Bill Posedel
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1938-1946)
Bill Posedel was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1946 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves, a span of 9 seasons. Across 138 career appearances, he went 41-43 with a 4.56 ERA and 227 strikeouts. He also batted .176 with 0 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 11/28/1989 in Livermore, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1938-04-23
- Last Game
- 1946-09-13
Full name: William John Posedel
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | BRO | NL | 8 | 9 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 140.0 | 178 | 88 | 46 | 49 | 5.66 | 4.35 (-30%) | -1308.7 |
| 1939 | BSN | NL | 15 | 13 | 33 | 29 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 220.2 | 221 | 96 | 78 | 73 | 3.92 | 4.28 (+9%) | 1997.0 |
| 1940 | BSN | NL | 12 | 17 | 35 | 32 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 233.0 | 263 | 107 | 81 | 86 | 4.13 | 4.21 (+2%) | -2.3 |
| 1941 | BSN | NL | 4 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 57.1 | 61 | 31 | 30 | 10 | 4.87 | 3.94 (-24%) | -2078.3 |
| 1946 | BSN | NL | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28.1 | 34 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 6.99 | 3.59 (-95%) | -1113.5 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 41 | 43 | 138 | 87 | 45 | 6 | 6 | 679.1 | 757 | 344 | 248 | 227 | 4.56 | — | -2,506 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 138 | 227 | 13 | 40 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 38 | .176 | .218 | .211 | .429 | -1,243 |
Career AVG .176 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — 33.9% below league average.
Career OBP .218 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 35.3% below league average.
Career SLG .211 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 44.5% below league average.
Career OPS .429 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — 40.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | BRO | NL | 33 | 44 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .227 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | BSN | NL | 33 | 73 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 18 | .110 | .274 (-60%) | .342 (-54%) | .393 (-69%) | .735 (-62%) | -737.6 |
| 1940 | BSN | NL | 35 | 82 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 11 | .171 | .267 (-36%) | .335 (-32%) | .387 (-43%) | .722 (-38%) | -505.7 |
| 1941 | BSN | NL | 18 | 25 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .320 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | BSN | NL | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 138 | 227 | 13 | 40 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 38 | .176 | — | — | — | — | -1,243 | ||
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 (276 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 69 | 102 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 13 | .118 |
| Away | 69 | 123 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 8 | .228 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 69 | 357.0 | 379 | 149 | 105 | 119 | 3.76 |
| Away | 69 | 322.1 | 379 | 192 | 144 | 108 | 5.36 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-09-13 | BSN | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-12 | BSN | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-31 | BSN | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-15 | BSN | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-08 | BSN | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-08 | BSN | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-05 | BSN | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-13 | BSN | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-29 | BSN | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-23 | BSN | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-09-13 | BSN | PIT | — | 4.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1946-09-12 | BSN | PIT | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-31 | BSN | PHI | — | 0.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-08-15 | BSN | PHI | — | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-08 | BSN | PHI | W | 3.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-08-08 | BSN | PHI | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-08-05 | BSN | BRO | — | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-13 | BSN | CIN | SV | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-29 | BSN | BRO | — | 0.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-06-23 | BSN | PIT | SV | 2.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 138 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Posedel (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Posedel: the record in brief
Bill Posedel played a first major league game on April 23, 1938 and a last one on September 13, 1946. By club, Posedel's seasons break down as the Brooklyn Dodgers (1938), the Boston Bees (1939 through 1940), and the Boston Braves (1941 through 1946). Posedel, born on August 2, 1906, in San Francisco, CA, USA, is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 175 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Posedel's death is recorded on November 28, 1989, in Livermore, CA, USA. Bill Posedel was the playing name; the full given name is William John.
Posedel went 41-43 with a 4.56 ERA in 138 games, 87 of them starts. Posedel had 227 strikeouts, 45 complete games, and 6 shutouts. The league ERA over Posedel's seasons was 4.07, so the 4.56 figure ran 11.9% worse than average. 1939 brought Posedel a season-high 15 wins. Posedel struck out 86 batters in 1940, a career high.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Posedel
- What years did Bill Posedel play?
- Bill Posedel played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1946.
- Was Bill Posedel a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Posedel pitched in the major leagues, recording 41 wins and 227 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Posedel hit?
- Bill Posedel hit 0 career home runs with 40 hits.
- What was Bill Posedel's career batting average?
- Bill Posedel batted .176 over his career, with 40 hits in 227 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Posedel have?
- Bill Posedel drove in 21 runs in his career.
- What was Bill Posedel's career ERA?
- Bill Posedel finished with a 4.56 career ERA, going 41-43 with 227 strikeouts.