Bill Russell

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1986)

Bill Russell was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a span of 18 seasons. In 2,181 career games, he hit .263 with 1,926 hits, 46 home runs, and 627 RBI. Bill Russell was a 3-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

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 .263
HR 46
RBI 627
H 1,926
OPS .648
PIV -9,395
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 175 lb
Born
10/21/1948 in Pittsburg, KS, USA
MLB Debut
1969-04-07
Last Game
1986-10-01
Awards
3× All-Star

Full name: William Ellis Russell

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Bill Russell — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Pitching

Bill Russell — Pitching
W L GS CG GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP
0 1 1 0 3 0 7.0 10 6 6 1 2 1 7.71 1.71

Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Bill Russell — Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1944 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
Listed seasons · 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — —

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Bill Russell — Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
Season W L GS CG GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA WHIP
1944 0 1 1 0 3 0 7.0 10 6 6 1 2 1 7.71 1.71
Listed seasons · 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 7.0 10 6 6 1 2 1 7.71 1.71

Career Batting Statistics

Bill Russell — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2,181 7,318 796 1,926 293 57 46 627 167 483 667 .263 .310 .338 .648 -9,395

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .310 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .338 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.

Career OPS .648 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bill Russell (b. 1948) 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
1969 LAN NL 98 212 35 48 6 2 5 15 4 22 45 .226 .248 (-9%) .320 (-6%) .369 (-7%) .689 (-6%) -211.9
1970 LAN NL 81 278 30 72 11 9 0 28 9 16 28 .259 .253 (+2%) .325 (-7%) .385 (-6%) .711 (-6%) -362.9
1971 LAN NL 91 211 29 48 7 4 2 15 6 11 39 .227 .249 (-9%) .316 (-16%) .365 (-10%) .682 (-13%) -485.1
1972 LAN NL 129 434 47 118 19 5 4 34 14 34 64 .272 .243 (+12%) .310 (+5%) .353 (+4%) .664 (+4%) 308.4
1973 LAN NL 162 615 55 163 26 3 4 56 15 34 63 .265 .256 (+3%) .325 (-7%) .378 (-11%) .703 (-9%) -995.0
1974 LAN NL 160 553 61 149 18 6 5 65 14 53 53 .269 .256 (+5%) .324 (+3%) .369 (-5%) .693 (-1%) -40.1
1975 LAN NL 84 252 24 52 9 2 0 14 5 23 28 .206 .257 (-20%) .327 (-15%) .374 (-31%) .701 (-24%) -917.0
1976 LAN NL 149 554 53 152 17 3 5 65 15 21 46 .274 .255 (+7%) .320 (-6%) .360 (-5%) .681 (-5%) -551.3
1977 LAN NL 153 634 84 176 28 6 4 51 16 24 43 .278 .264 (+5%) .329 (-8%) .401 (-10%) .730 (-9%) -1011.3
1978 LAN NL 155 625 72 179 32 4 3 46 10 30 34 .286 .257 (+11%) .323 (-1%) .378 (-4%) .702 (-3%) -310.0
1979 LAN NL 153 627 72 170 26 4 7 56 6 24 43 .271 .265 (+2%) .329 (-10%) .397 (-10%) .727 (-10%) -1073.3
1980 LAN NL 130 466 38 123 23 2 3 34 13 18 44 .264 .264 (avg) .326 (-10%) .387 (-12%) .714 (-11%) -834.1
1981 LAN NL 82 262 20 61 9 2 0 22 2 19 20 .233 .255 (-9%) .320 (-11%) .368 (-23%) .688 (-18%) -716.9
1982 LAN NL 153 497 64 136 20 2 3 46 10 63 30 .274 .261 (+5%) .324 (+10%) .388 (-13%) .712 (-2%) 47.4
1983 LAN NL 131 451 47 111 13 1 1 30 13 33 31 .246 .260 (-6%) .324 (-7%) .389 (-27%) .714 (-18%) -1175.2
1984 LAN NL 89 262 25 70 12 1 0 19 4 25 24 .267 .259 (+3%) .322 (+2%) .384 (-17%) .707 (-8%) -292.6
1985 LAN NL 76 169 19 44 6 1 0 13 4 18 9 .260 .257 (+1%) .323 (+3%) .390 (-21%) .714 (-10%) -223.8
1986 LAN NL 105 216 21 54 11 0 0 18 7 15 23 .250 .257 (-3%) .325 (-7%) .395 (-24%) .720 (-16%) -550.4
Career · 18 seasons 2,181 7,318 796 1,926 293 57 46 627 167 483 667 .263 — — — — -9,395

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

Bill Russell — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
49 194 14 57 5 3 0 19 11 15 .294

Playoff Batting by Year

Bill Russell — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1983 NLCS LAN 4 14 1 4 0 0 0 0 2 4 .286
1981 NLCS LAN 5 16 2 5 0 1 0 1 1 1 .312
1981 NWDIV LAN 5 16 1 4 1 0 0 3 3 1 .250
1981 WS LAN 6 25 1 6 0 0 0 2 0 1 .240
1978 NLCS LAN 4 17 1 7 1 0 0 2 1 1 .412
1978 WS LAN 6 26 1 11 2 0 0 2 2 2 .423
1977 NLCS LAN 4 18 3 5 1 0 0 2 0 0 .278
1977 WS LAN 6 26 3 4 0 1 0 2 1 3 .154
1974 NLCS LAN 4 18 1 7 0 0 0 3 1 0 .389
1974 WS LAN 5 18 0 4 0 1 0 2 0 2 .222

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (2181 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Bill Russell — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1090356737993921314.263
Away1091375141798725313.263

