in 1884.
Frequently Asked Questions about William Hoover
- What years did William Hoover play?
- William Hoover played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1892.
- Was William Hoover a pitcher?
- No. William Hoover was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did William Hoover hit?
- William Hoover hit 1 career home runs with 151 hits.
- What was William Hoover's career batting average?
- William Hoover batted .288 over his career, with 151 hits in 525 at bats.
- How many RBI did William Hoover have?
- William Hoover drove in 16 runs in his career.
- Is William Hoover in the Hall of Fame?
- No. William Hoover has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.