Rip Russell
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1947)
Rip Russell was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1947 for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, a span of 9 seasons. In 425 career games, he hit .245 with 344 hits, 29 home runs, and 192 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 180 lb
- Died
- 9/26/1976 in Los Alamitos, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-05-05
- Last Game
- 1947-07-13
Full name: Glen David Russell
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 425 | 1,402 | 133 | 344 | 52 | 8 | 29 | 192 | 4 | 83 | 142 | .245 | .289 | .356 | .644 | -2,284 |
Career AVG .245 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.
Career OBP .289 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 13.4% below league average.
Career SLG .356 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .644 vs. league average .706 across their career seasons — 8.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | CHN | NL | 143 | 542 | 55 | 148 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 79 | 2 | 36 | 56 | .273 | .274 (avg) | .342 (-7%) | .393 (-2%) | .735 (-4%) | -453.9 |
| 1940 | CHN | NL | 68 | 215 | 15 | 53 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 1 | 8 | 23 | .247 | .267 (-8%) | .335 (-17%) | .387 (-5%) | .722 (-11%) | -427.5 |
| 1941 | CHN | NL | 6 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .294 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CHN | NL | 102 | 302 | 32 | 73 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 41 | 0 | 17 | 21 | .242 | .253 (-5%) | .323 (-13%) | .349 (avg) | .672 (-6%) | -331.8 |
| 1946 | BOS | AL | 80 | 274 | 22 | 57 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 35 | 1 | 13 | 30 | .208 | .256 (-19%) | .328 (-25%) | .358 (-11%) | .687 (-18%) | -830.1 |
| 1947 | BOS | AL | 26 | 52 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 7 | .154 | .262 (-41%) | .336 (-21%) | .376 (-39%) | .712 (-30%) | -240.8 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 425 | 1,402 | 133 | 344 | 52 | 8 | 29 | 192 | 4 | 83 | 142 | .245 | — | — | — | — | -2,284 | ||
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 (425 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 208 | 657 | 66 | 170 | 15 | 95 | .259 |
| Away | 217 | 745 | 67 | 174 | 14 | 101 | .234 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-07-13 | BOS | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-07-03 | BOS | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-30 | BOS | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-29 | BOS | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-29 | BOS | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-27 | BOS | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-25 | BOS | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-22 | BOS | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-18 | BOS | SLA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-08 | BOS | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 234 | 0 | 2265 | 117 | 38 | 165 |
| 2B | 27 | 0 | 53 | 72 | 4 | 11 |
| 3B | 96 | 0 | 73 | 178 | 16 | 26 |
| OF | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | CHN | 1B | 143 | 0 | 1383 | 83 | 18 | 109 |
| 1940 | CHN | 1B | 51 | 0 | 518 | 18 | 10 | 22 |
| 1940 | CHN | 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | CHN | 1B | 5 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 1942 | CHN | 1B | 35 | 0 | 328 | 13 | 9 | 30 |
| 1942 | CHN | 2B | 24 | 0 | 51 | 69 | 4 | 10 |
| 1942 | CHN | 3B | 10 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942 | CHN | OF | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | BOS | 2B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1946 | BOS | 3B | 70 | 0 | 59 | 137 | 12 | 24 |
| 1947 | BOS | 3B | 13 | 0 | 7 | 29 | 3 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 234 |
| Second Base | 27 |
| Third Base | 96 |
| Left Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Rip Russell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Rip Russell: the record in brief
The profile opens with Rip Russell's first major league game on May 5, 1939; the last one listed came on July 13, 1947. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago Cubs (1939 to 1942) and the Boston Red Sox (1946 to 1947). At 6'1" and 180 pounds, Russell is listed as a first baseman. The bio says Russell threw and hit right-handed. The recorded birth is January 26, 1915, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Russell died on September 26, 1976, in Los Alamitos, CA, USA. Russell's full given name, per the bio, is Glen David Russell.
Russell's career batting table shows 425 games, 1,402 at bats and 344 hits, a .245 average, adding 29 homers and 192 RBI. Reaching base at a .289 clip and slugging .356, Russell finished with a .644 OPS. Measured against the leagues Russell played in, the .245 career average compares with a .263 league average over the same seasons, 6.6% below the league. By OPS the gap is 8.7% below league average (.644 against .706). 1939 produced Russell's most hits, 148 of them for the Chicago Cubs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rip Russell
- What years did Rip Russell play?
- Rip Russell played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1947.
- Was Rip Russell a pitcher?
- No. Rip Russell was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Rip Russell hit?
- Rip Russell hit 29 career home runs with 344 hits.
- What teams did Rip Russell play for?
- Rip Russell played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1939–1942) and the Boston Red Sox (1946–1947).
- What were Rip Russell's career stats?
- In 425 games, Rip Russell had 344 hits, 29 home runs, 192 RBI, 133 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .245 batting average.
- What position did Rip Russell play?
- Rip Russell played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rip Russell and how much did he weigh?
- Rip Russell was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Rip Russell hit each season?
- Rip Russell's home runs by season: 9 in 1939, 5 in 1940, 0 in 1941, 8 in 1942, 6 in 1946, and 1 in 1947. His most in one season was 9, in 1939.
- What was Rip Russell's career batting average?
- Rip Russell batted .245 over his career, with 344 hits in 1,402 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rip Russell have?
- Rip Russell drove in 192 runs in his career.
- Is Rip Russell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rip Russell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.