Whitey Ritterson, baseball player, 1876-1876

Whitey Ritterson

Born: 4/26/1855 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Died: 7/28/1917 in East Rockhill Township, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1876-05-02 | Final Game: 1876-08-09

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'8"

Full name: Edward West Ritterson

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Whitey Ritterson, born in 1855, was a position player who had a brief yet notable career in Major League Baseball from 1876 to 1876. He played during the early years of professional baseball, a time characterized by rapid growth in the sport and the establishment of foundational rules and structures. Over his short tenure, Ritterson appeared in 16 games, achieving 13 hits and accumulating a batting average of .25. He contributed 4 RBIs to his team's efforts but did not record any home runs or stolen bases. Ritterson's playing style reflected the transitional nature of baseball in the late 19th century, as players began to adapt to a more dynamic game. Although his time in the major leagues was limited, his participation in this formative period of baseball history helped to pave the way for future generations of players. With the sport still in its infancy, every player, including Ritterson, played a role in shaping the game into the beloved American pastime it would eventually become.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
16 52 8 13 3 0 0 4 0 0 2 0.250 0.250 0.308 0.558 -53.0

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career OBP .250 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — 9.9% below league average.

Career SLG .308 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.558 vs. league average 0.598 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1876 PHN NL 16 52 8 13 3 0 0 4 0 0 2 0.250 .265 (-6%) .277 (-10%) .320 (-4%) .598 (-7%) -53.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
C 14 0 41 6 23 1
OF 4 0 2 1 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1876 PHN 3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1876 PHN C 14 0 41 6 23 1
1876 PHN OF 4 0 2 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 14
Third Base 1
Center Field 2
Right Field 2