Ben Sankey
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1929-1931)
Ben Sankey was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1931 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 3 seasons. In 72 career games, he hit .213 with 36 hits and 14 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
- 5'10" / 155 lb
- Died
- 10/14/2001 in Washington, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1929-10-05
- Last Game
- 1931-09-27
Full name: Benjamin Turner Sankey
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 169 | 21 | 36 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 14 | .213 | .281 | .284 | .565 | -322 |
Career AVG .213 vs. league average .287 across their career seasons — 25.8% below league average.
Career OBP .281 vs. league average .349 across their career seasons — 19.5% below league average.
Career SLG .284 vs. league average .412 across their career seasons — 31.1% below league average.
Career OPS .565 vs. league average .761 across their career seasons — 25.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | PIT | NL | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1930 | PIT | NL | 13 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1931 | PIT | NL | 57 | 132 | 14 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 10 | .227 | .276 (-18%) | .338 (-11%) | .388 (-18%) | .726 (-15%) | -321.5 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 72 | 169 | 21 | 36 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 14 | .213 | — | — | — | — | -322 | ||
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 (72 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 44 | 98 | 11 | 20 | 0 | 11 | .204 |
| Away | 28 | 71 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 4 | .225 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-09-27 | PIT | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-27 | PIT | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-24 | PIT | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-22 | PIT | PHI | W | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1931-09-21 | PIT | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1931-09-19 | PIT | BSN | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-18 | PIT | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-18 | PIT | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-17 | PIT | BSN | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-17 | PIT | BSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 6 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 57 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | Auburn | AL | 1926, 1927, 1928 |
Ben Sankey: the record in brief
According to the bio, Ben Sankey debuted on October 5, 1929 and played a final game on September 27, 1931. Every season row on the page belongs to the Pittsburgh Pirates, from 1929 through 1931. Sankey, born on September 2, 1907, in Nauvoo, AL, USA, is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 155 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The bio records the death on October 14, 2001, in Washington, GA, USA. Sankey's full given name, per the bio, is Benjamin Turner Sankey.
Sankey collected 36 hits in 169 at bats across 72 games, good for a .213 batting average, along with 14 RBI. Sankey got on base at a .281 rate and slugged .284 (.565 OPS). Over the seasons Sankey played, league hitters batted .287; the .213 career figure is 25.8% below that. In OPS terms, Sankey's .565 stands 25.8% below the league's .761. 1931 produced Sankey's most hits, 30 of them for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .227 in 1931, did not top the league's .276.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Sankey
- What years did Ben Sankey play?
- Ben Sankey played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1931.
- Was Ben Sankey a pitcher?
- No. Ben Sankey was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Ben Sankey hit?
- Ben Sankey hit 0 career home runs with 36 hits.
- What was Ben Sankey's career batting average?
- Ben Sankey batted .213 over his career, with 36 hits in 169 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ben Sankey have?
- Ben Sankey drove in 14 runs in his career.
- Is Ben Sankey in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ben Sankey has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.