William Nance
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1897-1901)
William Nance was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1901 for the Louisville Colonels and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 5 seasons. In 189 career games, he hit .277 with 182 hits, 7 home runs, and 99 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,076.
- 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 165 lb
- Died
- 5/28/1958 in Fort Worth, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1897-08-19
- Last Game
- 1901-09-28
Full name: William Gideon Nance
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 | 657 | 110 | 182 | 34 | 8 | 7 | 99 | 14 | 83 | 53 | .277 | .362 | .385 | .747 | 1,076 |
Career AVG .277 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .362 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +7.5% above league average.
Career SLG .385 vs. league average .364 across their career seasons — +5.9% above league average.
Career OPS .747 vs. league average .701 across their career seasons — +6.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | LS3 | NL | 35 | 120 | 25 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 15 | .242 | .291 (-17%) | .354 (avg) | .387 (+5%) | .741 (+3%) | 76.0 |
| 1898 | LS3 | NL | 22 | 76 | 13 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 7 | .316 | .270 (+17%) | .333 (+25%) | .347 (+21%) | .680 (+23%) | 323.1 |
| 1901 | DET | AL | 132 | 461 | 72 | 129 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 66 | 9 | 51 | 31 | .280 | .271 (+3%) | .326 (+9%) | .359 (+4%) | .686 (+6%) | 677.4 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 189 | 657 | 110 | 182 | 34 | 8 | 7 | 99 | 14 | 83 | 53 | .277 | — | — | — | — | 1,076 | ||
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 (154 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 81 | 284 | 52 | 93 | 2 | 49 | .327 |
| Away | 73 | 253 | 33 | 60 | 2 | 33 | .237 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-09-28 | DET | BLA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-27 | DET | BLA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-26 | DET | MIN | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-25 | DET | MIN | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-24 | DET | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-23 | DET | BOS | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-23 | DET | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-21 | DET | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901-09-20 | DET | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1901-09-17 | DET | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 130 |
| Center Field | 7 |
| Right Field | 52 |
William Nance: the record in brief
According to the bio, William Nance debuted on August 19, 1897 and played a final game on September 28, 1901. Nance played for the Louisville Colonels (1897 through 1898) and the Detroit Tigers (1901). At 5 feet, 7 inches and 165 pounds, Nance is listed as an outfielder. The bio says Nance both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is August 2, 1876, in Fort Worth, TX, USA. Nance's death is recorded on May 28, 1958, in Fort Worth, TX, USA. The given name on file is William Gideon Nance.
In 189 games and 657 at bats, Nance batted .277 with 182 hits; the totals also include 7 homers and 99 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .362 and the slugging percentage .385, for an OPS of .747. The .277 career average is close to the .277 the league hit across the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .747 to a league .701, 6.7% above average. The hits column peaks at 129, in 1901. The RBI column peaks at 66 in 1901.
Frequently Asked Questions about William Nance
- What years did William Nance play?
- William Nance played in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1901.
- Was William Nance a pitcher?
- No. William Nance was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did William Nance hit?
- William Nance hit 7 career home runs with 182 hits.
- What was William Nance's career batting average?
- William Nance batted .277 over his career, with 182 hits in 657 at bats.
- How many RBI did William Nance have?
- William Nance drove in 99 runs in his career.
- Is William Nance in the Hall of Fame?
- No. William Nance has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.