Jack Ness
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1911-1916)
Jack Ness was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1916 for the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 6 seasons. In 87 career games, he hit .253 with 75 hits, 1 home runs, and 36 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 47.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 165 lb
- Died
- 12/3/1957 in DeLand, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1911-05-09
- Last Game
- 1916-09-30
Full name: John Charles Ness
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 297 | 38 | 75 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 4 | 11 | 43 | .253 | .295 | .320 | .615 | 47 |
Career AVG .253 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .295 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.
Career SLG .320 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.
Career OPS .615 vs. league average .666 across their career seasons — 7.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | DET | AL | 12 | 39 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .154 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1916 | CHA | AL | 75 | 258 | 32 | 69 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 34 | 4 | 9 | 32 | .267 | .248 (+8%) | .314 (-1%) | .326 (+6%) | .640 (+2%) | 47.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 87 | 297 | 38 | 75 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 4 | 11 | 43 | .253 | — | — | — | — | 47 | ||
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 (87 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 65 | 220 | 28 | 57 | 1 | 33 | .259 |
| Away | 22 | 76 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 8 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-09-30 | CHW | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-30 | CHW | CLE | W | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-25 | CHW | NYY | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-09-24 | CHW | NYY | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1916-09-23 | CHW | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-22 | CHW | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-21 | CHW | PHA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-20 | CHW | PHA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-19 | CHW | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-18 | CHW | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 81 |
Jack Ness: the record in brief
Jack Ness's major league career runs from a debut on May 9, 1911 to a final game on September 30, 1916. The team column moves through the Detroit Tigers (1911) and the Chicago White Sox (1916). Born on November 11, 1885, in Chicago, IL, USA, Ness is listed as a first baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 165 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. Ness died on December 3, 1957, in DeLand, FL, USA. Jack Ness was the playing name; the full given name is John Charles.
Ness finished with 75 hits from 297 at bats in 87 games, which works out to .253, adding 1 home run and 36 RBI. Ness's career OPS of .615 combines a .295 on-base mark with .320 slugging. Against a .257 league average for those years, Ness's .253 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .615 to a league .666, 7.7% below average. 1916 produced Ness's most hits, 69 of them for the Chicago White Sox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Ness
- What years did Jack Ness play?
- Jack Ness played in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1916.
- Was Jack Ness a pitcher?
- No. Jack Ness was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jack Ness hit?
- Jack Ness hit 1 career home runs with 75 hits.
- What was Jack Ness's career batting average?
- Jack Ness batted .253 over his career, with 75 hits in 297 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jack Ness have?
- Jack Ness drove in 36 runs in his career.
- Is Jack Ness in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jack Ness has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.