Sam Rice
Outfielder · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1915-1934)
Sam Rice was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934 for the Washington Senators and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 20 seasons. In 2,404 career games, he hit .322 with 2,987 hits, 34 home runs, and 1,078 RBI. Sam Rice was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 18,800.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 150 lb
- Died
- 10/13/1974 in Rossmoor, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1915-08-07
- Last Game
- 1934-09-18
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1963 (BBWAA)
Full name: Edgar Charles Rice
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,404 | 9,269 | 1,514 | 2,987 | 498 | 184 | 34 | 1,078 | 351 | 708 | 275 | .322 | .374 | .427 | .801 | 18,800 |
Career AVG .322 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — +17.0% above league average.
Career OBP .374 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +10.7% above league average.
Career SLG .427 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — +12.0% above league average.
Career OPS .801 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — +11.4% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | WS1 | AL | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1916 | WS1 | AL | 58 | 197 | 26 | 59 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 13 | .299 | .248 (+20%) | .314 (+12%) | .326 (+18%) | .640 (+15%) | 464.2 |
| 1917 | WS1 | AL | 155 | 586 | 77 | 177 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 69 | 35 | 50 | 41 | .302 | .248 (+21%) | .312 (+15%) | .323 (+14%) | .635 (+15%) | 1623.6 |
| 1918 | WS1 | AL | 7 | 23 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .348 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1919 | WS1 | AL | 141 | 557 | 80 | 179 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 71 | 26 | 42 | 26 | .321 | .262 (+23%) | .322 (+17%) | .347 (+18%) | .670 (+17%) | 1916.4 |
| 1920 | WS1 | AL | 153 | 624 | 83 | 211 | 29 | 9 | 3 | 80 | 63 | 39 | 23 | .338 | .271 (+24%) | .331 (+15%) | .363 (+18%) | .694 (+16%) | 2006.8 |
| 1921 | WS1 | AL | 143 | 561 | 83 | 185 | 39 | 13 | 4 | 79 | 26 | 38 | 10 | .330 | .286 (+15%) | .344 (+11%) | .395 (+18%) | .739 (+15%) | 1656.6 |
| 1922 | WS1 | AL | 154 | 633 | 91 | 187 | 37 | 13 | 6 | 69 | 20 | 48 | 13 | .295 | .285 (+3%) | .345 (avg) | .397 (+7%) | .743 (+4%) | 368.3 |
| 1923 | WS1 | AL | 148 | 595 | 117 | 188 | 35 | 18 | 3 | 75 | 20 | 57 | 12 | .316 | .282 (+12%) | .344 (+11%) | .390 (+15%) | .734 (+13%) | 1604.4 |
| 1924 | WS1 | AL | 154 | 646 | 106 | 216 | 39 | 14 | 1 | 76 | 24 | 46 | 24 | .334 | .283 (+18%) | .345 (+11%) | .389 (+14%) | .734 (+12%) | 1591.6 |
| 1925 | WS1 | AL | 152 | 649 | 111 | 227 | 31 | 13 | 1 | 87 | 26 | 37 | 10 | .350 | .288 (+21%) | .349 (+11%) | .407 (+9%) | .756 (+10%) | 1333.9 |
| 1926 | WS1 | AL | 152 | 641 | 98 | 216 | 32 | 14 | 3 | 76 | 24 | 42 | 20 | .337 | .279 (+21%) | .345 (+10%) | .390 (+14%) | .735 (+12%) | 1509.3 |
| 1927 | WS1 | AL | 142 | 603 | 98 | 179 | 33 | 14 | 2 | 65 | 19 | 36 | 11 | .297 | .282 (+5%) | .344 (-2%) | .392 (+4%) | .736 (+1%) | -40.1 |
| 1928 | WS1 | AL | 148 | 616 | 95 | 202 | 32 | 15 | 2 | 55 | 16 | 49 | 15 | .328 | .280 (+17%) | .342 (+11%) | .395 (+11%) | .737 (+11%) | 1358.9 |
| 1929 | WS1 | AL | 150 | 616 | 119 | 199 | 39 | 10 | 1 | 62 | 16 | 55 | 9 | .323 | .289 (+12%) | .353 (+8%) | .415 (+2%) | .769 (+5%) | 694.5 |
| 1930 | WS1 | AL | 147 | 593 | 121 | 207 | 35 | 13 | 1 | 73 | 13 | 55 | 14 | .349 | .293 (+19%) | .354 (+15%) | .429 (+6%) | .784 (+10%) | 1442.0 |
| 1931 | WS1 | AL | 120 | 413 | 81 | 128 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 42 | 6 | 35 | 11 | .310 | .276 (+12%) | .338 (+8%) | .388 (+3%) | .726 (+5%) | 442.1 |
| 1932 | WS1 | AL | 106 | 288 | 58 | 93 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 34 | 7 | 32 | 6 | .323 | .275 (+17%) | .335 (+16%) | .391 (+12%) | .726 (+14%) | 820.1 |
| 1933 | WS1 | AL | 73 | 85 | 19 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 7 | .294 | .270 (+9%) | .329 (-1%) | .377 (+18%) | .707 (+9%) | 102.9 |
| 1934 | CLE | AL | 97 | 335 | 48 | 98 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 5 | 28 | 9 | .293 | .278 (+5%) | .340 (+3%) | .392 (-7%) | .733 (-3%) | -95.2 |
| Career · 20 seasons | 2,404 | 9,269 | 1,514 | 2,987 | 498 | 184 | 34 | 1,078 | 351 | 708 | 275 | .322 | — | — | — | — | 18,800 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | WS1 | AL | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 2.00 | 2.90 (+31%) | -9.3 |
| 1916 | WS1 | AL | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.1 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 2.95 | 2.78 (-6%) | -383.8 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 39.1 | 31 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 2.52 | — | -393 | ||
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
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2414 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1192 | 4495 | 765 | 1520 | 9 | 592 | .338 |
