Bernie James
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1929-1933)
Bernie James was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1933 for the Boston Braves and the New York Giants, a span of 5 seasons. In 114 career games, he hit .257 with 61 hits, 1 home runs, and 20 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
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 150 lb
- Died
- 8/1/1994 in San Antonio, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1929-04-24
- Last Game
- 1933-10-01
Full name: Robert Byrne James
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114 | 237 | 35 | 61 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 8 | 17 | 26 | .257 | .310 | .321 | .630 | -468 |
Career AVG .257 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 9.7% below league average.
Career OBP .310 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — 10.7% below league average.
Career SLG .321 vs. league average .409 across their career seasons — 21.6% below league average.
Career OPS .630 vs. league average .756 across their career seasons — 16.6% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | BSN | NL | 46 | 101 | 12 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 13 | .307 | .289 (+6%) | .353 (+4%) | .415 (-9%) | .769 (-3%) | -35.9 |
| 1930 | BSN | NL | 8 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1933 | NY1 | NL | 60 | 125 | 22 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 12 | .224 | .270 (-17%) | .329 (-18%) | .377 (-26%) | .707 (-22%) | -431.6 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 114 | 237 | 35 | 61 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 8 | 17 | 26 | .257 | — | — | — | — | -468 | ||
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 (115 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 47 | 74 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 6 | .216 |
| Away | 68 | 163 | 24 | 45 | 0 | 14 | .276 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933-10-01 | NY1 | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-09-27 | NY1 | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-09-27 | NY1 | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1933-09-26 | NY1 | BSN | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1933-09-24 | NY1 | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-09-24 | NY1 | BSN | W | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-09-23 | NY1 | BRO | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1933-09-23 | NY1 | BRO | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-09-19 | NY1 | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-09-18 | NY1 | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 66 |
| Third Base | 5 |
| Shortstop | 5 |
| Center Field | 1 |
Bernie James: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 24, 1929 and the final game on October 1, 1933, Bernie James built the record summarized on this page. By club, James's seasons break down as the Boston Braves (1929 through 1930) and the New York Giants (1933). James, born on September 2, 1905, in Angleton, TX, USA, is listed as a second baseman and switch-hit and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5 feet, 9 inches and 150 pounds. James's death is recorded on August 1, 1994, in San Antonio, TX, USA. The given name on file is Robert Byrne James.
Across 114 games at the plate, James's career line reads 61 hits in 237 at bats for a .257 average; the totals also include 1 home run and 20 runs batted in. James got on base at a .310 rate and slugged .321 (.630 OPS). The league as a whole hit .285 across James's seasons, which puts the .257 career mark 9.7% below average. The OPS comparison is .630 to a league .756, 16.6% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 31, in 1929.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bernie James
- What years did Bernie James play?
- Bernie James played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1933.
- Was Bernie James a pitcher?
- No. Bernie James was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bernie James hit?
- Bernie James hit 1 career home runs with 61 hits.
- What was Bernie James's career batting average?
- Bernie James batted .257 over his career, with 61 hits in 237 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bernie James have?
- Bernie James drove in 20 runs in his career.
- Is Bernie James in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bernie James has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.