Bill Kelso
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1964-1968)
Bill Kelso was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1968 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the California Angels, and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 5 seasons. Across 119 career appearances, he went 12-5 with a 3.13 ERA and 162 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 215 lb
- Died
- 5/11/2009 in North Kansas City, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1964-07-31
- Last Game
- 1968-09-28
Full name: William Eugene Kelso
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | LAA | AL | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23.2 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 21 | 2.28 | 3.58 (+36%) | -97.8 |
| 1966 | CAL | AL | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 2.38 | 3.52 (+32%) | -26.3 |
| 1967 | CAL | AL | 5 | 3 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 112.0 | 85 | 37 | 63 | 91 | 2.97 | 3.30 (+10%) | -284.6 |
| 1968 | CIN | NL | 4 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 54.0 | 56 | 24 | 15 | 39 | 4.00 | 2.98 (-34%) | -544.1 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 12 | 5 | 119 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 201.0 | 171 | 70 | 93 | 162 | 3.13 | — | -953 | ||
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 Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | .059 | .086 | .059 | .145 | 0 |
Career AVG .059 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — 75.9% below league average.
Career OBP .086 vs. league average .307 across their career seasons — 72.1% below league average.
Career SLG .059 vs. league average .363 across their career seasons — 83.8% below league average.
Career OPS .145 vs. league average .670 across their career seasons — 78.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | LAA | AL | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CAL | AL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | CAL | AL | 69 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | .105 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | CIN | NL | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 119 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | .059 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (238 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 61 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .053 |
| Away | 58 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .067 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 61 | 104.1 | 91 | 42 | 40 | 69 | 3.62 |
| Away | 58 | 97.0 | 80 | 28 | 53 | 93 | 2.60 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-09-28 | CIN | SFG | — | 0.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-09-24 | CIN | PIT | — | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-09-23 | CIN | PIT | L | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968-09-23 | CIN | PIT | W | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1968-09-22 | CIN | HOU | — | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968-09-17 | CIN | LAD | — | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968-07-16 | CIN | LAD | — | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968-07-13 | CIN | SFG | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968-07-12 | CIN | SFG | — | 0.1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1968-07-11 | CIN | SFG | — | 1.1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 119 |
Bill Kelso: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bill Kelso's first major league game on July 31, 1964; the last one listed came on September 28, 1968. The team column moves through the Los Angeles Angels (1964), the California Angels (1966 to 1967), and the Cincinnati Reds (1968). Born on February 19, 1940, in Kansas City, MO, USA, Kelso is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6'4" and 215 pounds. The bio records the death on May 11, 2009, in North Kansas City, MO, USA. The given name on file is William Eugene Kelso.
Across 119 games (2 starts), Kelso recorded 12 wins against 5 losses with a 3.13 ERA. The totals include 162 strikeouts and 12 saves. The leagues Kelso pitched in allowed 3.35 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 6.3% better than average. Kelso won 5 games in 1967, the most of any season listed. The most saves in one season was 11, in 1967.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Kelso
- What years did Bill Kelso play?
- Bill Kelso played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1968.
- Was Bill Kelso a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Kelso pitched in the major leagues, recording 12 wins and 162 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Kelso hit?
- Bill Kelso hit 0 career home runs with 2 hits.
- What teams did Bill Kelso play for?
- Bill Kelso played for 2 teams: the California Angels (1964, 1966–1967) and the Cincinnati Reds (1968).
- What were Bill Kelso's career stats?
- In 119 games, Bill Kelso went 12-5 with a 3.13 ERA, 162 strikeouts, 201.0 innings pitched, and 12 saves.
- What position did Bill Kelso play?
- Bill Kelso played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Kelso and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Kelso was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 215 pounds.
- What was Bill Kelso's career ERA?
- Bill Kelso finished with a 3.13 career ERA, going 12-5 with 162 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bill Kelso have?
- Bill Kelso recorded 162 career strikeouts.
- Is Bill Kelso in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Kelso has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.