Hank Ruszkowski
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1944-1947)
Hank Ruszkowski was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1947 for the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 4 seasons. In 40 career games, he hit .238 with 20 hits, 3 home runs, and 10 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 190 lb
- Died
- 5/31/2000 in Cleveland, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1944-09-26
- Last Game
- 1947-09-20
Full name: Henry Alexander Ruszkowski
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 84 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 | .238 | .289 | .369 | .658 | -226 |
Career AVG .238 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.
Career OBP .289 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 12.6% below league average.
Career SLG .369 vs. league average .363 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .658 vs. league average .693 across their career seasons — 5.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | CLE | AL | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CLE | AL | 14 | 49 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 9 | .204 | — | — | — | — | -226.5 |
| 1947 | CLE | AL | 23 | 27 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .259 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 40 | 84 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 | .238 | — | — | — | — | -226 | ||
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 | 20 | 44 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 7 | .273 |
| Away | 20 | 40 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3 | .200 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-20 | CLE | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-16 | CLE | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-11 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-04 | CLE | CHW | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-23 | CLE | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-08-21 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-17 | CLE | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-08-10 | CLE | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-06 | CLE | DET | L | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-07-26 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 32 |
Hank Ruszkowski: the record in brief
September 26, 1944 and September 20, 1947 bracket Hank Ruszkowski's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. All of the seasons listed were played for the Cleveland Indians. The bio lists Ruszkowski as a catcher who threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds. The birth record reads November 10, 1925, in Cleveland, OH, USA. Ruszkowski's death is recorded on May 31, 2000, in Cleveland, OH, USA. Hank Ruszkowski was the playing name; the full given name is Henry Alexander.
The batting record for Ruszkowski: 40 games, 20 hits in 84 at bats, and a .238 average, plus 3 home runs and 10 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .289 and the slugging percentage .369, for an OPS of .658. Over the seasons Ruszkowski played, league hitters batted .262; the .238 career figure is 9.0% below that. The OPS comparison is .658 to a league .693, 5.1% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 10, in 1945.
The position breakdown shows 32 games, all at catcher. Behind the plate, the fielding record shows 2 errors alongside 82 putouts and 22 assists.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hank Ruszkowski
- What years did Hank Ruszkowski play?
- Hank Ruszkowski played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1947.
- Was Hank Ruszkowski a pitcher?
- No. Hank Ruszkowski was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Hank Ruszkowski hit?
- Hank Ruszkowski hit 3 career home runs with 20 hits.
- What teams did Hank Ruszkowski play for?
- Hank Ruszkowski played for one team, the Cleveland Indians (1944–1945, 1947).
- What were Hank Ruszkowski's career stats?
- In 40 games, Hank Ruszkowski had 20 hits, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and 8 runs, with a .238 batting average.
- What position did Hank Ruszkowski play?
- Hank Ruszkowski played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Hank Ruszkowski and how much did he weigh?
- Hank Ruszkowski was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Hank Ruszkowski hit each season?
- Hank Ruszkowski's home runs by season: 0 in 1944, 0 in 1945, and 3 in 1947. His most in one season was 3, in 1947.
- What was Hank Ruszkowski's career batting average?
- Hank Ruszkowski batted .238 over his career, with 20 hits in 84 at bats.
- How many RBI did Hank Ruszkowski have?
- Hank Ruszkowski drove in 10 runs in his career.
- Is Hank Ruszkowski in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Hank Ruszkowski has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.