Tom Runnells
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1986)
Tom Runnells was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1986 for the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 2 seasons. In 40 career games, he hit .174 with 8 hits.
- 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-08-10
- Last Game
- 1986-06-06
Full name: Thomas William Runnells
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 46 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .174 | .224 | .217 | .442 | 0 |
Career AVG .174 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 32.4% below league average.
Career OBP .224 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 30.8% below league average.
Career SLG .217 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 44.7% below league average.
Career OPS .442 vs. league average .718 across their career seasons — 38.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | CIN | NL | 28 | 35 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 40 | 46 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .174 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (40 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .125 |
| Away | 24 | 30 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-06-06 | CIN | SFG | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-06-02 | CIN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-31 | CIN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-28 | CIN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-24 | CIN | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-23 | CIN | PIT | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1986-05-22 | CIN | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-21 | CIN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-18 | CIN | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-17 | CIN | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Shortstop | 11 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley | CO | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 |
Tom Runnells: the record in brief
According to the bio, Tom Runnells debuted on August 10, 1985 and played a final game on June 6, 1986. All of the seasons listed were played for the Cincinnati Reds. Runnells played primarily as a shortstop and batted from both sides and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on April 17, 1955, in Greeley, CO, USA and a listed size of 175 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. The bio lists the given name Thomas William.
Runnells finished with 8 hits from 46 at bats in 40 games, which works out to .174. Reaching base at a .224 clip and slugging .217, Runnells finished with a .442 OPS. The league as a whole hit .257 across Runnells's seasons, which puts the .174 career mark 32.4% below average. The OPS comparison is .442 to a league .718, 38.4% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 7, in 1985.
Runnells played 11 games at shortstop, more than anywhere else, and also saw time at second base (5) and third base (3). At shortstop, Runnells's fielding totals are 8 putouts, 20 assists and 0 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Runnells
- What years did Tom Runnells play?
- Tom Runnells played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1986.
- Was Tom Runnells a pitcher?
- No. Tom Runnells was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Tom Runnells hit?
- Tom Runnells hit 0 career home runs with 8 hits.
- What teams did Tom Runnells play for?
- Tom Runnells played for one team, the Cincinnati Reds (1985–1986).
- What were Tom Runnells's career stats?
- In 40 games, Tom Runnells had 8 hits and 4 runs, with a .174 batting average.
- What position did Tom Runnells play?
- Tom Runnells played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Runnells and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Runnells was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- What was Tom Runnells's career batting average?
- Tom Runnells batted .174 over his career, with 8 hits in 46 at bats.
- Is Tom Runnells in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Runnells has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.