Ben Houser
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1910-1912)
Ben Houser was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1910 to 1912 for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Braves, a span of 3 seasons. In 162 career games, he hit .267 with 126 hits, 9 home runs, and 68 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 267.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 1/15/1952 in Augusta, ME, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1910-05-02
- Last Game
- 1912-10-05
Full name: Benjamin Franklin Houser
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162 | 472 | 58 | 126 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 68 | 3 | 37 | 50 | .267 | .322 | .390 | .711 | 267 |
Career AVG .267 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .322 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .390 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — +12.2% above league average.
Career OPS .711 vs. league average .678 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | PHA | AL | 34 | 69 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 15 | .188 | .249 (-25%) | .317 (-17%) | .326 (-11%) | .644 (-14%) | -158.3 |
| 1911 | BSN | NL | 20 | 71 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 6 | .254 | .266 (-5%) | .336 (-2%) | .356 (-13%) | .693 (-8%) | -69.0 |
| 1912 | BSN | NL | 108 | 332 | 38 | 95 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 52 | 1 | 22 | 29 | .286 | .268 (+6%) | .335 (-1%) | .358 (+19%) | .694 (+9%) | 494.7 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 162 | 472 | 58 | 126 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 68 | 3 | 37 | 50 | .267 | — | — | — | — | 267 | ||
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 (163 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 85 | 256 | 31 | 70 | 7 | 46 | .273 |
| Away | 78 | 214 | 28 | 57 | 2 | 29 | .266 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912-10-05 | BSN | PHI | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-10-04 | BSN | PHI | W | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-10-03 | BSN | PHI | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-10-02 | BSN | BRO | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-10-02 | BSN | BRO | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-09-30 | BSN | BRO | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1912-09-28 | BSN | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1912-09-28 | BSN | NY1 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-09-27 | BSN | NY1 | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-09-26 | BSN | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 130 |
Ben Houser: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 2, 1910 and the final game on October 5, 1912, Ben Houser built the record summarized on this page. By club, Houser's seasons break down as the Philadelphia Athletics (1910), the Boston Rustlers (1911), and the Boston Braves (1912). At 185 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame, Houser is listed as a first baseman. The bio says Houser batted and threw left-handed. The recorded birth is November 30, 1883, in Frackville, PA, USA. Houser died on January 15, 1952, in Augusta, ME, USA. The bio lists the given name Benjamin Franklin.
Across 162 games at the plate, Houser's career line reads 126 hits in 472 at bats for a .267 average, along with 9 homers and 68 runs batted in. Houser's career OPS of .711 combines a .322 on-base mark with .390 slugging. Against a .262 league average for those years, Houser's .267 average was near the norm. The highest hit total in a season was 95, in 1912.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Houser
- What years did Ben Houser play?
- Ben Houser played in Major League Baseball from 1910 to 1912.
- Was Ben Houser a pitcher?
- No. Ben Houser was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ben Houser hit?
- Ben Houser hit 9 career home runs with 126 hits.
- What teams did Ben Houser play for?
- Ben Houser played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Athletics (1910) and the Boston Braves (1911–1912).
- What were Ben Houser's career stats?
- In 162 games, Ben Houser had 126 hits, 9 home runs, 68 RBI, 58 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .267 batting average.
- What position did Ben Houser play?
- Ben Houser played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ben Houser and how much did he weigh?
- Ben Houser was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ben Houser hit each season?
- Ben Houser's home runs by season: 0 in 1910, 1 in 1911, and 8 in 1912. His most in one season was 8, in 1912.
- What was Ben Houser's career batting average?
- Ben Houser batted .267 over his career, with 126 hits in 472 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ben Houser have?
- Ben Houser drove in 68 runs in his career.
- Is Ben Houser in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ben Houser has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.