Jimmy Pofahl
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1940-1942)
Jimmy Pofahl was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1942 for the Washington Senators, a span of 3 seasons. In 225 career games, he hit .220 with 168 hits, 2 home runs, and 70 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 185 lb
- Died
- 9/14/1984 in Owatonna, MN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1940-04-16
- Last Game
- 1942-09-20
Full name: James Willard Pofahl
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 | 764 | 65 | 168 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 70 | 7 | 76 | 96 | .220 | .290 | .295 | .585 | -2,011 |
Career AVG .220 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 15.7% below league average.
Career OBP .290 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 12.1% below league average.
Career SLG .295 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — 20.5% below league average.
Career OPS .585 vs. league average .701 across their career seasons — 16.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | WS1 | AL | 119 | 406 | 34 | 95 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 37 | 55 | .234 | .267 (-12%) | .335 (-11%) | .387 (-15%) | .722 (-13%) | -890.8 |
| 1941 | WS1 | AL | 22 | 75 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 11 | .187 | .262 (-29%) | .332 (-15%) | .373 (-25%) | .705 (-20%) | -243.0 |
| 1942 | WS1 | AL | 84 | 283 | 22 | 59 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 29 | 30 | .208 | .253 (-18%) | .323 (-13%) | .349 (-29%) | .672 (-21%) | -877.1 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 225 | 764 | 65 | 168 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 70 | 7 | 76 | 96 | .220 | — | — | — | — | -2,011 | ||
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 (225 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 118 | 418 | 41 | 110 | 2 | 43 | .263 |
| Away | 107 | 346 | 25 | 60 | 0 | 27 | .173 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942-09-20 | MIN | PHA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-19 | MIN | PHA | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-12 | MIN | SLA | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942-09-11 | MIN | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1942-09-10 | MIN | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-10 | MIN | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-08 | MIN | BOS | W | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942-09-07 | MIN | BOS | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942-09-06 | MIN | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-05 | MIN | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 19 |
| Third Base | 14 |
| Shortstop | 182 |
Jimmy Pofahl: the record in brief
According to the bio, Jimmy Pofahl debuted on April 16, 1940 and played a final game on September 20, 1942. All of the seasons listed were played for the Washington Senators. Pofahl is listed as a shortstop at 185 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio says Pofahl batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is June 18, 1917, in Fairbault, MN, USA. The bio records the death on September 14, 1984, in Owatonna, MN, USA. Pofahl's full given name, per the bio, is James Willard Pofahl.
Pofahl finished with 168 hits from 764 at bats in 225 games, which works out to .220; the totals also include 2 home runs and 70 runs batted in. Pofahl's career OPS of .585 combines a .290 on-base mark with .295 slugging. The league as a whole hit .261 across Pofahl's seasons, which puts the .220 career mark 15.7% below average. The hits column peaks at 95, in 1940. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .234 in 1940, did not top the league's .267.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Pofahl
- What years did Jimmy Pofahl play?
- Jimmy Pofahl played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1942.
- Was Jimmy Pofahl a pitcher?
- No. Jimmy Pofahl was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Jimmy Pofahl hit?
- Jimmy Pofahl hit 2 career home runs with 168 hits.
- What teams did Jimmy Pofahl play for?
- Jimmy Pofahl played for one team, the Washington Senators (1940–1942).
- What were Jimmy Pofahl's career stats?
- In 225 games, Jimmy Pofahl had 168 hits, 2 home runs, 70 RBI, 65 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .220 batting average.
- What position did Jimmy Pofahl play?
- Jimmy Pofahl played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jimmy Pofahl and how much did he weigh?
- Jimmy Pofahl was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jimmy Pofahl hit each season?
- Jimmy Pofahl's home runs by season: 2 in 1940, 0 in 1941, and 0 in 1942. His most in one season was 2, in 1940.
- What was Jimmy Pofahl's career batting average?
- Jimmy Pofahl batted .220 over his career, with 168 hits in 764 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jimmy Pofahl have?
- Jimmy Pofahl drove in 70 runs in his career.
- Is Jimmy Pofahl in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jimmy Pofahl has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.