Bill Keister
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1896-1903)
Bill Keister was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1903 for 6 teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 8 seasons. In 621 career games, he hit .312 with 758 hits, 18 home runs, and 400 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 6,183.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'5" / 168 lb
- Died
- 8/17/1924 in Baltimore, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1896-05-20
- Last Game
- 1903-08-25
Full name: William Hoffman Keister
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 621 | 2,433 | 400 | 758 | 133 | 63 | 18 | 400 | 131 | 90 | 116 | .312 | .349 | .440 | .789 | 6,183 |
Career AVG .312 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — +13.9% above league average.
Career OBP .349 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +5.1% above league average.
Career SLG .440 vs. league average .358 across their career seasons — +23.0% above league average.
Career OPS .789 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — +14.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | BLN | NL | 15 | 58 | 8 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | .241 | .290 (-17%) | .354 (-15%) | .387 (-24%) | .741 (-20%) | -184.1 |
| 1898 | BSN | NL | 10 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1899 | BLN | NL | 136 | 523 | 96 | 172 | 22 | 16 | 3 | 73 | 33 | 16 | 16 | .329 | .282 (+16%) | .343 (+7%) | .366 (+23%) | .710 (+15%) | 1413.7 |
| 1900 | SLN | NL | 126 | 497 | 78 | 149 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 72 | 32 | 25 | 15 | .300 | .279 (+7%) | .338 (+2%) | .366 (+9%) | .705 (+6%) | 477.5 |
| 1901 | BLA | AL | 115 | 442 | 78 | 145 | 20 | 21 | 2 | 93 | 24 | 18 | 23 | .328 | .271 (+21%) | .326 (+12%) | .359 (+34%) | .686 (+23%) | 1741.4 |
| 1902 | WS1 | AL | 119 | 483 | 82 | 145 | 33 | 9 | 9 | 90 | 27 | 14 | 22 | .300 | .266 (+13%) | .321 (+2%) | .343 (+34%) | .665 (+19%) | 1415.3 |
| 1903 | PHI | NL | 100 | 400 | 53 | 128 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 63 | 11 | 14 | 32 | .320 | .261 (+22%) | .316 (+11%) | .345 (+29%) | .662 (+20%) | 1319.2 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 621 | 2,433 | 400 | 758 | 133 | 63 | 18 | 400 | 131 | 90 | 116 | .312 | — | — | — | — | 6,183 | ||
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 (606 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 295 | 1122 | 225 | 369 | 11 | 208 | .329 |
| Away | 311 | 1252 | 167 | 375 | 7 | 188 | .300 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903-08-25 | PHI | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-25 | PHI | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1903-08-24 | PHI | PIT | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-22 | PHI | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-22 | PHI | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-21 | PHI | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-21 | PHI | STL | W | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-08-20 | PHI | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1903-08-08 | PHI | BSN | L | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1903-08-07 | PHI | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 214 | 0 | 411 | 576 | 67 | 48 |
| 3B | 23 | 0 | 24 | 50 | 17 | 2 |
| OF | 167 | 0 | 256 | 33 | 22 | 4 |
| SS | 215 | 0 | 420 | 640 | 159 | 58 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | BLN | 2B | 8 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 1896 | BLN | 3B | 6 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 1 |
| 1898 | BSN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1898 | BSN | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | BSN | SS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1899 | BLN | 2B | 46 | 0 | 94 | 117 | 13 | 11 |
| 1899 | BLN | OF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1899 | BLN | SS | 90 | 0 | 169 | 283 | 53 | 25 |
| 1900 | SLN | 2B | 116 | 0 | 206 | 315 | 41 | 26 |
| 1900 | SLN | 3B | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1900 | SLN | SS | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 8 | 1 |
| 1901 | BLA | SS | 112 | 0 | 231 | 322 | 97 | 30 |
| 1902 | WS1 | 2B | 40 | 0 | 97 | 121 | 11 | 9 |
| 1902 | WS1 | 3B | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 | 10 | 1 |
| 1902 | WS1 | OF | 65 | 0 | 115 | 9 | 12 | 3 |
| 1902 | WS1 | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1903 | PHI | OF | 100 | 0 | 136 | 22 | 10 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 214 |
| Third Base | 23 |
| Shortstop | 215 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 154 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Keister (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Keister: the record in brief
May 20, 1896 and August 25, 1903 bracket Bill Keister's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Keister's seasons break down as the Baltimore Orioles (1896 through 1901), the Boston Beaneaters (1898), the St. Louis Cardinals (1900), the Washington Senators (1902), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1903). Listed as a shortstop, Keister batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 5'5" and 168 pounds. Keister was born on August 17, 1871, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Keister's death is recorded on August 17, 1924, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Bill Keister was the playing name; the full given name is William Hoffman.
Keister collected 758 hits in 2,433 at bats across 621 games, good for a .312 batting average; the totals also include 18 home runs, 400 RBI, and 131 stolen bases. Keister got on base at a .349 rate and slugged .440 (.789 OPS). The league as a whole hit .274 across Keister's seasons, which puts the .312 career mark 13.9% above average. No season topped the 172 hits of 1899.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Keister
- What years did Bill Keister play?
- Bill Keister played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1903.
- Was Bill Keister a pitcher?
- No. Bill Keister was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Bill Keister hit?
- Bill Keister hit 18 career home runs with 758 hits.
- What teams did Bill Keister play for?
- Bill Keister played for 6 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1896, 1899), the Boston Beaneaters (1898), the St. Louis Cardinals (1900), the Baltimore Orioles (1901), the Washington Senators (1902), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1903).
- What were Bill Keister's career stats?
- In 621 games, Bill Keister had 758 hits, 18 home runs, 400 RBI, 400 runs, and 131 stolen bases, with a .312 batting average.
- What position did Bill Keister play?
- Bill Keister played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Keister and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Keister was listed at 5 feet 5 inches and 168 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bill Keister hit each season?
- Bill Keister's home runs by season: 0 in 1896, 0 in 1898, 3 in 1899, 1 in 1900, 2 in 1901, 9 in 1902, and 3 in 1903. His most in one season was 9, in 1902.
- What was Bill Keister's career batting average?
- Bill Keister batted .312 over his career, with 758 hits in 2,433 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Keister have?
- Bill Keister drove in 400 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Keister in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Keister has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.