Swede Risberg
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1917-1920)
Swede Risberg was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1920 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 4 seasons. In 476 career games, he hit .243 with 394 hits, 6 home runs, and 175 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
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 10/13/1975 in Red Bluff, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1917-04-11
- Last Game
- 1920-09-27
Full name: Charles August Risberg
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 476 | 1,619 | 196 | 394 | 72 | 27 | 6 | 175 | 52 | 148 | 180 | .243 | .311 | .332 | .644 | -709 |
Career AVG .243 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 6.4% below league average.
Career OBP .311 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .332 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .644 vs. league average .663 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | CHA | AL | 149 | 474 | 59 | 96 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 45 | 16 | 59 | 65 | .203 | .248 (-19%) | .312 (-5%) | .323 (-12%) | .635 (-8%) | -496.6 |
| 1918 | CHA | AL | 82 | 273 | 36 | 70 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 23 | 32 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .318 (+1%) | .326 (+2%) | .645 (+1%) | 65.5 |
| 1919 | CHA | AL | 119 | 414 | 48 | 106 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 19 | 35 | 38 | .256 | .262 (-2%) | .322 (-2%) | .347 (-1%) | .670 (-1%) | -90.6 |
| 1920 | CHA | AL | 126 | 458 | 53 | 122 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 65 | 12 | 31 | 45 | .266 | .271 (-2%) | .331 (-5%) | .363 (+2%) | .694 (-1%) | -187.2 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 476 | 1,619 | 196 | 394 | 72 | 27 | 6 | 175 | 52 | 148 | 180 | .243 | — | — | — | — | -709 | ||
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 (476 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 245 | 808 | 110 | 191 | 3 | 79 | .236 |
| Away | 231 | 811 | 86 | 203 | 3 | 95 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-09-27 | CHW | DET | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-26 | CHW | DET | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1920-09-25 | CHW | CLE | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-24 | CHW | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1920-09-23 | CHW | CLE | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1920-09-21 | CHW | PHA | W | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-20 | CHW | PHA | W | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-19 | CHW | PHA | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-18 | CHW | NYY | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1920-09-17 | CHW | NYY | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 29 | 0 | 283 | 15 | 4 | 16 |
| 2B | 12 | 0 | 28 | 40 | 3 | 5 |
| 3B | 24 | 0 | 29 | 42 | 8 | 4 |
| OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 397 | 0 | 763 | 1106 | 146 | 167 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | CHA | SS | 146 | 0 | 291 | 352 | 61 | 57 |
| 1918 | CHA | 1B | 7 | 0 | 79 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1918 | CHA | 2B | 12 | 0 | 28 | 40 | 3 | 5 |
| 1918 | CHA | 3B | 24 | 0 | 29 | 42 | 8 | 4 |
| 1918 | CHA | OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | CHA | SS | 30 | 0 | 59 | 76 | 8 | 12 |
| 1919 | CHA | 1B | 22 | 0 | 204 | 13 | 2 | 10 |
| 1919 | CHA | SS | 97 | 0 | 175 | 278 | 32 | 39 |
| 1920 | CHA | SS | 124 | 0 | 238 | 400 | 45 | 59 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 29 |
| Second Base | 12 |
| Third Base | 24 |
| Shortstop | 398 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Swede Risberg (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Swede Risberg: the record in brief
The profile opens with Swede Risberg's first major league game on April 11, 1917; the last one listed came on September 27, 1920. Risberg's only club in the season tables is the Chicago White Sox. Risberg, a shortstop by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 6 feet, 0 inches and 175 pounds. The birth record reads October 13, 1894, in San Francisco, CA, USA. Risberg's death is recorded on October 13, 1975, in Red Bluff, CA, USA. On the record, Swede Risberg was born Charles August Risberg.
The batting record for Risberg: 476 games, 394 hits in 1,619 at bats, and a .243 average, adding 6 homers, 175 RBI, and 52 stolen bases. Risberg got on base at a .311 rate and slugged .332 (.644 OPS). Measured against the leagues Risberg played in, the .243 career average compares with a .260 league average over the same seasons, 6.4% below the league. The hits column peaks at 122, in 1920. Risberg drove in a season-high 65 runs in 1920. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .266 in 1920, did not top the league's .271.
Frequently Asked Questions about Swede Risberg
- What years did Swede Risberg play?
- Swede Risberg played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1920.
- Was Swede Risberg a pitcher?
- No. Swede Risberg was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Swede Risberg hit?
- Swede Risberg hit 6 career home runs with 394 hits.
- What teams did Swede Risberg play for?
- Swede Risberg played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1917–1920).
- What were Swede Risberg's career stats?
- In 476 games, Swede Risberg had 394 hits, 6 home runs, 175 RBI, 196 runs, and 52 stolen bases, with a .243 batting average.
- What position did Swede Risberg play?
- Swede Risberg played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Swede Risberg and how much did he weigh?
- Swede Risberg was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Swede Risberg hit each season?
- Swede Risberg's home runs by season: 1 in 1917, 1 in 1918, 2 in 1919, and 2 in 1920. His most in one season was 2, in 1919 and 1920.
- What was Swede Risberg's career batting average?
- Swede Risberg batted .243 over his career, with 394 hits in 1,619 at bats.
- How many RBI did Swede Risberg have?
- Swede Risberg drove in 175 runs in his career.
- Is Swede Risberg in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Swede Risberg has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.