William Robinson

Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1892)

William Robinson was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1892 for 6 teams, including the Detroit Wolverines, a span of 11 seasons. In 981 career games, he hit .241 with 827 hits, 16 home runs, and 400 RBI. He also pitched in 14 games, going 3-4 with a 3.34 ERA. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 9,105.

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

AVG .241
HR 16
RBI 400
H 827
OPS .699
PIV 9,105
Position
Second Baseman
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'6" / 170 lb
Born
9/19/1859 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
Died
8/25/1894 in St. Louis, MO, USA
MLB Debut
1882-08-24
Last Game
1892-08-10

Full name: William H. Robinson

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Career Batting Statistics

William Robinson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
981 3,436 700 827 148 44 16 400 272 667 309 .241 .376 .323 .699 9,105

Career AVG .241 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .376 vs. league average .311 across their career seasons — +20.8% above league average.

Career SLG .323 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .699 vs. league average .651 across their career seasons — +7.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

William Robinson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1882 DTN NL 11 39 1 7 1 0 0 2 0 1 13 .179 — — — — 0.0
1884 BLU UA 102 415 101 111 24 4 3 0 0 37 0 .267 .243 (+10%) .278 (+17%) .327 (+12%) .606 (+14%) 1104.0
1885 SL4 AA 78 287 63 75 8 8 0 35 0 29 0 .261 .244 (+7%) .287 (+19%) .325 (+6%) .613 (+12%) 710.1
1886 SL4 AA 133 481 89 132 26 9 3 71 51 64 0 .274 .246 (+11%) .302 (+25%) .331 (+16%) .634 (+20%) 2120.3
1887 SL4 AA 125 430 102 131 32 4 1 74 75 92 49 .305 .270 (+13%) .331 (+34%) .373 (+8%) .705 (+20%) 2480.4
1888 SL4 AA 134 455 111 105 17 6 3 53 56 116 78 .231 .238 (-3%) .290 (+37%) .319 (-2%) .610 (+17%) 2387.4
1889 SL4 AA 132 452 97 94 17 3 5 70 39 118 55 .208 .263 (-21%) .334 (+13%) .357 (-18%) .691 (-3%) 367.5
1890 PTP PL 101 314 62 72 10 3 0 39 17 104 34 .229 .260 (-12%) .336 (+29%) .351 (-20%) .687 (+4%) 1045.8
1891 CN3 AA 97 342 48 61 9 4 1 37 23 68 51 .178 .254 (-30%) .331 (-1%) .343 (-31%) .675 (-16%) -624.2
1891 SL4 AA 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — -624.2
1892 WAS NL 67 218 26 39 4 3 0 19 11 38 29 .179 .244 (-27%) .316 (-5%) .327 (-31%) .644 (-18%) -486.3
Career · 11 seasons 981 3,436 700 827 148 44 16 400 272 667 309 .241 — — — — 8,481

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 Pitching Statistics

William Robinson — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
3 4 14 4 4 0 1 89.0 109 33 1 29 62 3.34 1083.7

Career ERA 3.34 vs. league average 3.40 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

William Robinson — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1882 DTN NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 1 0 0.00 — 0.0
1884 BLU UA 3 3 11 3 3 0 0 75.0 96 29 18 61 3.48 3.11 (-12%) 1083.7
1886 SL4 AA 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 10 3 7 1 3.00 3.37 (+11%) 0.0
1887 SL4 AA 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3.0 3 1 3 0 3.00 — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 3 4 14 4 4 0 1 89.0 109 33 29 62 3.34 — 1,084

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

William Robinson — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
38 124 22 34 8 4 0 14 19 21 .274

Playoff Batting by Year

William Robinson — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1888 WS SL4 10 36 7 9 2 1 0 7 6 12 .250
1887 WS SL4 15 46 5 15 5 1 0 4 10 6 .326
1886 WS SL4 6 19 5 6 1 1 0 3 2 3 .316
1885 WS SL4 7 23 5 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 .174

