Bill Perkins
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Bill Perkins was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for 9 teams, including the Birmingham Black Barons. In 526 career games, he hit .279 with 489 hits, 27 home runs, and 285 RBI. Bill Perkins was a 2-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 242.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 176 lb
- Died
- 1/24/1958 in Birmingham, AL, USA
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: William George Perkins
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 526 | 1,754 | 241 | 489 | 69 | 29 | 27 | 285 | 20 | 133 | 13 | .279 | .332 | .397 | .730 | 242 |
Career AVG .279 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .332 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .397 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .730 vs. league average .729 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | BBB | NNL | 80 | 252 | 32 | 57 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 2 | .226 | .280 (-19%) | .342 (-20%) | .395 (-19%) | .737 (-20%) | -845.6 |
| 1930 | BBB | NNL | 63 | 211 | 32 | 67 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 33 | 7 | 15 | 0 | .318 | .293 (+8%) | .354 (+4%) | .429 (+6%) | .784 (+5%) | 210.3 |
| 1931 | CCU | NNL | 5 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .278 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1931 | BBS | IND | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1932 | PC | IND | 21 | 62 | 5 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .306 | .275 (+11%) | .335 (+4%) | .391 (+3%) | .726 (+3%) | 28.8 |
| 1932 | CLS | EWL | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .444 | — | — | — | — | 28.8 |
| 1932 | HG | EWL | 20 | 81 | 14 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .407 | .275 (+48%) | .335 (+36%) | .391 (+70%) | .726 (+54%) | 28.8 |
| 1933 | PC | NN2 | 57 | 189 | 26 | 48 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 16 | 0 | .254 | .270 (-6%) | .329 (-5%) | .377 (-10%) | .707 (-8%) | -240.0 |
| 1934 | PC | NN2 | 7 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1935 | PC | NN2 | 38 | 137 | 23 | 45 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 5 | .328 | .279 (+17%) | .342 (+5%) | .399 (+35%) | .742 (+21%) | 441.7 |
| 1936 | PC | NN2 | 43 | 146 | 16 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 13 | 1 | .274 | .283 (-4%) | .349 (-3%) | .404 (-5%) | .753 (-4%) | -99.6 |
| 1937 | PC | NN2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .600 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | PS | NN2 | 60 | 197 | 36 | 61 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 44 | 3 | 29 | 0 | .310 | .272 (+13%) | .341 (+17%) | .392 (+20%) | .734 (+19%) | 723.3 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 21 | 78 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .218 | .274 (-21%) | .342 (-29%) | .393 (-28%) | .735 (-28%) | -378.9 |
| 1940 | BEG | NN2 | 46 | 160 | 31 | 46 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 3 | 13 | 3 | .287 | .267 (+8%) | .335 (+2%) | .387 (avg) | .722 (+1%) | 5.2 |
| 1945 | NBY | NN2 | 18 | 63 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .206 | .260 (-21%) | .328 (-30%) | .354 (-33%) | .683 (-31%) | -309.6 |
| 1945 | BBB | NAL | 3 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .182 | — | — | — | — | -309.6 |
| 1946 | NBY | NN2 | 8 | 28 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | PS | NN2 | 12 | 38 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .184 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | BEG | NN2 | 14 | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .103 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1948 | BEG | NN2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 526 | 1,754 | 241 | 489 | 69 | 29 | 27 | 285 | 20 | 133 | 13 | .279 | — | — | — | — | -716 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 7 | 3 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 426 | 404 | 2110 | 314 | 80 | 45 |
| OF | 88 | 72 | 95 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | BBB | C | 78 | 74 | 377 | 62 | 20 | 7 |
| 1928 | BBB | OF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | BBB | 1B | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930 | BBB | C | 60 | 57 | 320 | 53 | 20 | 8 |
| 1930 | BBB | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931 | CCU | C | 5 | 4 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931 | BBS | C | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | PC | 1B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | PC | C | 14 | 12 | 73 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 1932 | PC | OF | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | CLS | C | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1932 | HG | C | 20 | 19 | 103 | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| 1932 | HG | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933 | PC | 1B | 3 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1933 | PC | C | 30 | 28 | 204 | 30 | 6 | 7 |
| 1933 | PC | OF | 21 | 17 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1934 | PC | C | 3 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934 | PC | OF | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935 | PC | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935 | PC | C | 22 | 20 | 104 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 1935 | PC | OF | 15 | 11 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935 | PC | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936 | PC | C | 25 | 25 | 101 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| 1936 | PC | OF | 18 | 14 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1937 | PC | C | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | PS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | PS | C | 58 | 55 | 266 | 31 | 7 | 7 |
| 1938 | PS | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | PS | C | 21 | 21 | 93 | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| 1940 | BEG | C | 30 | 29 | 148 | 26 | 4 | 2 |
| 1940 | BEG | OF | 17 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | NBY | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | NBY | C | 17 | 17 | 87 | 15 | 4 | 2 |
| 1945 | BBB | C | 3 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | NBY | C | 8 | 8 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946 | PS | C | 9 | 9 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1946 | PS | OF | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | BEG | C | 13 | 13 | 66 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947 | BEG | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | BEG | C | 5 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 426 |
| First Base | 7 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 46 |
| Center Field | 5 |
| Right Field | 37 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Perkins: the record in brief
Bill Perkins's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1928 to 1948. Perkins played for the Birmingham Black Barons (1928 through 1945), the Cleveland Cubs (1931), the Baltimore Black Sox (1931), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932 to 1937), the Cleveland Stars (1932), the Homestead Grays (1932), the Philadelphia Stars (1938 to 1946), and the Baltimore Elite Giants (1940 to 1948), with further stops in the season rows. Perkins, born on June 26, 1906, in Dawson, GA, USA, is listed as a catcher and batted and threw right-handed. Perkins's listed size is 5'10" and 176 pounds. The bio records the death on January 24, 1958, in Birmingham, AL, USA. The given name on file is William George Perkins.
In 526 games and 1,754 at bats, Perkins batted .279 with 489 hits, adding 27 home runs, 285 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. Perkins's career OPS of .730 combines a .332 on-base mark with .397 slugging.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Perkins
- Was Bill Perkins a pitcher?
- No. Bill Perkins was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Bill Perkins hit?
- Bill Perkins hit 27 career home runs with 489 hits.
- What was Bill Perkins's career batting average?
- Bill Perkins batted .279 over his career, with 489 hits in 1,754 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Perkins have?
- Bill Perkins drove in 285 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Perkins in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Perkins has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Bill Perkins play for?
- Bill Perkins played for the Birmingham Black Barons, the Cleveland Cubs, the Baltimore Black Sox, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Cleveland Stars, and the Homestead Grays, among 9 clubs in all.