Tom Saffell
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1949-1955)
Tom Saffell was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1955 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 7 seasons. In 271 career games, he hit .238 with 143 hits, 6 home runs, and 40 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- Died
- 9/10/2012 in Sarasota, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1949-07-01
- Last Game
- 1955-09-25
Full name: Thomas Judson Saffell
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 271 | 602 | 91 | 143 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 9 | 59 | 108 | .238 | .307 | .296 | .602 | -1,475 |
Career AVG .238 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 9.3% below league average.
Career OBP .307 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 9.7% below league average.
Career SLG .296 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 24.4% below league average.
Career OPS .602 vs. league average .731 across their career seasons — 17.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | PIT | NL | 73 | 205 | 36 | 66 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 5 | 21 | 27 | .322 | .262 (+23%) | .343 (+12%) | .384 (+3%) | .727 (+7%) | 303.4 |
| 1950 | PIT | NL | 67 | 182 | 18 | 37 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 34 | .203 | .265 (-24%) | .346 (-24%) | .401 (-32%) | .747 (-28%) | -855.2 |
| 1951 | PIT | NL | 49 | 65 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 18 | .200 | .260 (-23%) | .336 (-24%) | .385 (-36%) | .721 (-30%) | -312.5 |
| 1955 | PIT | NL | 73 | 113 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 22 | .168 | .258 (-35%) | .332 (-20%) | .393 (-48%) | .726 (-35%) | -610.3 |
| 1955 | KC1 | AL | 9 | 37 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | .216 | — | — | — | — | -610.3 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 271 | 602 | 91 | 143 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 9 | 59 | 108 | .238 | — | — | — | — | -2,085 | ||
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 (271 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 132 | 270 | 51 | 68 | 1 | 21 | .252 |
| Away | 139 | 333 | 40 | 75 | 5 | 19 | .225 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-09-25 | KC1 | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1955-09-24 | KC1 | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955-09-23 | KC1 | CHW | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1955-09-21 | KC1 | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1955-09-20 | KC1 | DET | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955-09-19 | KC1 | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1955-09-18 | KC1 | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1955-09-17 | KC1 | CHW | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1955-09-16 | KC1 | CHW | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955-09-04 | PIT | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 7 |
| Center Field | 151 |
| Right Field | 11 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryville College | Maryville | TN | 1941 |
Tom Saffell: the record in brief
Tom Saffell played a first major league game on July 1, 1949 and a last one on September 25, 1955. Saffell played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1949 through 1955) and the Kansas City Athletics (1955). Saffell played primarily as an outfielder and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Born on July 26, 1921, in Etowah, TN, USA, Saffell was listed at 170 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Saffell died on September 10, 2012, in Sarasota, FL, USA. The given name on file is Thomas Judson Saffell.
The batting record for Saffell: 271 games, 143 hits in 602 at bats, and a .238 average, plus 6 homers and 40 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .307 clip and slugging .296, Saffell finished with a .602 OPS. Measured against the leagues Saffell played in, the .238 career average compares with a .262 league average over the same seasons, 9.3% below the league. In OPS terms, Saffell's .602 stands 17.6% below the league's .731. The highest hit total in a season was 66, in 1949.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Saffell
- What years did Tom Saffell play?
- Tom Saffell played in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1955.
- Was Tom Saffell a pitcher?
- No. Tom Saffell was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Tom Saffell hit?
- Tom Saffell hit 6 career home runs with 143 hits.
- What teams did Tom Saffell play for?
- Tom Saffell played for 2 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1949–1951, 1955) and the Kansas City Athletics (1955).
- What were Tom Saffell's career stats?
- In 271 games, Tom Saffell had 143 hits, 6 home runs, 40 RBI, 91 runs, and 9 stolen bases, with a .238 batting average.
- What position did Tom Saffell play?
- Tom Saffell played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Saffell and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Saffell was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Tom Saffell hit each season?
- Tom Saffell's home runs by season: 2 in 1949, 2 in 1950, 1 in 1951, and 1 in 1955. His most in one season was 2, in 1949 and 1950.
- What was Tom Saffell's career batting average?
- Tom Saffell batted .238 over his career, with 143 hits in 602 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tom Saffell have?
- Tom Saffell drove in 40 runs in his career.
- Is Tom Saffell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Saffell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.