Bill Kissinger
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1895-1897)
Bill Kissinger was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1897 for the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 3 seasons. Across 53 career appearances, he went 7-25 with a 6.99 ERA and 61 strikeouts. He also batted .280 with 0 home runs.
- 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
- 5'11" / 185 lb
- Died
- 4/20/1929 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1895-05-30
- Last Game
- 1897-06-10
Full name: William Francis Kissinger
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | BLN | NL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3.97 | 4.77 (+17%) | 338.4 |
| 1895 | SLN | NL | 4 | 12 | 24 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 140.2 | 222 | 105 | 51 | 31 | 6.72 | 4.77 (-41%) | -1285.9 |
| 1896 | SLN | NL | 2 | 9 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 136.0 | 209 | 98 | 55 | 22 | 6.49 | 4.36 (-49%) | -1626.4 |
| 1897 | SLN | NL | 0 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31.1 | 51 | 40 | 15 | 5 | 11.49 | 4.30 (-167%) | -1351.7 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 7 | 25 | 53 | 32 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 319.1 | 500 | 248 | 123 | 61 | 6.99 | — | -3,926 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 214 | 24 | 60 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 21 | .280 | .290 | .369 | .659 | -579 |
Career AVG .280 vs. league average .293 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .290 vs. league average .357 across their career seasons — 18.6% below league average.
Career SLG .369 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career OPS .659 vs. league average .748 across their career seasons — 11.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | BLN | NL | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1895 | SLN | NL | 33 | 97 | 8 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 11 | .247 | .296 (-16%) | .361 (-32%) | .399 (-17%) | .761 (-24%) | 0.0 |
| 1896 | SLN | NL | 23 | 73 | 8 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .301 | .290 (+4%) | .354 (-15%) | .387 (-8%) | .741 (-11%) | -153.0 |
| 1897 | SLN | NL | 14 | 39 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 5 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 72 | 214 | 24 | 60 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 21 | .280 | — | — | — | — | -153 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| OF | 14 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| P | 53 | 0 | 16 | 84 | 7 | 3 |
| SS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | BLN | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | SLN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1895 | SLN | OF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | SLN | P | 24 | 0 | 8 | 31 | 1 | 1 |
| 1895 | SLN | SS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 0 |
| 1896 | SLN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1896 | SLN | OF | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1896 | SLN | P | 20 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 5 | 2 |
| 1897 | SLN | OF | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1897 | SLN | P | 7 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 53 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
| Left Field | 10 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Bill Kissinger: the record in brief
Bill Kissinger played a first major league game on May 30, 1895 and a last one on June 10, 1897. Kissinger played for the Baltimore Orioles (1895) and the St. Louis Browns (1895 through 1897). Born on August 15, 1871, in Dayton, KY, USA, Kissinger is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 11 inches and 185 pounds. The bio records the death on April 20, 1929, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. The bio lists the given name William Francis.
Across 53 games (32 starts), Kissinger recorded 7 wins against 25 losses with a 6.99 ERA. The totals include 61 strikeouts and 23 complete games. Against a 4.48 league ERA for the same seasons, the 6.99 mark was 56.1% worse. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 6.49 in 1896, when the league's was 4.36.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Kissinger
- What years did Bill Kissinger play?
- Bill Kissinger played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1897.
- Was Bill Kissinger a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Kissinger pitched in the major leagues, recording 7 wins and 61 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Kissinger hit?
- Bill Kissinger hit 0 career home runs with 60 hits.
- What teams did Bill Kissinger play for?
- Bill Kissinger played for 2 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1895) and the St. Louis Browns (1895–1897).
- What were Bill Kissinger's career stats?
- In 53 games, Bill Kissinger went 7-25 with a 6.99 ERA, 61 strikeouts, 319.1 innings pitched, and 1 saves. At the plate he had 60 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Bill Kissinger play?
- Bill Kissinger played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Kissinger and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Kissinger was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds.
- What was Bill Kissinger's career ERA?
- Bill Kissinger finished with a 6.99 career ERA, going 7-25 with 61 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bill Kissinger have?
- Bill Kissinger recorded 61 career strikeouts.
- Is Bill Kissinger in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Kissinger has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.