Bill James
Born: 1/20/1887 in Detroit, MI, USA
Died: 5/25/1942 in Venice, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1911-06-12 | Final Game: 1919-09-17
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 195 lbs
Full name: William Henry James
Biography
Bill James was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1911 to 1919. Born in 1887, he made a name for himself during an era characterized by the burgeoning evolution of pitching techniques and strategies in Major League Baseball. Throughout his career, James accumulated a win-loss record of 65-71 and maintained a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.2, reflecting his ability to effectively manage opposing hitters. He recorded a total of 408 strikeouts and secured 4 saves, showcasing his skills as both a starter and a relief pitcher.
James's playing career unfolded during a time when the game was transitioning from the deadball era, marked by low-scoring contests and a strong emphasis on pitching. His contributions on the mound helped shape the competitive landscape of the league during the 1910s. Although he may not have achieved the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, Bill James's perseverance and performance left a lasting impact on the teams he played for and the fans who followed them.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 71 | 203 | 147 | 68 | 9 | 4 | 1179.7 | 1110 | 420 | 16 | 578 | 408 | 3.20 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | CLE | AL | 2 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 51.7 | 58 | 28 | 32 | 21 | 4.88 | -1066.2 |
| 1912 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.7 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 4.61 | -249.2 |
| 1914 | SLA | AL | 15 | 14 | 44 | 35 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 284.0 | 269 | 90 | 109 | 109 | 2.85 | -1207.8 |
| 1915 | DET | AL | 7 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 67.0 | 57 | 18 | 33 | 24 | 2.42 | -787.6 |
| 1915 | SLA | AL | 7 | 10 | 34 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 170.3 | 155 | 68 | 92 | 58 | 3.59 | -3203.0 |
| 1916 | DET | AL | 8 | 12 | 30 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 151.7 | 141 | 62 | 79 | 61 | 3.68 | -2585.7 |
| 1917 | DET | AL | 13 | 10 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 198.0 | 163 | 46 | 96 | 62 | 2.09 | -3736.9 |
| 1918 | DET | AL | 6 | 11 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 122.0 | 127 | 51 | 68 | 42 | 3.76 | -2796.4 |
| 1919 | BOS | AL | 3 | 5 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 72.7 | 74 | 33 | 39 | 12 | 4.09 | -2191.2 |
| 1919 | CHW | AL | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 39.3 | 39 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 2.52 | - |
| 1919 | DET | AL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5.79 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 203 | 358 | 25 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 27 | 129 | 0.142 | 0.209 | 0.165 | 0.374 | -883.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | CLE | AL | 8 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.059 | 0.0 |
| 1912 | CLE | AL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1914 | SLA | AL | 44 | 89 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 38 | 0.112 | -802.3 |
| 1915 | DET | AL | 11 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1915 | SLA | AL | 34 | 42 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 0.190 | 0.0 |
| 1916 | DET | AL | 30 | 44 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0.068 | 0.0 |
| 1917 | DET | AL | 34 | 57 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 0.211 | -81.0 |
| 1918 | DET | AL | 19 | 46 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0.109 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | BOS | AL | 13 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.143 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | CHW | AL | 5 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.143 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | DET | AL | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | WS | CHA | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5.79 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | WS | CHA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5.79 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 203 | 0 | 50 | 384 | 31 | 15 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | CLE | P | 8 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1912 | CLE | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1914 | SLA | P | 44 | 0 | 11 | 105 | 3 | 5 |
| 1915 | DET | P | 11 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 2 | 1 |
| 1915 | SLA | P | 34 | 0 | 12 | 58 | 6 | 2 |
| 1916 | DET | P | 30 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 6 | 1 |
| 1917 | DET | P | 34 | 0 | 4 | 61 | 5 | 1 |
| 1918 | DET | P | 19 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 1 | 3 |
| 1919 | BOS | P | 13 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 3 | 2 |
| 1919 | CHA | P | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1919 | DET | P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 203 |