Ivy Olson
Born: 10/14/1885 in Kansas City, MO, USA
Died: 9/1/1965 in Inglewood, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1911-04-12 | Final Game: 1924-07-21
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Ivan Massie Olson
Biography
Ivy Olson was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1924. Born in 1885, Olson played primarily as a position player and became known for his solid defensive skills and versatility on the field. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,574 games, during which he amassed 1,575 hits, contributing to a batting average of .258. His offensive contributions included 13 home runs and 446 runs batted in, while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 156 stolen bases.
Olson's playing career spanned a transformative period in baseball, as the sport was evolving into a more dynamic and competitive environment. His ability to consistently get on base and create scoring opportunities made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. As a player who navigated the early years of the live-ball era, Olson's contributions were part of a broader shift in baseball strategy that emphasized both power and speed, helping to lay the groundwork for future generations of players.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1574 | 6111 | 730 | 1575 | 191 | 69 | 13 | 446 | 156 | 285 | 222 | 0.258 | 0.295 | 0.318 | 0.613 | -13336.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | CLE | AL | 140 | 545 | 89 | 142 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 50 | 20 | 34 | 0 | 0.261 | -876.3 |
| 1912 | CLE | AL | 125 | 467 | 68 | 118 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 16 | 21 | 0 | 0.253 | -1588.0 |
| 1913 | CLE | AL | 104 | 370 | 47 | 92 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 7 | 22 | 28 | 0.249 | -768.1 |
| 1914 | CLE | AL | 89 | 310 | 22 | 75 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 24 | 0.242 | -867.7 |
| 1915 | BRO | NL | 18 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.077 | 0.0 |
| 1915 | CIN | NL | 63 | 207 | 18 | 48 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 0.232 | 0.0 |
| 1916 | BRO | NL | 108 | 351 | 29 | 89 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 38 | 14 | 21 | 27 | 0.254 | -247.0 |
| 1917 | BRO | NL | 139 | 580 | 64 | 156 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 6 | 14 | 34 | 0.269 | -467.7 |
| 1918 | BRO | NL | 126 | 506 | 63 | 121 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 21 | 27 | 18 | 0.239 | -967.1 |
| 1919 | BRO | NL | 140 | 590 | 73 | 164 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 38 | 26 | 30 | 12 | 0.278 | -341.1 |
| 1920 | BRO | NL | 143 | 637 | 71 | 162 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 46 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 0.254 | -2201.1 |
| 1921 | BRO | NL | 151 | 652 | 88 | 174 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 28 | 26 | 0.267 | -2011.9 |
| 1922 | BRO | NL | 136 | 551 | 63 | 150 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 47 | 8 | 25 | 10 | 0.272 | -1557.7 |
| 1923 | BRO | NL | 82 | 292 | 33 | 76 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 5 | 14 | 10 | 0.260 | -962.4 |
| 1924 | BRO | NL | 10 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.222 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 41 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0.293 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | WS | BRO | 7 | 25 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.320 |
| 1916 | WS | BRO | 5 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0.250 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 34 | 0 | 295 | 18 | 9 | 20 |
| 2B | 288 | 0 | 651 | 938 | 72 | 136 |
| 3B | 155 | 0 | 223 | 296 | 36 | 10 |
| OF | 10 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 1054 | 0 | 2389 | 3313 | 417 | 425 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | CLE | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1911 | CLE | SS | 139 | 0 | 293 | 428 | 72 | 51 |
| 1912 | CLE | 2B | 21 | 0 | 47 | 64 | 9 | 6 |
| 1912 | CLE | 3B | 36 | 0 | 62 | 74 | 8 | 2 |
| 1912 | CLE | SS | 56 | 0 | 118 | 180 | 27 | 10 |
| 1912 | CLE | OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913 | CLE | 1B | 21 | 0 | 206 | 10 | 8 | 17 |
| 1913 | CLE | 2B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1913 | CLE | 3B | 73 | 0 | 97 | 145 | 12 | 7 |
| 1914 | CLE | 1B | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | CLE | 2B | 23 | 0 | 62 | 72 | 2 | 5 |
| 1914 | CLE | 3B | 19 | 0 | 42 | 32 | 5 | 1 |
| 1914 | CLE | SS | 31 | 0 | 58 | 89 | 9 | 14 |
| 1914 | CLE | OF | 6 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | BRO | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | BRO | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | BRO | SS | 7 | 0 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 2 |
| 1915 | BRO | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | CIN | 1B | 7 | 0 | 65 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| 1915 | CIN | 2B | 39 | 0 | 88 | 125 | 14 | 17 |
| 1915 | CIN | 3B | 15 | 0 | 17 | 34 | 4 | 0 |
| 1916 | BRO | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916 | BRO | 2B | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916 | BRO | SS | 103 | 0 | 234 | 303 | 47 | 28 |
| 1917 | BRO | 3B | 6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 1917 | BRO | SS | 133 | 0 | 283 | 431 | 45 | 53 |
| 1918 | BRO | SS | 126 | 0 | 265 | 388 | 58 | 42 |
| 1919 | BRO | SS | 140 | 0 | 349 | 445 | 44 | 57 |
| 1920 | BRO | 2B | 21 | 0 | 51 | 78 | 7 | 20 |
| 1920 | BRO | SS | 125 | 0 | 275 | 404 | 47 | 48 |
| 1921 | BRO | 2B | 20 | 0 | 36 | 65 | 7 | 12 |
| 1921 | BRO | SS | 133 | 0 | 343 | 465 | 49 | 71 |
| 1922 | BRO | 2B | 85 | 0 | 193 | 283 | 20 | 39 |
| 1922 | BRO | SS | 51 | 0 | 139 | 149 | 13 | 43 |
| 1923 | BRO | 1B | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | BRO | 2B | 72 | 0 | 161 | 244 | 11 | 36 |
| 1923 | BRO | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | BRO | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1924 | BRO | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | BRO | SS | 8 | 0 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 6 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 36 |
| Second Base | 284 |
| Third Base | 165 |
| Shortstop | 1053 |
| Left Field | 8 |
| Right Field | 2 |