Billy Lush
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1895-1904)
Billy Lush was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1904 for 4 teams, including the Washington Nationals, a span of 10 seasons. In 489 career games, he hit .249 with 429 hits, 8 home runs, and 152 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,623.
- 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 165 lb
- Died
- 8/28/1951 in Hawthorne, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1895-09-03
- Last Game
- 1904-10-08
Full name: William Lucas Lush
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 489 | 1,722 | 294 | 429 | 49 | 35 | 8 | 152 | 84 | 291 | 228 | .249 | .360 | .332 | .692 | 2,623 |
Career AVG .249 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — 8.6% below league average.
Career OBP .360 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — +9.0% above league average.
Career SLG .332 vs. league average .360 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.
Career OPS .692 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — near 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 | WAS | NL | 5 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1896 | WAS | NL | 97 | 352 | 74 | 87 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 45 | 28 | 66 | 49 | .247 | .290 (-15%) | .354 (+4%) | .387 (-5%) | .741 (avg) | 107.6 |
| 1897 | WAS | NL | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1901 | BSN | NL | 7 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .185 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1902 | BSN | NL | 120 | 413 | 68 | 92 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 30 | 76 | 56 | .223 | .266 (-17%) | .321 (+8%) | .343 (-24%) | .665 (-9%) | -195.7 |
| 1903 | DET | AL | 119 | 423 | 71 | 116 | 18 | 14 | 1 | 33 | 14 | 70 | 53 | .274 | .261 (+5%) | .316 (+19%) | .345 (+13%) | .662 (+16%) | 1484.7 |
| 1904 | CLE | AL | 138 | 477 | 76 | 123 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 50 | 12 | 72 | 63 | .258 | .246 (+4%) | .300 (+19%) | .321 (+1%) | .622 (+10%) | 1226.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 489 | 1,722 | 294 | 429 | 49 | 35 | 8 | 152 | 84 | 291 | 228 | .249 | — | — | — | — | 2,623 | ||
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 (385 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 192 | 650 | 96 | 166 | 2 | 51 | .255 |
| Away | 193 | 694 | 122 | 172 | 2 | 56 | .248 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904-10-08 | CLE | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904-10-08 | CLE | DET | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904-10-07 | CLE | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904-10-07 | CLE | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904-10-06 | CLE | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904-10-06 | CLE | DET | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904-10-04 | CLE | PHA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904-10-03 | CLE | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904-10-03 | CLE | PHA | W | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904-10-01 | CLE | MIN | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 6 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 3B | 13 | 0 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| OF | 461 | 138 | 925 | 74 | 60 | 18 |
| SS | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | WAS | OF | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1896 | WAS | 2B | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1896 | WAS | OF | 91 | 0 | 142 | 19 | 21 | 4 |
| 1897 | WAS | OF | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901 | BSN | OF | 7 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1902 | BSN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1902 | BSN | OF | 116 | 0 | 251 | 24 | 14 | 5 |
| 1903 | DET | 2B | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1903 | DET | 3B | 12 | 0 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| 1903 | DET | OF | 101 | 0 | 227 | 17 | 8 | 4 |
| 1903 | DET | SS | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1904 | CLE | OF | 138 | 138 | 269 | 11 | 12 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 6 |
| Third Base | 13 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
| Left Field | 238 |
| Center Field | 138 |
| Right Field | 86 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Lush (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Billy Lush: the record in brief
September 3, 1895 and October 8, 1904 bracket Billy Lush's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Washington Senators (1895 through 1897), the Boston Beaneaters (1901 through 1902), the Detroit Tigers (1903), and the Cleveland Naps (1904). Lush is listed as an outfielder at 5'8" and 165 pounds. Lush batted from both sides and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is November 10, 1873, in Bridgeport, CT, USA. Lush's death is recorded on August 28, 1951, in Hawthorne, NY, USA. Billy Lush was the playing name; the full given name is William Lucas.
Lush finished with 429 hits from 1,722 at bats in 489 games, which works out to .249, plus 8 homers, 152 runs batted in, and 84 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .360 and the slugging percentage .332, for an OPS of .692. Measured against the leagues Lush played in, the .249 career average compares with a .273 league average over the same seasons, 8.6% below the league.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Lush
- What years did Billy Lush play?
- Billy Lush played in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1904.
- Was Billy Lush a pitcher?
- No. Billy Lush was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Billy Lush hit?
- Billy Lush hit 8 career home runs with 429 hits.
- What was Billy Lush's career batting average?
- Billy Lush batted .249 over his career, with 429 hits in 1,722 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Lush have?
- Billy Lush drove in 152 runs in his career.
- Is Billy Lush in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Lush has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.