Russ Meers
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1941-1947)
Russ Meers was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1947 for the Chicago Cubs, a span of 7 seasons. Across 43 career appearances, he went 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
- 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 170 lb
- Died
- 11/16/1994 in Lancaster, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1941-09-28
- Last Game
- 1947-09-26
Full name: Russell Harlan Meers
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CHN | NL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1.12 | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | CHN | NL | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3.18 | 3.59 (+12%) | -365.4 |
| 1947 | CHN | NL | 2 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64.1 | 61 | 32 | 38 | 28 | 4.48 | 3.97 (-13%) | -1173.4 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 3 | 3 | 43 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 83.2 | 76 | 37 | 48 | 35 | 3.98 | — | -1,539 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .176 | .176 | .176 | .353 | 0 |
Career AVG .176 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 32.3% below league average.
Career OBP .176 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 47.0% below league average.
Career SLG .176 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 52.2% below league average.
Career OPS .353 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — 49.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CHN | NL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | CHN | NL | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | CHN | NL | 35 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 43 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 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 (86 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 27 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .100 |
| Away | 16 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .286 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 27 | 55.0 | 53 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 4.42 |
| Away | 16 | 28.2 | 23 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 3.45 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-26 | CHC | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-24 | CHC | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-18 | CHC | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-17 | CHC | NY1 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-03 | CHC | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-01 | CHC | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-25 | CHC | NY1 | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-24 | CHC | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-21 | CHC | BSN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-19 | CHC | PHI | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-26 | CHC | STL | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-24 | CHC | CIN | — | 4.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-18 | CHC | NY1 | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-17 | CHC | NY1 | W | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-03 | CHC | STL | — | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-01 | CHC | CIN | — | 6.2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1947-08-25 | CHC | NY1 | — | 1.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-24 | CHC | NY1 | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-21 | CHC | BSN | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-08-19 | CHC | PHI | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 43 |
Russ Meers: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 28, 1941 and the final game on September 26, 1947, Russ Meers built the record summarized on this page. All of the seasons listed were played for the Chicago Cubs. Meers played primarily as a pitcher and both batted and threw left-handed. Born on November 28, 1918, in Tilton, IL, USA, Meers was listed at 170 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. Meers's death is recorded on November 16, 1994, in Lancaster, PA, USA. Russ Meers was the playing name; the full given name is Russell Harlan.
Meers's career pitching line is 3 wins, 3 losses and a 3.98 ERA over 43 appearances. Meers had 35 strikeouts. Meers's 3.98 ERA was close to the 3.83 league figure for those seasons. In 1947, one of the busiest seasons, Meers posted a 4.48 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.97.
Meers's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 86 games from Retrosheet.
Every defensive appearance on record for Meers, 43 games, came at pitcher. Fielding on the mound produced 4 putouts and 15 assists against 2 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Russ Meers
- What years did Russ Meers play?
- Russ Meers played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1947.
- Was Russ Meers a pitcher?
- Yes. Russ Meers pitched in the major leagues, recording 3 wins and 35 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Russ Meers hit?
- Russ Meers hit 0 career home runs with 3 hits.
- What teams did Russ Meers play for?
- Russ Meers played for one team, the Chicago Cubs (1941, 1946–1947).
- What were Russ Meers's career stats?
- In 43 games, Russ Meers went 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA, 35 strikeouts, and 83.2 innings pitched.
- What position did Russ Meers play?
- Russ Meers played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Russ Meers and how much did he weigh?
- Russ Meers was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 170 pounds.
- What was Russ Meers's career ERA?
- Russ Meers finished with a 3.98 career ERA, going 3-3 with 35 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Russ Meers have?
- Russ Meers recorded 35 career strikeouts.
- Is Russ Meers in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Russ Meers has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.