Jim Lillie
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1883-1886)
Jim Lillie was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1883 to 1886 for the Buffalo Bisons and the Kansas City Cowboys, a span of 4 seasons. In 390 career games, he hit .219 with 332 hits, 6 home runs, and 134 RBI.
- 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
- R / —
- Died
- 11/9/1890 in Kansas City, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1883-05-17
- Last Game
- 1886-10-11
Full name: James J. Lillie
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 390 | 1,518 | 179 | 332 | 41 | 11 | 6 | 134 | 13 | 23 | 221 | .219 | .230 | .272 | .502 | -4,100 |
Career AVG .219 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — 11.4% below league average.
Career OBP .230 vs. league average .288 across their career seasons — 20.0% below league average.
Career SLG .272 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 17.9% below league average.
Career OPS .502 vs. league average .619 across their career seasons — 18.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | BFN | NL | 50 | 201 | 25 | 47 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 31 | .234 | .257 (-9%) | .285 (-17%) | .345 (-9%) | .631 (-13%) | -383.4 |
| 1884 | BFN | NL | 114 | 471 | 68 | 105 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 53 | 0 | 5 | 71 | .223 | .243 (-8%) | .278 (-17%) | .327 (-12%) | .606 (-14%) | -962.8 |
| 1885 | BFN | NL | 112 | 430 | 49 | 107 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 39 | .249 | .244 (+2%) | .287 (-10%) | .325 (-6%) | .613 (-8%) | -514.5 |
| 1886 | KCN | NL | 114 | 416 | 37 | 73 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 80 | .175 | .246 (-29%) | .302 (-35%) | .331 (-41%) | .634 (-38%) | -2239.7 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 390 | 1,518 | 179 | 332 | 41 | 11 | 6 | 134 | 13 | 23 | 221 | .219 | — | — | — | — | -4,100 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | BFN | NL | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3.00 | 3.22 (+7%) | 39.1 |
| 1884 | BFN | NL | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 6.23 | 3.11 (-100%) | -228.8 |
| 1886 | KCN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4.50 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 | 46 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 4.65 | — | -190 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| OF | 387 | 0 | 645 | 102 | 119 | 16 |
| P | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| SS | 4 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | BFN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1883 | BFN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1883 | BFN | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1883 | BFN | OF | 47 | 0 | 73 | 8 | 16 | 2 |
| 1883 | BFN | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1883 | BFN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1884 | BFN | OF | 114 | 0 | 190 | 41 | 40 | 7 |
| 1884 | BFN | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | BFN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | BFN | OF | 112 | 0 | 183 | 23 | 33 | 4 |
| 1885 | BFN | SS | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 1886 | KCN | OF | 114 | 0 | 199 | 30 | 30 | 3 |
| 1886 | KCN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 6 |
| Catcher | 2 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
| Left Field | 147 |
| Center Field | 38 |
| Right Field | 204 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Lillie (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jim Lillie: the record in brief
Jim Lillie played a first major league game on May 17, 1883 and a last one on October 11, 1886. Club by club, the record runs the Buffalo Bisons (1883 to 1885) and the Kansas City Cowboys (1886). Born on July 27, 1861, in New Haven, CT, USA, Lillie is listed as an outfielder. The bio records the death on November 9, 1890, in Kansas City, MO, USA. On the record, Jim Lillie was born James J. Lillie.
Lillie collected 332 hits in 1,518 at bats across 390 games, good for a .219 batting average; the totals also include 6 homers and 134 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .230 and .272 give Lillie a career OPS of .502. Measured against the leagues Lillie played in, the .219 career average compares with a .247 league average over the same seasons, 11.4% below the league. By OPS the gap is 18.9% below league average (.502 against .619). No season topped the 107 hits of 1885.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Lillie
- What years did Jim Lillie play?
- Jim Lillie played in Major League Baseball from 1883 to 1886.
- Was Jim Lillie a pitcher?
- No. Jim Lillie was a position player (Outfielder), though he did pitch in 6 career games.
- How many home runs did Jim Lillie hit?
- Jim Lillie hit 6 career home runs with 332 hits.
- What teams did Jim Lillie play for?
- Jim Lillie played for 2 teams: the Buffalo Bisons (1883–1885) and the Kansas City Cowboys (1886).
- What were Jim Lillie's career stats?
- In 390 games, Jim Lillie had 332 hits, 6 home runs, 134 RBI, 179 runs, and 13 stolen bases, with a .219 batting average.
- What position did Jim Lillie play?
- Jim Lillie played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How many home runs did Jim Lillie hit each season?
- Jim Lillie's home runs by season: 1 in 1883, 3 in 1884, 2 in 1885, and 0 in 1886. His most in one season was 3, in 1884.
- What was Jim Lillie's career batting average?
- Jim Lillie batted .219 over his career, with 332 hits in 1,518 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Lillie have?
- Jim Lillie drove in 134 runs in his career.
- What was Jim Lillie's career ERA?
- Jim Lillie finished with a 4.65 career ERA, going 0-2 with 8 strikeouts.
- Is Jim Lillie in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Lillie has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.