Barney Olsen
Center Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1941)
Barney Olsen was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball in 1941 for the Chicago Cubs. In 24 career games, he hit .288 with 21 hits, 1 home runs, and 4 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 66.
- 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
- Center Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 179 lb
- Died
- 3/30/1977 in Everett, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1941-08-23
- Last Game
- 1941-09-28
Full name: Bernard Charles Olsen
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 73 | 13 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | .288 | .325 | .438 | .763 | 66 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +9.7% above league average.
Career OBP .325 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .438 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — +17.5% above league average.
Career OPS .763 vs. league average .706 across their career seasons — +8.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CHN | NL | 24 | 73 | 13 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | .288 | .262 (+10%) | .332 (-2%) | .373 (+17%) | .705 (+8%) | 65.8 |
| Career · 1 season | 24 | 73 | 13 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | .288 | — | — | — | — | 66 | ||
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 (24 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 9 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3 | .304 |
| Away | 15 | 50 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | .280 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-09-28 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-27 | CHC | STL | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-25 | CHC | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-09-24 | CHC | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-23 | CHC | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-09-21 | CHC | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-21 | CHC | STL | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-18 | CHC | NY1 | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1941-09-17 | CHC | NY1 | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-09-14 | CHC | BSN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Center Field | 23 |
Barney Olsen: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 23, 1941 and the final game on September 28, 1941, Barney Olsen built the record summarized on this page. The team column never changes: it is the Chicago Cubs in 1941. Olsen played primarily as a center fielder and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on September 11, 1919, in Everett, MA, USA, Olsen was listed at 5'11" and 179 pounds. Olsen died on March 30, 1977, in Everett, MA, USA. Barney Olsen was the playing name; the full given name is Bernard Charles.
Olsen finished with 21 hits from 73 at bats in 24 games, which works out to .288; the totals also include 1 home run and 4 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .325 and the slugging percentage .438, for an OPS of .763. Measured against the leagues Olsen played in, the .288 career average compares with a .262 league average over the same seasons, 9.7% above the league. In OPS terms, Olsen's .763 stands 8.1% above the league's .706. Olsen's lone season row is 1941 with the Chicago Cubs: 24 games, 21 hits in 73 at bats.
Frequently Asked Questions about Barney Olsen
- Was Barney Olsen a pitcher?
- No. Barney Olsen was a position player (Center Fielder).
- How many home runs did Barney Olsen hit?
- Barney Olsen hit 1 career home run with 21 hits.
- What teams did Barney Olsen play for?
- Barney Olsen played for one team, the Chicago Cubs (1941).
- What were Barney Olsen's career stats?
- In 24 games, Barney Olsen had 21 hits, 1 home runs, 4 RBI, and 13 runs, with a .288 batting average.
- What position did Barney Olsen play?
- Barney Olsen played primarily as a center fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Barney Olsen and how much did he weigh?
- Barney Olsen was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 179 pounds.
- What was Barney Olsen's career batting average?
- Barney Olsen batted .288 over his career, with 21 hits in 73 at bats.
- How many RBI did Barney Olsen have?
- Barney Olsen drove in 4 runs in his career.
- Is Barney Olsen in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Barney Olsen has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.