Ron Samford
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1954-1959)
Ron Samford was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1959 for the New York Giants, the Detroit Tigers, and the Washington Senators, a span of 6 seasons. In 158 career games, he hit .219 with 73 hits, 5 home runs, and 27 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 156 lb
- Died
- 1/14/2021 in Dallas, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1954-04-15
- Last Game
- 1959-09-23
Full name: Ronald Edward Samford
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158 | 334 | 31 | 73 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 2 | 17 | 46 | .219 | .261 | .317 | .579 | -968 |
Career AVG .219 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 15.4% below league average.
Career OBP .261 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 20.4% below league average.
Career SLG .317 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 19.0% below league average.
Career OPS .579 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — 19.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | NY1 | NL | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1955 | DET | AL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 54 | 91 | 6 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 15 | .220 | .257 (-15%) | .323 (-15%) | .391 (-30%) | .715 (-23%) | -327.8 |
| 1959 | WS1 | AL | 91 | 237 | 23 | 53 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 11 | 29 | .224 | .256 (-13%) | .323 (-19%) | .392 (-13%) | .715 (-16%) | -640.3 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 158 | 334 | 31 | 73 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 2 | 17 | 46 | .219 | — | — | — | — | -968 | ||
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 (158 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 77 | 152 | 15 | 35 | 0 | 12 | .230 |
| Away | 81 | 182 | 16 | 38 | 5 | 15 | .209 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-09-23 | MIN | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-15 | MIN | KC1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-13 | MIN | DET | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-11 | MIN | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-07 | MIN | BAL | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-07 | MIN | BAL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-06 | MIN | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-09-04 | MIN | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-03 | MIN | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-02 | MIN | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 38 |
| Third Base | 4 |
| Shortstop | 99 |
Ron Samford: the record in brief
April 15, 1954 and September 23, 1959 bracket Ron Samford's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the New York Giants (1954), the Detroit Tigers (1955 to 1957), and the Washington Senators (1959). Samford played primarily as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on February 28, 1930, in Dallas, TX, USA and a listed size of 156 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Samford's death is recorded on January 14, 2021, in Dallas, TX, USA. Ron Samford was the playing name; the full given name is Ronald Edward.
In 158 games and 334 at bats, Samford batted .219 with 73 hits, adding 5 homers and 27 RBI. Samford's career OPS of .579 combines a .261 on-base mark with .317 slugging. Samford's .219 average ran 15.4% below the .258 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .579 to a league .720, 19.7% below average. No season topped the 53 hits of 1959. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .224 in 1959, did not top the league's .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ron Samford
- What years did Ron Samford play?
- Ron Samford played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1959.
- Was Ron Samford a pitcher?
- No. Ron Samford was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Ron Samford hit?
- Ron Samford hit 5 career home runs with 73 hits.
- What was Ron Samford's career batting average?
- Ron Samford batted .219 over his career, with 73 hits in 334 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ron Samford have?
- Ron Samford drove in 27 runs in his career.
- Is Ron Samford in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ron Samford has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.