Last 10 Games — Batting

Bill Russell — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1986-10-01 LADSDPL 100000001
1986-09-28 LADSFGL 301000000
1986-09-25 LADSDPL 200000000
1986-09-25 LADSDPW 100000000
1986-09-23 LADHOUL 100000000
1986-09-21 LADCINL 101000000
1986-09-20 LADCINL 100000000
1986-09-19 LADCINW 101100000
1986-09-18 LADATLL 100000001
1986-09-17 LADATLL 101100000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Bill Russell — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 62 47 114 150 9 25
3B 6 1 0 1 0 0
OF 299 180 454 16 7 2
SS 1746 1664 2536 5546 339 909

Season-by-Season Fielding

Bill Russell — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1969 LAN OF 86 45 132 4 3 1
1970 LAN OF 79 67 167 8 3 1
1970 LAN SS 1 0 0 2 0 0
1971 LAN 2B 41 35 81 108 7 21
1971 LAN OF 40 16 49 1 0 0
1971 LAN SS 6 1 1 5 1 2
1972 LAN OF 6 0 5 0 0 0
1972 LAN SS 121 118 197 439 34 69
1973 LAN SS 162 162 243 560 31 106
1974 LAN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1974 LAN SS 160 154 194 491 39 68
1975 LAN SS 83 81 94 230 11 27
1976 LAN SS 149 145 251 476 28 90
1977 LAN SS 153 149 234 523 29 102
1978 LAN SS 155 151 245 533 31 91
1979 LAN SS 150 148 218 452 30 70
1980 LAN SS 129 120 179 387 19 57
1981 LAN SS 80 78 128 261 14 49
1982 LAN SS 150 146 216 502 29 64
1983 LAN SS 127 122 192 392 22 61
1984 LAN 2B 5 1 3 7 0 0
1984 LAN OF 18 16 31 1 0 0
1984 LAN SS 65 56 81 165 9 29
1985 LAN 2B 8 5 10 17 1 0
1985 LAN 3B 5 0 0 1 0 0
1985 LAN OF 21 15 23 0 1 0
1985 LAN SS 23 19 27 64 8 11
1986 LAN 2B 8 6 20 18 1 4
1986 LAN 3B 1 1 0 0 0 0
1986 LAN OF 48 21 47 2 0 0
1986 LAN SS 32 14 36 64 4 13

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Bill Russell (b. 1948) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Second Base 60
Third Base 7
Shortstop 1746
Left Field 62
Center Field 78
Right Field 178

Awards & Honors

Bill Russell — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1973 TSN All-Star SS

Salary History

Bill Russell's recorded salaries total $900,000 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Russell's career ran from 1969 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.

Bill Russell — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1986 LAN NL $450,000
1985 LAN NL $450,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $900,000

Award Voting History

Bill Russell — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1973 Most Valuable Player NL 32th 1.0 336 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Bill Russell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Jim Gantner
    .274 avg, 47 HR
  2. 97
    Ozzie Guillen
    .264 avg, 28 HR
  3. 96
    Cookie Rojas
    .263 avg, 54 HR
  4. 95
    Don Kessinger
    .252 avg, 14 HR
  5. 95
    Tony Taylor
    .261 avg, 75 HR
  6. 92
    Manny Trillo
    .263 avg, 61 HR

Bill Russell: the record in brief

Bill Russell's major league career runs from a debut on April 7, 1969 to a final game on October 1, 1986. All of the seasons listed were played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Russell played primarily as a shortstop and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on October 21, 1948, in Pittsburg, KS, USA and a listed size of 6'0" and 175 pounds. Bill Russell was the playing name; the full given name is William Ellis.

Russell's career batting table shows 2,181 games, 7,318 at bats and 1,926 hits, a .263 average, plus 46 home runs, 627 RBI, and 167 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .310 clip and slugging .338, Russell finished with a .648 OPS. Russell hit .263 while the league hit .257 over the same span, a figure close to average. Russell collected a career-high 179 hits in 1978. The RBI column peaks at 65 in 1974. 1978 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .286 against a league .257, an 11% edge.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Russell

What years did Bill Russell play?
Bill Russell played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986.
Was Bill Russell a pitcher?
No. Bill Russell was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Bill Russell hit?
Bill Russell hit 46 career home runs with 1,926 hits.
What teams did Bill Russell play for?
Bill Russell played for one team, the Los Angeles Dodgers (1969–1986).
Did Bill Russell win an MVP award?
No. Bill Russell did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Bill Russell win?
Bill Russell was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
What were Bill Russell's career stats?
In 2,181 games, Bill Russell had 1,926 hits, 46 home runs, 627 RBI, 796 runs, and 167 stolen bases, with a .263 batting average.
How much did Bill Russell earn in his career?
Bill Russell's recorded salaries total $900,000 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Russell's career ran from 1969 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
What was Bill Russell's salary?
Bill Russell's last recorded salary was $450,000, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $450,000, in 1985, and his lowest was $450,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
What position did Bill Russell play?
Bill Russell played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Bill Russell and how much did he weigh?
Bill Russell was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
How many home runs did Bill Russell hit each season?
Bill Russell's home runs by season: 5 in 1969, 0 in 1970, 2 in 1971, 4 in 1972, 4 in 1973, 5 in 1974, 0 in 1975, 5 in 1976, 4 in 1977, 3 in 1978, 7 in 1979, 3 in 1980, 0 in 1981, 3 in 1982, 1 in 1983, 0 in 1984, 0 in 1985, and 0 in 1986. His most in one season was 7, in 1979.
What was Bill Russell's career batting average?
Bill Russell batted .263 over his career, with 1,926 hits in 7,318 at bats.
How many RBI did Bill Russell have?
Bill Russell drove in 627 runs in his career.