Champ Osteen
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1903-1909)
Champ Osteen was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1909 for the Washington Senators, the New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 7 seasons. In 83 career games, he hit .197 with 60 hits, 2 home runs, and 31 RBI.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 150 lb
- Died
- 12/14/1962 in Greenville, SC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1903-09-18
- Last Game
- 1909-05-03
Full name: James Champlin Osteen
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83 | 304 | 27 | 60 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 31 | .197 | .233 | .276 | .509 | -730 |
Career AVG .197 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 20.4% below league average.
Career OBP .233 vs. league average .305 across their career seasons — 23.8% below league average.
Career SLG .276 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 13.9% below league average.
Career OPS .509 vs. league average .626 across their career seasons — 18.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | WS1 | AL | 10 | 40 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1904 | NYA | AL | 28 | 107 | 15 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 11 | .196 | .246 (-20%) | .300 (-27%) | .321 (+5%) | .622 (-11%) | -214.7 |
| 1908 | SLN | NL | 29 | 112 | 2 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .196 | .240 (-18%) | .298 (-32%) | .306 (-24%) | .605 (-28%) | -450.9 |
| 1909 | SLN | NL | 16 | 45 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | -64.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 83 | 304 | 27 | 60 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 31 | .197 | — | — | — | — | -730 | ||
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 (83 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 35 | 129 | 17 | 26 | 1 | 12 | .202 |
| Away | 48 | 174 | 10 | 34 | 1 | 10 | .195 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909-05-03 | STL | CIN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-05-02 | STL | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-05-02 | STL | CIN | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1909-05-01 | STL | CIN | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1909-04-28 | STL | PIT | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-04-27 | STL | PIT | L | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1909-04-26 | STL | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-04-25 | STL | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1909-04-24 | STL | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909-04-23 | STL | CHC | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 4 |
| Third Base | 30 |
| Shortstop | 52 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erskine College | Due West | SC | 1900 |
Champ Osteen: the record in brief
Champ Osteen played a first major league game on September 18, 1903 and a last one on May 3, 1909. The season rows list, in order, the Washington Senators (1903), the New York Highlanders (1904), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1908 through 1909). Osteen, born on February 24, 1877, in Hendersonville, NC, USA, is listed as a shortstop and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5 feet, 8 inches and 150 pounds. Osteen died on December 14, 1962, in Greenville, SC, USA. Champ Osteen was the playing name; the full given name is James Champlin.
The batting record for Osteen: 83 games, 60 hits in 304 at bats, and a .197 average, along with 2 home runs and 31 RBI. Reaching base at a .233 clip and slugging .276, Osteen finished with a .509 OPS. The league as a whole hit .248 across Osteen's seasons, which puts the .197 career mark 20.4% below average. In OPS terms, Osteen's .509 stands 18.7% below the league's .626. The hits column peaks at 22, in 1908.
Frequently Asked Questions about Champ Osteen
- What years did Champ Osteen play?
- Champ Osteen played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1909.
- Was Champ Osteen a pitcher?
- No. Champ Osteen was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Champ Osteen hit?
- Champ Osteen hit 2 career home runs with 60 hits.
- What teams did Champ Osteen play for?
- Champ Osteen played for 3 teams: the Washington Senators (1903), the New York Highlanders (1904), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1908–1909).
- What were Champ Osteen's career stats?
- In 83 games, Champ Osteen had 60 hits, 2 home runs, 31 RBI, 27 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .197 batting average.
- What position did Champ Osteen play?
- Champ Osteen played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Champ Osteen and how much did he weigh?
- Champ Osteen was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 150 pounds.
- How many home runs did Champ Osteen hit each season?
- Champ Osteen's home runs by season: 0 in 1903, 2 in 1904, 0 in 1908, and 0 in 1909. His most in one season was 2, in 1904.
- What was Champ Osteen's career batting average?
- Champ Osteen batted .197 over his career, with 60 hits in 304 at bats.
- How many RBI did Champ Osteen have?
- Champ Osteen drove in 31 runs in his career.
- Is Champ Osteen in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Champ Osteen has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.