Bill Merritt
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1891-1899)
Bill Merritt was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1899 for 5 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 9 seasons. In 401 career games, he hit .272 with 384 hits, 8 home runs, and 196 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 160 lb
- Died
- 11/17/1937 in Lowell, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1891-08-08
- Last Game
- 1899-10-14
Full name: William Henry Merritt
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401 | 1,414 | 182 | 384 | 40 | 12 | 8 | 196 | 21 | 110 | 82 | .272 | .327 | .334 | .661 | -2,331 |
Career AVG .272 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .327 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 6.1% below league average.
Career SLG .334 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 11.2% below league average.
Career OPS .661 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — 8.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | CHN | NL | 11 | 42 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1892 | LS3 | NL | 46 | 168 | 22 | 33 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 15 | .196 | .244 (-20%) | .316 (-22%) | .327 (-20%) | .644 (-21%) | -546.8 |
| 1893 | BSN | NL | 39 | 141 | 30 | 49 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 3 | 13 | 13 | .348 | .279 (+24%) | .356 (+13%) | .379 (+31%) | .735 (+22%) | 525.1 |
| 1894 | BSN | NL | 10 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1894 | PIT | NL | 36 | 109 | 18 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 15 | 7 | .275 | .309 (-11%) | .379 (-4%) | .435 (-20%) | .814 (-13%) | 0.0 |
| 1894 | CIN | NL | 30 | 117 | 17 | 38 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 3 | .325 | .309 (+5%) | .379 (+2%) | .435 (-4%) | .814 (-1%) | 0.0 |
| 1895 | CIN | NL | 22 | 79 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 5 | .177 | .296 (-40%) | .361 (-35%) | .399 (-49%) | .761 (-42%) | -564.1 |
| 1895 | PIT | NL | 67 | 239 | 32 | 68 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 18 | 16 | .285 | .296 (-4%) | .361 (-6%) | .399 (-21%) | .761 (-14%) | -564.1 |
| 1896 | PIT | NL | 77 | 282 | 26 | 82 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 3 | 18 | 10 | .291 | .290 (avg) | .354 (-5%) | .387 (-11%) | .741 (-8%) | -382.1 |
| 1897 | PIT | NL | 62 | 209 | 21 | 55 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 9 | 11 | .263 | .291 (-10%) | .354 (-16%) | .387 (-18%) | .741 (-17%) | -609.0 |
| 1899 | BSN | NL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 401 | 1,414 | 182 | 384 | 40 | 12 | 8 | 196 | 21 | 110 | 82 | .272 | — | — | — | — | -2,141 | ||
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
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 18 | 0 | 163 | 7 | 4 | 9 |
| 2B | 4 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 3B | 8 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 5 | 2 |
| C | 354 | 0 | 1266 | 360 | 100 | 40 |
| OF | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1891 | CHN | C | 11 | 0 | 31 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1892 | LS3 | C | 46 | 0 | 175 | 58 | 15 | 6 |
| 1893 | BSN | C | 37 | 0 | 129 | 25 | 9 | 6 |
| 1893 | BSN | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1894 | BSN | C | 8 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| 1894 | BSN | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1894 | PIT | 1B | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1894 | PIT | C | 28 | 0 | 85 | 35 | 6 | 5 |
| 1894 | PIT | OF | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1894 | CIN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1894 | CIN | 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1894 | CIN | C | 25 | 0 | 60 | 27 | 4 | 0 |
| 1894 | CIN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | CIN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1895 | CIN | C | 20 | 0 | 65 | 19 | 4 | 3 |
| 1895 | PIT | 1B | 2 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1895 | PIT | C | 63 | 0 | 245 | 58 | 21 | 7 |
| 1896 | PIT | 1B | 3 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1896 | PIT | 2B | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 1896 | PIT | 3B | 5 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 1896 | PIT | C | 62 | 0 | 242 | 75 | 20 | 5 |
| 1896 | PIT | SS | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1897 | PIT | 1B | 7 | 0 | 68 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1897 | PIT | C | 53 | 0 | 202 | 43 | 14 | 6 |
| 1899 | BSN | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 354 |
| First Base | 18 |
| Second Base | 4 |
| Third Base | 8 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
| Left Field | 4 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | MA | 1890, 1891 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Merritt (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Merritt: the record in brief
Bill Merritt played a first major league game on August 8, 1891 and a last one on October 14, 1899. The team column moves through the Chicago Colts (1891), the Louisville Colonels (1892), the Boston Beaneaters (1893 through 1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1894 to 1897), and the Cincinnati Reds (1894 through 1895). Merritt played primarily as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on July 30, 1870, in Lowell, MA, USA and a listed size of 5'7" and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on November 17, 1937, in Lowell, MA, USA. The bio lists the given name William Henry.
Across 401 games at the plate, Merritt's career line reads 384 hits in 1,414 at bats for a .272 average, adding 8 home runs, 196 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. Merritt got on base at a .327 rate and slugged .334 (.661 OPS). Merritt hit .272 while the league hit .279 over the same span, a figure close to average. 1896 produced Merritt's most hits, 82 of them for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Merritt drove in a season-high 42 runs in 1896.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Merritt
- What years did Bill Merritt play?
- Bill Merritt played in Major League Baseball from 1891 to 1899.
- Was Bill Merritt a pitcher?
- No. Bill Merritt was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Bill Merritt hit?
- Bill Merritt hit 8 career home runs with 384 hits.
- What teams did Bill Merritt play for?
- Bill Merritt played for 5 teams: the Chicago Colts (1891), the Louisville Colonels (1892), the Boston Beaneaters (1893–1894, 1899), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1894–1897), and the Cincinnati Reds (1894–1895).
- What were Bill Merritt's career stats?
- In 401 games, Bill Merritt had 384 hits, 8 home runs, 196 RBI, 182 runs, and 21 stolen bases, with a .272 batting average.
- What position did Bill Merritt play?
- Bill Merritt played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Merritt and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Merritt was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bill Merritt hit each season?
- Bill Merritt's home runs by season: 0 in 1891, 1 in 1892, 3 in 1893, 2 in 1894, 0 in 1895, 1 in 1896, 1 in 1897, and 0 in 1899. His most in one season was 3, in 1893.
- What was Bill Merritt's career batting average?
- Bill Merritt batted .272 over his career, with 384 hits in 1,414 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Merritt have?
- Bill Merritt drove in 196 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Merritt in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Merritt has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.