Barney McCosky
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1953)
Barney McCosky was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1953 for 4 teams, including the Detroit Tigers, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,170 career games, he hit .312 with 1,301 hits, 24 home runs, and 397 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 11,482.
- 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" / 184 lb
- Died
- 9/6/1996 in Venice, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-04-18
- Last Game
- 1953-07-08
Full name: William Barney McCosky
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,170 | 4,172 | 664 | 1,301 | 214 | 71 | 24 | 397 | 58 | 497 | 261 | .312 | .386 | .414 | .801 | 11,482 |
Career AVG .312 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +18.9% above league average.
Career OBP .386 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +15.4% above league average.
Career SLG .414 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.
Career OPS .801 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — +12.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | DET | AL | 147 | 611 | 120 | 190 | 33 | 14 | 4 | 58 | 20 | 70 | 45 | .311 | .274 (+13%) | .342 (+12%) | .393 (+10%) | .735 (+11%) | 1426.1 |
| 1940 | DET | AL | 143 | 589 | 123 | 200 | 39 | 19 | 4 | 57 | 13 | 67 | 41 | .340 | .267 (+27%) | .335 (+22%) | .387 (+27%) | .722 (+24%) | 2912.4 |
| 1941 | DET | AL | 127 | 494 | 80 | 160 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 55 | 8 | 61 | 33 | .324 | .262 (+24%) | .332 (+21%) | .373 (+14%) | .705 (+17%) | 1808.7 |
| 1942 | DET | AL | 154 | 600 | 75 | 176 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 50 | 11 | 68 | 37 | .293 | .253 (+16%) | .323 (+13%) | .349 (+18%) | .672 (+15%) | 1813.0 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 25 | 91 | 11 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 9 | .198 | .256 (-23%) | .328 (-1%) | .358 (-20%) | .687 (-11%) | -120.2 |
| 1946 | PHA | AL | 92 | 308 | 33 | 109 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 2 | 43 | 13 | .354 | .256 (+38%) | .328 (+32%) | .358 (+24%) | .687 (+28%) | -120.2 |
| 1947 | PHA | AL | 137 | 546 | 77 | 179 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 52 | 1 | 57 | 29 | .328 | .262 (+25%) | .336 (+17%) | .376 (+6%) | .712 (+11%) | 1396.5 |
| 1948 | PHA | AL | 135 | 515 | 95 | 168 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 68 | 22 | .326 | .263 (+24%) | .340 (+19%) | .379 (+2%) | .719 (+10%) | 1268.0 |
| 1950 | PHA | AL | 66 | 179 | 19 | 43 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 22 | 12 | .240 | .265 (-10%) | .346 (-7%) | .401 (-24%) | .747 (-16%) | -449.2 |
| 1951 | PHA | AL | 12 | 27 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .296 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | CIN | NL | 25 | 50 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .320 | .260 (+23%) | .336 (+10%) | .385 (+19%) | .721 (+15%) | 0.0 |
| 1951 | CLE | AL | 31 | 61 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | .213 | .260 (-18%) | .336 (-10%) | .385 (-32%) | .721 (-22%) | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CLE | AL | 54 | 80 | 14 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 5 | .212 | .252 (-16%) | .326 (-13%) | .369 (-12%) | .696 (-13%) | -168.0 |
| 1953 | CLE | AL | 22 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,170 | 4,172 | 664 | 1,301 | 214 | 71 | 24 | 397 | 58 | 497 | 261 | .312 | — | — | — | — | 9,767 | ||
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 (1170 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 570 | 1987 | 356 | 649 | 14 | 189 | .327 |
| Away | 600 | 2186 | 308 | 651 | 10 | 208 | .298 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-07-08 | CLE | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-07-04 | CLE | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1953-07-02 | CLE | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1953-06-23 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-06-20 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-06-16 | CLE | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-06-14 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-06-14 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-06-13 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-06-12 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | DET | OF | 145 | 0 | 428 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 1940 | DET | OF | 141 | 0 | 349 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 1941 | DET | OF | 122 | 0 | 328 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| 1942 | DET | OF | 154 | 0 | 351 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 1946 | DET | OF | 24 | 0 | 56 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1946 | PHA | OF | 85 | 0 | 207 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1947 | PHA | OF | 136 | 0 | 346 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 1948 | PHA | OF | 134 | 0 | 277 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 1950 | PHA | OF | 42 | 0 | 73 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1951 | PHA | OF | 7 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951 | CIN | OF | 11 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951 | CLE | OF | 16 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | CLE | OF | 19 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 489 |
| Center Field | 523 |
| Right Field | 26 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 27th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1947 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 11th | 35.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 29th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 16th | 11.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 27th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Barney McCosky (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Barney McCosky: the record in brief
According to the bio, Barney McCosky debuted on April 18, 1939 and played a final game on July 8, 1953. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1939 through 1946), the Philadelphia Athletics (1946 through 1951), the Cincinnati Reds (1951), and the Cleveland Indians (1951 to 1953). Born on April 11, 1917, in Coal Run, PA, USA, McCosky is listed as an outfielder and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. McCosky's listed size is 6 feet, 1 inch and 184 pounds. McCosky died on September 6, 1996, in Venice, FL, USA. McCosky's full given name, per the bio, is William Barney McCosky.
McCosky collected 1,301 hits in 4,172 at bats across 1,170 games, good for a .312 batting average, plus 24 homers, 397 RBI, and 58 stolen bases. McCosky's career OPS of .801 combines a .386 on-base mark with .414 slugging. Measured against the leagues McCosky played in, the .312 career average compares with a .262 league average over the same seasons, 18.9% above the league. No season topped the 200 hits of 1940.
Frequently Asked Questions about Barney McCosky
- What years did Barney McCosky play?
- Barney McCosky played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1953.
- Was Barney McCosky a pitcher?
- No. Barney McCosky was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Barney McCosky hit?
- Barney McCosky hit 24 career home runs with 1,301 hits.
- What teams did Barney McCosky play for?
- Barney McCosky played for 4 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1939–1942, 1946), the Philadelphia Athletics (1946–1948, 1950–1951), the Cincinnati Reds (1951), and the Cleveland Indians (1951–1953).
- What were Barney McCosky's career stats?
- In 1,170 games, Barney McCosky had 1,301 hits, 24 home runs, 397 RBI, 664 runs, and 58 stolen bases, with a .312 batting average.
- What position did Barney McCosky play?
- Barney McCosky played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Barney McCosky and how much did he weigh?
- Barney McCosky was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 184 pounds.
- How many home runs did Barney McCosky hit each season?
- Barney McCosky's home runs by season: 4 in 1939, 4 in 1940, 3 in 1941, 7 in 1942, 2 in 1946, 1 in 1947, 0 in 1948, 0 in 1950, 2 in 1951, 1 in 1952, and 0 in 1953. His most in one season was 7, in 1942.
- What was Barney McCosky's career batting average?
- Barney McCosky batted .312 over his career, with 1,301 hits in 4,172 at bats.
- How many RBI did Barney McCosky have?
- Barney McCosky drove in 397 runs in his career.
- Is Barney McCosky in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Barney McCosky has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.