Dewitt Owens
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Dewitt Owens was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Elites and the Birmingham Black Barons. In 207 career games, he hit .266 with 188 hits, 1 home runs, and 57 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 175 lb
- Died
- 5/2/1983 in Austin, TX, USA
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207 | 708 | 73 | 188 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 57 | 18 | 30 | 3 | .266 | .296 | .316 | .613 | -2,064 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — 6.5% below league average.
Career OBP .296 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.
Career SLG .316 vs. league average .402 across their career seasons — 21.2% below league average.
Career OPS .613 vs. league average .748 across their career seasons — 18.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CEL | NNL | 28 | 113 | 17 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .345 | .279 (+23%) | .345 (+8%) | .390 (+7%) | .735 (+7%) | 129.9 |
| 1927 | BBB | NNL | 67 | 238 | 25 | 65 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 3 | 11 | 0 | .273 | .282 (-3%) | .344 (-11%) | .392 (-20%) | .736 (-16%) | -606.9 |
| 1928 | BBB | NNL | 80 | 257 | 18 | 58 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 1 | .226 | .280 (-20%) | .342 (-26%) | .395 (-32%) | .737 (-29%) | -1230.9 |
| 1930 | BBB | NNL | 32 | 100 | 13 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | .260 | .293 (-12%) | .354 (-17%) | .429 (-23%) | .784 (-20%) | -355.8 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 207 | 708 | 73 | 188 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 57 | 18 | 30 | 3 | .266 | — | — | — | — | -2,064 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CEL | NNL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14.54 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14.54 | — | 0 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 5 | 43 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2B | 14 | 12 | 30 | 35 | 6 | 8 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 184 | 179 | 284 | 462 | 86 | 42 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | CEL | 1B | 4 | 4 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1926 | CEL | 2B | 13 | 12 | 30 | 35 | 6 | 8 |
| 1926 | CEL | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | CEL | SS | 12 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 5 | 5 |
| 1927 | BBB | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | BBB | SS | 67 | 67 | 95 | 168 | 29 | 13 |
| 1928 | BBB | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | BBB | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | BBB | SS | 77 | 74 | 114 | 206 | 40 | 15 |
| 1930 | BBB | 1B | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | BBB | SS | 28 | 26 | 61 | 69 | 12 | 9 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Second Base | 14 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 184 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Dewitt Owens: the record in brief
The season rows for Dewitt Owens begin in 1926. Owens played for the Cleveland Elites (1926) and the Birmingham Black Barons (1927 to 1930). At 5'8" and 175 pounds, Owens is listed as a shortstop. The recorded birth is September 25, 1900, in Austin, TX, USA. Owens died on May 2, 1983, in Austin, TX, USA.
Across 207 games at the plate, Owens's career line reads 188 hits in 708 at bats for a .266 average, adding 1 home run and 57 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .296 and the slugging percentage .316, for an OPS of .613. Set against a .284 league average for the same years, Owens's .266 average sits 6.5% below it. By OPS the gap is 18.1% below league average (.613 against .748). 1927 produced Owens's most hits, 65 of them for the Birmingham Black Barons. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .273 in 1927, did not top the league's .282.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dewitt Owens
- Was Dewitt Owens a pitcher?
- No. Dewitt Owens was a position player (Shortstop), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Dewitt Owens hit?
- Dewitt Owens hit 1 career home runs with 188 hits.
- What was Dewitt Owens's career batting average?
- Dewitt Owens batted .266 over his career, with 188 hits in 708 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dewitt Owens have?
- Dewitt Owens drove in 57 runs in his career.
- What was Dewitt Owens's career ERA?
- Dewitt Owens finished with a 14.54 career ERA, going 0-1 with 0 strikeouts.
- Is Dewitt Owens in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dewitt Owens has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.