Phil Knell
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1888-1895)
Phil Knell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1888 to 1895 for 7 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 8 seasons. Across 192 career appearances, he went 79-90 with a 4.05 ERA and 575 strikeouts. He also batted .187 with 2 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 154 lb
- Died
- 6/5/1944 in Santa Monica, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1888-07-06
- Last Game
- 1895-09-29
Full name: Philip Louis Knell
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | PIT | NL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26.1 | 20 | 11 | 18 | 15 | 3.76 | 2.95 (-28%) | -1061.7 |
| 1890 | PHP | PL | 22 | 11 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 286.2 | 287 | 122 | 166 | 99 | 3.83 | 3.88 (+1%) | -5917.7 |
| 1891 | CL6 | AA | 28 | 27 | 58 | 52 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 462.0 | 363 | 150 | 226 | 228 | 2.92 | 3.52 (+17%) | 691.6 |
| 1892 | WAS | NL | 9 | 13 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 170.0 | 156 | 69 | 76 | 74 | 3.65 | 3.28 (-11%) | -514.8 |
| 1892 | PHI | NL | 5 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 80.0 | 87 | 36 | 35 | 43 | 4.05 | 3.28 (-23%) | 406.5 |
| 1894 | PIT | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 11.57 | — | 0.0 |
| 1894 | LS3 | NL | 7 | 21 | 32 | 28 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 247.0 | 330 | 146 | 104 | 67 | 5.32 | 5.33 (avg) | 1305.7 |
| 1895 | LS3 | NL | 0 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 56.2 | 75 | 41 | 21 | 19 | 6.51 | 4.77 (-36%) | -362.5 |
| 1895 | CL4 | NL | 7 | 5 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 116.2 | 149 | 70 | 53 | 30 | 5.40 | 4.77 (-13%) | -1725.7 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 79 | 90 | 192 | 163 | 141 | 8 | 0 | 1,452.1 | 1,478 | 654 | 705 | 575 | 4.05 | — | -7,178 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | 657 | 79 | 123 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 63 | 10 | 23 | 115 | .187 | .218 | .247 | .465 | -3,151 |
Career AVG .187 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 29.2% below league average.
Career OBP .218 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 34.7% below league average.
Career SLG .247 vs. league average .358 across their career seasons — 31.2% below league average.
Career OPS .465 vs. league average .692 across their career seasons — 32.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | PIT | NL | 3 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1890 | PHP | PL | 36 | 132 | 19 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 17 | .220 | .260 (-16%) | .336 (-22%) | .351 (-16%) | .687 (-19%) | -409.9 |
| 1891 | CL6 | AA | 66 | 215 | 25 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 34 | .158 | .254 (-38%) | .331 (-43%) | .343 (-43%) | .675 (-43%) | -1451.1 |
| 1892 | WAS | NL | 22 | 68 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 20 | .118 | .244 (-52%) | .316 (-47%) | .327 (-64%) | .644 (-56%) | -545.6 |
| 1892 | PHI | NL | 11 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | .088 | — | — | — | — | -545.6 |
| 1894 | PIT | NL | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1894 | LS3 | NL | 32 | 113 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 18 | .274 | .309 (-11%) | .379 (-28%) | .435 (-11%) | .814 (-18%) | 0.0 |
| 1895 | LS3 | NL | 10 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1895 | CL4 | NL | 20 | 55 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | .200 | .296 (-33%) | .361 (-37%) | .399 (-32%) | .761 (-34%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 201 | 657 | 79 | 123 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 63 | 10 | 23 | 115 | .187 | — | — | — | — | -2,952 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 11 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| P | 192 | 0 | 118 | 310 | 51 | 10 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | PIT | P | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1890 | PHP | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | PHP | P | 35 | 0 | 24 | 67 | 10 | 4 |
| 1891 | CL6 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL6 | OF | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL6 | P | 58 | 0 | 40 | 119 | 10 | 1 |
| 1892 | WAS | P | 22 | 0 | 15 | 31 | 5 | 1 |
| 1892 | PHI | P | 11 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 1894 | PIT | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1894 | LS3 | P | 32 | 0 | 15 | 35 | 13 | 1 |
| 1895 | LS3 | P | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1895 | CL4 | P | 20 | 0 | 12 | 25 | 6 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 192 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 4 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 5 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Phil Knell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Phil Knell: the record in brief
According to the bio, Phil Knell debuted on July 6, 1888 and played a final game on September 29, 1895. The season rows list, in order, the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1888), the Philadelphia Athletics (1890), the Columbus Solons (1891), the Washington Senators (1892), the Philadelphia Phillies (1892), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1894), the Louisville Colonels (1894 to 1895), and the Cleveland Spiders (1895). Knell, born on March 12, 1865, in Mill Valley, CA, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw left-handed and batted right-handed. Size on record: 5'7" and 154 pounds. Knell's death is recorded on June 5, 1944, in Santa Monica, CA, USA. Phil Knell was the playing name; the full given name is Philip Louis.
Knell's career pitching line is 79 wins, 90 losses and a 4.05 ERA over 192 appearances. Also on Knell's record: 575 strikeouts, 141 complete games, and 8 shutouts. Knell's 4.05 ERA was close to the 3.86 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 28 wins of 1891.
Frequently Asked Questions about Phil Knell
- What years did Phil Knell play?
- Phil Knell played in Major League Baseball from 1888 to 1895.
- Was Phil Knell a pitcher?
- Yes. Phil Knell pitched in the major leagues, recording 79 wins and 575 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Phil Knell hit?
- Phil Knell hit 2 career home runs with 123 hits.
- What was Phil Knell's career batting average?
- Phil Knell batted .187 over his career, with 123 hits in 657 at bats.
- How many RBI did Phil Knell have?
- Phil Knell drove in 63 runs in his career.
- What was Phil Knell's career ERA?
- Phil Knell finished with a 4.05 career ERA, going 79-90 with 575 strikeouts.