Babe Pinelli
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1918-1927)
Babe Pinelli was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1918 to 1927 for the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers, and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 10 seasons. In 774 career games, he hit .276 with 723 hits, 5 home runs, and 298 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 165 lb
- Died
- 10/22/1984 in Daly City, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1918-08-03
- Last Game
- 1927-06-17
Full name: Ralph Arthur Pinelli
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 774 | 2,617 | 327 | 723 | 101 | 33 | 5 | 298 | 71 | 182 | 162 | .276 | .328 | .346 | .674 | -3,399 |
Career AVG .276 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .328 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .346 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 10.2% below league average.
Career OPS .674 vs. league average .727 across their career seasons — 7.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | CHA | AL | 24 | 78 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 8 | .231 | .255 (-10%) | .318 (-5%) | .326 (-6%) | .645 (-5%) | -56.4 |
| 1920 | DET | AL | 102 | 284 | 33 | 65 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 25 | 16 | .229 | .271 (-16%) | .331 (-11%) | .363 (-22%) | .694 (-17%) | -714.0 |
| 1922 | CIN | NL | 156 | 547 | 77 | 167 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 72 | 17 | 48 | 37 | .305 | .285 (+7%) | .345 (+6%) | .397 (-7%) | .743 (-1%) | 73.9 |
| 1923 | CIN | NL | 117 | 423 | 44 | 117 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 10 | 27 | 29 | .277 | .282 (-2%) | .344 (-7%) | .390 (-15%) | .734 (-11%) | -769.0 |
| 1924 | CIN | NL | 144 | 510 | 61 | 156 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 70 | 23 | 32 | 32 | .306 | .283 (+8%) | .345 (+2%) | .389 (-6%) | .734 (-2%) | -166.6 |
| 1925 | CIN | NL | 130 | 492 | 68 | 139 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 49 | 8 | 22 | 28 | .283 | .288 (-2%) | .349 (-10%) | .407 (-5%) | .756 (-7%) | -689.6 |
| 1926 | CIN | NL | 71 | 207 | 26 | 46 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 15 | 5 | .222 | .279 (-21%) | .345 (-18%) | .390 (-24%) | .735 (-21%) | -732.0 |
| 1927 | CIN | NL | 30 | 76 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | .197 | .282 (-30%) | .344 (-23%) | .392 (-33%) | .736 (-28%) | -345.1 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 774 | 2,617 | 327 | 723 | 101 | 33 | 5 | 298 | 71 | 182 | 162 | .276 | — | — | — | — | -3,399 | ||
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 (775 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 402 | 1324 | 174 | 397 | 2 | 170 | .300 |
| Away | 373 | 1293 | 154 | 325 | 3 | 134 | .251 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-06-17 | CIN | BRO | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-06-12 | CIN | BSN | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-06-02 | CIN | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-05-31 | CIN | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-05-30 | CIN | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-05-30 | CIN | STL | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927-05-29 | CIN | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-05-28 | CIN | CHC | W | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927-05-27 | CIN | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927-05-26 | CIN | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 9 | 0 | 17 | 26 | 2 | 2 |
| 3B | 677 | 0 | 814 | 1514 | 131 | 108 |
| SS | 71 | 0 | 100 | 162 | 25 | 21 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | CHA | 3B | 24 | 0 | 28 | 33 | 11 | 4 |
| 1920 | DET | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920 | DET | 3B | 74 | 0 | 110 | 183 | 14 | 20 |
| 1920 | DET | SS | 18 | 0 | 32 | 40 | 8 | 0 |
| 1922 | CIN | 3B | 156 | 0 | 204 | 350 | 32 | 19 |
| 1923 | CIN | 3B | 116 | 0 | 131 | 250 | 25 | 17 |
| 1924 | CIN | 3B | 143 | 0 | 182 | 318 | 23 | 21 |
| 1925 | CIN | 3B | 109 | 0 | 113 | 265 | 22 | 21 |
| 1925 | CIN | SS | 17 | 0 | 38 | 56 | 8 | 15 |
| 1926 | CIN | 2B | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1926 | CIN | 3B | 40 | 0 | 35 | 96 | 3 | 5 |
| 1926 | CIN | SS | 27 | 0 | 17 | 45 | 8 | 4 |
| 1927 | CIN | 2B | 5 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 1927 | CIN | 3B | 15 | 0 | 11 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927 | CIN | SS | 9 | 0 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 9 |
| Third Base | 678 |
| Shortstop | 70 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 7.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Babe Pinelli (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Babe Pinelli: the record in brief
Babe Pinelli played a first major league game on August 3, 1918 and a last one on June 17, 1927. By club, Pinelli's seasons break down as the Chicago White Sox (1918), the Detroit Tigers (1920), and the Cincinnati Reds (1922 through 1927). Born on October 18, 1895, in San Francisco, CA, USA, Pinelli is listed as a third baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Pinelli's listed size is 5'9" and 165 pounds. Pinelli's death is recorded on October 22, 1984, in Daly City, CA, USA. Pinelli's full given name, per the bio, is Ralph Arthur Pinelli.
Across 774 games at the plate, Pinelli's career line reads 723 hits in 2,617 at bats for a .276 average, adding 5 home runs, 298 runs batted in, and 71 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .328 clip and slugging .346, Pinelli finished with a .674 OPS. The .276 career average is close to the .280 the league hit across the same seasons. In OPS terms, Pinelli's .674 stands 7.3% below the league's .727. No season topped the 167 hits of 1922.
Frequently Asked Questions about Babe Pinelli
- What years did Babe Pinelli play?
- Babe Pinelli played in Major League Baseball from 1918 to 1927.
- Was Babe Pinelli a pitcher?
- No. Babe Pinelli was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Babe Pinelli hit?
- Babe Pinelli hit 5 career home runs with 723 hits.
- What was Babe Pinelli's career batting average?
- Babe Pinelli batted .276 over his career, with 723 hits in 2,617 at bats.
- How many RBI did Babe Pinelli have?
- Babe Pinelli drove in 298 runs in his career.
- Is Babe Pinelli in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Babe Pinelli has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.