Tillie Shafer
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1909-1913)
Tillie Shafer was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1909 to 1913 for the New York Giants, a span of 5 seasons. In 283 career games, he hit .273 with 212 hits, 5 home runs, and 83 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,729.
- 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 165 lb
- Died
- 1/10/1962 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1909-04-24
- Last Game
- 1913-10-04
Full name: Arthur Joseph Shafer
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 283 | 776 | 138 | 212 | 24 | 14 | 5 | 83 | 60 | 105 | 93 | .273 | .366 | .360 | .725 | 1,729 |
Career AVG .273 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +6.8% above league average.
Career OBP .366 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — +13.7% above league average.
Career SLG .360 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +7.0% above league average.
Career OPS .725 vs. league average .658 across their career seasons — +10.3% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | NY1 | NL | 38 | 84 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 13 | .179 | .244 (-27%) | .306 (-3%) | .312 (-28%) | .618 (-16%) | -143.1 |
| 1910 | NY1 | NL | 29 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1912 | NY1 | NL | 78 | 163 | 48 | 47 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 22 | 30 | 19 | .288 | .268 (+7%) | .335 (+22%) | .358 (-9%) | .694 (+6%) | 352.2 |
| 1913 | NY1 | NL | 138 | 508 | 74 | 146 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 52 | 32 | 61 | 55 | .287 | .259 (+11%) | .325 (+14%) | .345 (+15%) | .670 (+14%) | 1519.6 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 283 | 776 | 138 | 212 | 24 | 14 | 5 | 83 | 60 | 105 | 93 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 1,729 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (290 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 159 | 379 | 69 | 96 | 5 | 42 | .253 |
| Away | 131 | 400 | 69 | 116 | 0 | 43 | .290 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913-10-04 | NY1 | PHI | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-10-03 | NY1 | PHI | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1913-10-02 | NY1 | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1913-10-02 | NY1 | PHI | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1913-09-29 | NY1 | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-29 | NY1 | BSN | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-27 | NY1 | BRO | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-26 | NY1 | BRO | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1913-09-25 | NY1 | BRO | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913-09-24 | NY1 | BRO | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 55 | 7 | 79 | 130 | 16 | 11 |
| 3B | 119 | 13 | 146 | 197 | 37 | 14 |
| OF | 17 | 0 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| SS | 49 | 0 | 81 | 112 | 27 | 15 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | NY1 | 2B | 13 | 7 | 19 | 37 | 5 | 1 |
| 1909 | NY1 | 3B | 16 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 10 | 1 |
| 1909 | NY1 | OF | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910 | NY1 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910 | NY1 | 3B | 8 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| 1910 | NY1 | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912 | NY1 | 2B | 15 | 0 | 16 | 28 | 3 | 3 |
| 1912 | NY1 | 3B | 16 | 0 | 15 | 31 | 4 | 0 |
| 1912 | NY1 | SS | 31 | 0 | 49 | 60 | 15 | 7 |
| 1913 | NY1 | 2B | 25 | 0 | 44 | 63 | 8 | 7 |
| 1913 | NY1 | 3B | 79 | 0 | 115 | 136 | 21 | 11 |
| 1913 | NY1 | OF | 15 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1913 | NY1 | SS | 16 | 0 | 32 | 52 | 12 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 59 |
| Third Base | 121 |
| Shortstop | 53 |
| Left Field | 4 |
| Center Field | 14 |
| Right Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles | CA | 1906 |
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara | CA | 1905, 1907, 1908 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 5.0 | 64 | 0 |
Tillie Shafer: the record in brief
Tillie Shafer's major league career runs from a debut on April 24, 1909 to a final game on October 4, 1913. The team column never changes: it is the New York Giants from 1909 to 1913. Shafer played primarily as a third baseman and switch-hit and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on March 22, 1889, in Los Angeles, CA, USA and a listed size of 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds. Shafer's death is recorded on January 10, 1962, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Shafer's full given name, per the bio, is Arthur Joseph Shafer.
The batting record for Shafer: 283 games, 212 hits in 776 at bats, and a .273 average; the totals also include 5 home runs, 83 RBI, and 60 stolen bases. Shafer got on base at a .366 rate and slugged .360 (.725 OPS). Measured against the leagues Shafer played in, the .273 career average compares with a .256 league average over the same seasons, 6.8% above the league. In OPS terms, Shafer's .725 stands 10.3% above the league's .658.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tillie Shafer
- What years did Tillie Shafer play?
- Tillie Shafer played in Major League Baseball from 1909 to 1913.
- Was Tillie Shafer a pitcher?
- No. Tillie Shafer was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Tillie Shafer hit?
- Tillie Shafer hit 5 career home runs with 212 hits.
- What teams did Tillie Shafer play for?
- Tillie Shafer played for one team, the New York Giants (1909–1910, 1912–1913).
- What were Tillie Shafer's career stats?
- In 283 games, Tillie Shafer had 212 hits, 5 home runs, 83 RBI, 138 runs, and 60 stolen bases, with a .273 batting average.
- What position did Tillie Shafer play?
- Tillie Shafer played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tillie Shafer and how much did he weigh?
- Tillie Shafer was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Tillie Shafer hit each season?
- Tillie Shafer's home runs by season: 0 in 1909, 0 in 1910, 0 in 1912, and 5 in 1913. His most in one season was 5, in 1913.
- What was Tillie Shafer's career batting average?
- Tillie Shafer batted .273 over his career, with 212 hits in 776 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tillie Shafer have?
- Tillie Shafer drove in 83 runs in his career.
- Is Tillie Shafer in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tillie Shafer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.