Butch Nieman
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1943-1945)
Butch Nieman was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1945 for the Boston Braves, a span of 3 seasons. In 332 career games, he hit .256 with 269 hits, 37 home runs, and 167 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,516.
- 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 195 lb
- Died
- 11/2/1993 in Topeka, KS, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1943-05-02
- Last Game
- 1945-09-30
Full name: Elmer Leroy Nieman
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 332 | 1,050 | 147 | 269 | 46 | 14 | 37 | 167 | 20 | 129 | 119 | .256 | .339 | .432 | .771 | 2,516 |
Career AVG .256 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .339 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .432 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — +22.5% above league average.
Career OPS .771 vs. league average .679 across their career seasons — +13.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | BSN | NL | 101 | 335 | 39 | 84 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 46 | 4 | 39 | 39 | .251 | .255 (-2%) | .324 (+2%) | .346 (+17%) | .671 (+10%) | 525.4 |
| 1944 | BSN | NL | 134 | 468 | 65 | 124 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 65 | 5 | 47 | 47 | .265 | .261 (+1%) | .325 (+2%) | .357 (+20%) | .683 (+11%) | 924.2 |
| 1945 | BSN | NL | 97 | 247 | 43 | 61 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 56 | 11 | 43 | 33 | .247 | .260 (-5%) | .328 (+10%) | .354 (+35%) | .683 (+23%) | 1066.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 332 | 1,050 | 147 | 269 | 46 | 14 | 37 | 167 | 20 | 129 | 119 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 2,516 | ||
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 (332 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 171 | 530 | 75 | 132 | 26 | 104 | .249 |
| Away | 161 | 520 | 71 | 136 | 11 | 61 | .262 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-30 | BSN | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-30 | BSN | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-18 | BSN | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-16 | BSN | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-15 | BSN | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-11 | BSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-09 | BSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-07 | BSN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-06 | BSN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-02 | BSN | PHI | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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 | 203 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 75 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University | Manhattan | KS | 1938, 1939 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Butch Nieman (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Butch Nieman: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 2, 1943 and the final game on September 30, 1945, Butch Nieman built the record summarized on this page. All of the seasons listed were played for the Boston Braves. Nieman is listed as an outfielder at 195 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. The bio says Nieman threw and hit left-handed. Nieman was born on February 8, 1918, in Herkimer, KS, USA. The bio records the death on November 2, 1993, in Topeka, KS, USA. Nieman's full given name, per the bio, is Elmer Leroy Nieman.
The batting record for Nieman: 332 games, 269 hits in 1,050 at bats, and a .256 average, along with 37 home runs, 167 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. Nieman got on base at a .339 rate and slugged .432 (.771 OPS). Against a .259 league average for those years, Nieman's .256 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .771 to a league .679, 13.5% above average. Nieman's most home runs in a season came in 1944, when the total reached 16 for the Boston Braves.
Frequently Asked Questions about Butch Nieman
- What years did Butch Nieman play?
- Butch Nieman played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1945.
- Was Butch Nieman a pitcher?
- No. Butch Nieman was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Butch Nieman hit?
- Butch Nieman hit 37 career home runs with 269 hits.
- What teams did Butch Nieman play for?
- Butch Nieman played for one team, the Boston Braves (1943–1945).
- What were Butch Nieman's career stats?
- In 332 games, Butch Nieman had 269 hits, 37 home runs, 167 RBI, 147 runs, and 20 stolen bases, with a .256 batting average.
- What position did Butch Nieman play?
- Butch Nieman played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Butch Nieman and how much did he weigh?
- Butch Nieman was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 195 pounds.
- How many home runs did Butch Nieman hit each season?
- Butch Nieman's home runs by season: 7 in 1943, 16 in 1944, and 14 in 1945. His most in one season was 16, in 1944.
- What was Butch Nieman's career batting average?
- Butch Nieman batted .256 over his career, with 269 hits in 1,050 at bats.
- How many RBI did Butch Nieman have?
- Butch Nieman drove in 167 runs in his career.
- Is Butch Nieman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Butch Nieman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.