Bill Lamar
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1917-1927)
Bill Lamar was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1927 for 4 teams, including the New York Yankees, a span of 11 seasons. In 550 career games, he hit .310 with 633 hits, 19 home runs, and 245 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,421.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/24/1970 in Rockport, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1917-09-19
- Last Game
- 1927-08-06
Full name: William Harmong Lamar
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 550 | 2,040 | 303 | 633 | 114 | 23 | 19 | 245 | 25 | 86 | 78 | .310 | .339 | .417 | .755 | 1,421 |
Career AVG .310 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — +12.8% above league average.
Career OBP .339 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .417 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — +11.1% above league average.
Career OPS .755 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — +6.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | NYA | AL | 11 | 41 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .244 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1918 | NYA | AL | 28 | 110 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | .227 | .255 (-11%) | .318 (-16%) | .326 (-22%) | .645 (-19%) | -308.7 |
| 1919 | NYA | AL | 11 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .188 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1919 | BOS | AL | 48 | 148 | 18 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 9 | .291 | .262 (+11%) | .322 (-3%) | .347 (-3%) | .670 (-3%) | 0.0 |
| 1920 | BRO | NL | 24 | 44 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | BRO | NL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | PHA | AL | 87 | 367 | 68 | 121 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 48 | 8 | 18 | 21 | .330 | .283 (+16%) | .345 (+5%) | .389 (+22%) | .734 (+14%) | 828.8 |
| 1925 | PHA | AL | 138 | 568 | 85 | 202 | 39 | 8 | 3 | 77 | 2 | 21 | 17 | .356 | .288 (+23%) | .349 (+8%) | .407 (+15%) | .756 (+12%) | 1270.9 |
| 1926 | PHA | AL | 116 | 419 | 62 | 119 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 4 | 18 | 15 | .284 | .279 (+2%) | .345 (-9%) | .390 (avg) | .735 (-4%) | -389.7 |
| 1927 | PHA | AL | 84 | 324 | 48 | 97 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 47 | 4 | 16 | 10 | .299 | .282 (+6%) | .344 (-3%) | .392 (+9%) | .736 (+3%) | 104.5 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 550 | 2,040 | 303 | 633 | 114 | 23 | 19 | 245 | 25 | 86 | 78 | .310 | — | — | — | — | 1,506 | ||
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 (550 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 269 | 977 | 152 | 308 | 9 | 124 | .315 |
| Away | 281 | 1067 | 153 | 325 | 10 | 124 | .305 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-08-06 | PHA | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1927-08-06 | PHA | SLA | W | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-08-04 | PHA | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-08-03 | PHA | CLE | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-08-03 | PHA | CLE | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-08-02 | PHA | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-07-28 | PHA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-07-27 | PHA | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-07-26 | PHA | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-07-26 | PHA | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 494 | 0 | 981 | 62 | 53 | 14 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | NYA | OF | 11 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | NYA | OF | 27 | 0 | 58 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 1919 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | NYA | OF | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | BOS | OF | 36 | 0 | 64 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| 1920 | BRO | OF | 12 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | BRO | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | PHA | OF | 87 | 0 | 187 | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 1925 | PHA | OF | 131 | 0 | 283 | 18 | 15 | 4 |
| 1926 | PHA | OF | 107 | 0 | 199 | 10 | 10 | 2 |
| 1927 | PHA | OF | 79 | 0 | 148 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 421 |
| Center Field | 62 |
| Right Field | 13 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's College | Annapolis | MD | 1914 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Lamar (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Lamar: the record in brief
Bill Lamar played a first major league game on September 19, 1917 and a last one on August 6, 1927. The team column moves through the New York Yankees (1917 to 1919), the Boston Red Sox (1919), the Brooklyn Robins (1920 to 1921), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1924 through 1927). The bio lists Lamar as an outfielder who hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The recorded size is 185 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The birth record reads March 21, 1897, in Rockville, MD, USA. Lamar died on May 24, 1970, in Rockport, MA, USA. Lamar's full given name, per the bio, is William Harmong Lamar.
The batting record for Lamar: 550 games, 633 hits in 2,040 at bats, and a .310 average, along with 19 home runs, 245 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Lamar's career OPS of .755 combines a .339 on-base mark with .417 slugging. Over the seasons Lamar played, league hitters batted .275; the .310 career figure is 12.8% above that. No season topped the 202 hits of 1925.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Lamar
- What years did Bill Lamar play?
- Bill Lamar played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1927.
- Was Bill Lamar a pitcher?
- No. Bill Lamar was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Bill Lamar hit?
- Bill Lamar hit 19 career home runs with 633 hits.
- What was Bill Lamar's career batting average?
- Bill Lamar batted .310 over his career, with 633 hits in 2,040 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Lamar have?
- Bill Lamar drove in 245 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Lamar in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Lamar has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.