| Away | 1213 | 4779 | 751 | 1466 | 25 | 502 | .307 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 5 | 23.2 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3.80 |
| Away | 4 | 15.2 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 1.72 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934-09-18 | CLE | MIN | W | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-17 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-15 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-11 | CLE | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-10 | CLE | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-09 | CLE | PHA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-06 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-09-04 | CLE | SLA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-08-28 | CLE | BOS | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934-08-27 | CLE | BOS | W | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 9 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-07-05 | MIN | NYY | — | 8.0 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1916-06-22 | MIN | PHA | — | 5.1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-06-04 | MIN | DET | L | 0.1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-05-30 | MIN | BOS | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-05-29 | MIN | PHA | — | 6.2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-09-11 | MIN | CLE | — | 5.1 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1915-09-07 | MIN | PHA | W | 9.0 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1915-08-10 | MIN | DET | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1915-08-07 | MIN | CHW | — | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 2270 | 0 | 4774 | 278 | 184 | 67 |
| P | 9 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | WS1 | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1916 | WS1 | OF | 46 | 0 | 83 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 1916 | WS1 | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917 | WS1 | OF | 155 | 0 | 265 | 26 | 12 | 5 |
| 1918 | WS1 | OF | 6 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1919 | WS1 | OF | 141 | 0 | 285 | 18 | 12 | 3 |
| 1920 | WS1 | OF | 153 | 0 | 454 | 24 | 20 | 5 |
| 1921 | WS1 | OF | 141 | 0 | 380 | 18 | 15 | 3 |
| 1922 | WS1 | OF | 154 | 0 | 387 | 23 | 21 | 3 |
| 1923 | WS1 | OF | 147 | 0 | 307 | 21 | 10 | 8 |
| 1924 | WS1 | OF | 154 | 0 | 331 | 18 | 12 | 4 |
| 1925 | WS1 | OF | 152 | 0 | 339 | 20 | 12 | 7 |
| 1926 | WS1 | OF | 152 | 0 | 342 | 25 | 15 | 5 |
| 1927 | WS1 | OF | 139 | 0 | 258 | 12 | 7 | 2 |
| 1928 | WS1 | OF | 147 | 0 | 240 | 11 | 7 | 5 |
| 1929 | WS1 | OF | 147 | 0 | 272 | 20 | 9 | 5 |
| 1930 | WS1 | OF | 145 | 0 | 297 | 13 | 12 | 4 |
| 1931 | WS1 | OF | 105 | 0 | 221 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 1932 | WS1 | OF | 69 | 0 | 132 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 1933 | WS1 | OF | 39 | 0 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 1934 | CLE | OF | 78 | 0 | 129 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 9 |
| Left Field | 52 |
| Center Field | 607 |
| Right Field | 1649 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | OF |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 18.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Sam Rice (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Sam Rice
Sam Rice: the record in brief
Sam Rice's major league career runs from a debut on August 7, 1915 to a final game on September 18, 1934. The team column moves through the Washington Senators (1915 through 1933) and the Cleveland Indians (1934). The bio lists Rice as an outfielder who batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 150 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The birth record reads February 20, 1890, in Morocco, IN, USA. Rice died on October 13, 1974, in Rossmoor, MD, USA. The given name on file is Edgar Charles Rice.
Across 2,404 games at the plate, Rice's career line reads 2,987 hits in 9,269 at bats for a .322 average, adding 34 homers, 1,078 RBI, and 351 stolen bases. Rice got on base at a .374 rate and slugged .427 (.801 OPS). Measured against the leagues Rice played in, the .322 career average compares with a .275 league average over the same seasons, 17.0% above the league. The highest hit total in a season was 227, in 1925.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sam Rice
- What years did Sam Rice play?
- Sam Rice played in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934.
- Was Sam Rice a pitcher?
- No. Sam Rice was a position player (Outfielder), though he did pitch in 9 career games.
- How many home runs did Sam Rice hit?
- Sam Rice hit 34 career home runs with 2987 hits.
- Is Sam Rice in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Sam Rice was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.
- What was Sam Rice's career batting average?
- Sam Rice batted .322 over his career, with 2,987 hits in 9,269 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sam Rice have?
- Sam Rice drove in 1,078 runs in his career.