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

William Robinson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 10 0 1 0
2B 701 0 1707 2002 475 276
3B 143 0 181 306 97 22
C 17 0 116 30 18 2
OF 56 0 72 11 13 1
P 14 0 3 6 4 1
SS 66 0 96 179 51 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

William Robinson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1882 DTN OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1882 DTN P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1882 DTN SS 10 0 10 22 8 2
1884 BLU 2B 3 0 11 11 4 1
1884 BLU 3B 71 0 98 163 53 10
1884 BLU C 11 0 84 20 14 2
1884 BLU P 11 0 3 4 4 0
1884 BLU SS 14 0 23 40 15 1
1885 SL4 1B 1 0 10 0 1 0
1885 SL4 2B 19 0 49 52 16 6
1885 SL4 3B 2 0 1 5 0 0
1885 SL4 C 5 0 30 9 3 0
1885 SL4 OF 52 0 65 10 12 1
1886 SL4 2B 125 0 351 406 95 66
1886 SL4 3B 6 0 9 8 7 1
1886 SL4 OF 1 0 2 0 0 0
1886 SL4 P 1 0 0 1 0 1
1886 SL4 SS 1 0 0 3 1 0
1887 SL4 2B 117 0 320 355 76 52
1887 SL4 3B 6 0 3 5 3 0
1887 SL4 C 1 0 2 1 1 0
1887 SL4 OF 2 0 4 1 1 0
1887 SL4 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1887 SL4 SS 2 0 3 6 2 0
1888 SL4 2B 102 0 197 256 53 18
1888 SL4 SS 34 0 54 94 19 6
1889 SL4 2B 132 0 305 333 81 53
1890 PTP 2B 101 0 239 295 69 46
1891 CN3 2B 97 0 222 287 78 33
1891 SL4 2B 1 0 3 0 1 0
1892 WAS 2B 4 0 10 7 2 1
1892 WAS 3B 58 0 70 125 34 11
1892 WAS SS 5 0 6 14 6 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

William Robinson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 14
Catcher 17
First Base 1
Second Base 701
Third Base 143
Shortstop 66
Left Field 52
Center Field 2
Right Field 2

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

William Robinson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Jack Crooks
    .241 avg, 21 HR
  2. 64
    Art Devlin
    .269 avg, 10 HR
  3. 63
    Sammy Strang
    .269 avg, 16 HR
  4. 58
    George Pinkney
    .263 avg, 21 HR
  5. 50
    Al Bridwell
    .255 avg, 2 HR
  6. 49
    Kid Elberfeld
    .271 avg, 10 HR

William Robinson: the record in brief

The profile opens with William Robinson's first major league game on August 24, 1882; the last one listed came on August 10, 1892. Club by club, the record runs the Detroit Wolverines (1882), the Baltimore Monumentals (1884), the St. Louis Browns (1885 to 1891), the Pittsburgh Burghers (1890), the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891), and the Washington Senators (1892). Robinson, born on September 19, 1859, in Philadelphia, PA, USA, is listed as a second baseman and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds. The bio records the death on August 25, 1894, in St. Louis, MO, USA. The given name on file is William H. Robinson.

Across 981 games at the plate, Robinson's career line reads 827 hits in 3,436 at bats for a .241 average, along with 16 homers, 400 RBI, and 272 stolen bases. Robinson's career OPS of .699 combines a .376 on-base mark with .323 slugging. The .241 career average is close to the .252 the league hit across the same seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions about William Robinson

What years did William Robinson play?
William Robinson played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1892.
Was William Robinson a pitcher?
Both. William Robinson pitched in 14 games, going 3-4 with a 3.34 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Second Baseman.
How many home runs did William Robinson hit?
William Robinson hit 16 career home runs with 827 hits.
What was William Robinson's career batting average?
William Robinson batted .241 over his career, with 827 hits in 3,436 at bats.
How many RBI did William Robinson have?
William Robinson drove in 400 runs in his career.
What was William Robinson's career ERA?
William Robinson finished with a 3.34 career ERA, going 3-4 with 62 strikeouts.