Rufus Ligon
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Rufus Ligon was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Little Rock Grays and the Memphis Red Sox. Across 8 career appearances, he went 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA and 10 strikeouts. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 477.1.
- 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
- — / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 9/24/1992 in Dunlay, TX, USA
Full name: Rufus Charles Ligon
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | LRG | NSL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 3.52 | 4.13 (+15%) | 477.1 |
| 1944 | MRS | NAL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7.71 | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | MRS | NAL | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 8.00 | 3.67 (-118%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 34.1 | 39 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 4.98 | — | 477 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .261 | .320 | .261 | .581 | 0 |
Career AVG .261 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .320 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .261 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 29.3% below league average.
Career OPS .581 vs. league average .699 across their career seasons — 16.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | LRG | NSL | 8 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | MRS | NAL | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | MRS | NAL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 17 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .261 | — | — | — | — | 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 (46 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 16 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .500 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 17.0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Away | 13 | 19.2 | 33 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0.92 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-02 | MEM | KCM | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-26 | MEM | CVB | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-25 | MEM | CVB | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-20 | MEM | CAG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-01 | MEM | CIA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-07-20 | MEM | CAG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-07-19 | MEM | CAG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-07-15 | MEM | CAG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-07-03 | MEM | BIR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-06-23 | MEM | CIA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-02 | MEM | KCM | W | 2.1 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-26 | MEM | CVB | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-25 | MEM | CVB | L | 9.0 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-01 | MEM | CIA | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-07-20 | MEM | CAG | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-07-19 | MEM | CAG | — | 5.1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1945-07-15 | MEM | CAG | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-07-03 | MEM | BIR | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-06-23 | MEM | CIA | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-06-08 | MEM | CAG | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 8 |
| Left Field | 1 |
Rufus Ligon: the record in brief
The season rows for Rufus Ligon begin in 1932. The season rows list, in order, the Little Rock Grays (1932) and the Memphis Red Sox (1944 through 1945). The bio lists Ligon's primary position as pitcher. Height and weight on file: 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. The birth record reads May 6, 1903, in Cameron, TX, USA. The bio records the death on September 24, 1992, in Dunlay, TX, USA. The bio lists the given name Rufus Charles.
Ligon pitched in 8 games, starting 3, and finished with a 2-2 record and 4.98 ERA. The totals include 10 strikeouts. Against a 3.80 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.98 mark was 31.1% worse. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 3.52 in 1932, when the league's was 4.13. By Pitcher PIV, Baseball Data Hub's measure of run prevention relative to each season's league, Ligon's career adds up to 477.1.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rufus Ligon
- Was Rufus Ligon a pitcher?
- Yes. Rufus Ligon pitched in the major leagues, recording 2 wins and 10 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Rufus Ligon hit?
- Rufus Ligon hit 0 career home runs with 6 hits.
- What teams did Rufus Ligon play for?
- Rufus Ligon played for 2 teams: the Little Rock Grays (1932) and the Memphis Red Sox (1944–1945).
- What were Rufus Ligon's career stats?
- In 8 games, Rufus Ligon went 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA, 10 strikeouts, 34.1 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Rufus Ligon play?
- Rufus Ligon played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rufus Ligon and how much did he weigh?
- Rufus Ligon was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 185 pounds.
- What was Rufus Ligon's career ERA?
- Rufus Ligon finished with a 4.98 career ERA, going 2-2 with 10 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Rufus Ligon have?
- Rufus Ligon recorded 10 career strikeouts.
- Is Rufus Ligon in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rufus Ligon has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.