Ben Shaw
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1917-1918)
Ben Shaw was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1918 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 2 seasons. In 23 career games, he hit .184 with 7 hits and 2 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- Died
- 3/16/1959 in Cleveland, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1917-04-11
- Last Game
- 1918-08-27
Full name: Benjamin Nathaniel Shaw
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .184 | .262 | .211 | .472 | 0 |
Career AVG .184 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 26.8% below league average.
Career OBP .262 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — 16.9% below league average.
Career SLG .211 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 35.2% below league average.
Career OPS .472 vs. league average .640 across their career seasons — 26.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | PIT | NL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1918 | PIT | NL | 21 | 36 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .194 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 23 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .184 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (23 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .125 |
| Away | 7 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .286 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918-08-27 | PIT | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1918-08-27 | PIT | PHI | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-23 | PIT | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-22 | PIT | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-21 | PIT | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-13 | PIT | CHC | W | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-13 | PIT | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-12 | PIT | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-08-10 | PIT | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1918-08-08 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 5 |
| First Base | 9 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodes College | Memphis | TN | 1916 |
| Union University | Jackson | TN | 1915 |
Ben Shaw: the record in brief
The profile opens with Ben Shaw's first major league game on April 11, 1917; the last one listed came on August 27, 1918. The team column never changes: it is the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1917 to 1918. Born on June 18, 1893, in La Center, KY, USA, Shaw is listed as a first baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Size on record: 5'11" and 190 pounds. Shaw died on March 16, 1959, in Cleveland, OH, USA. Ben Shaw was the playing name; the full given name is Benjamin Nathaniel.
In 23 games and 38 at bats, Shaw batted .184 with 7 hits, plus 2 RBI. Shaw's career OPS of .472 combines a .262 on-base mark with .211 slugging. Set against a .252 league average for the same years, Shaw's .184 average sits 26.8% below it. In OPS terms, Shaw's .472 stands 26.2% below the league's .640. The hits column peaks at 7, in 1918.
Most of Shaw's defensive work, 9 games, came at first base; the rest of the position table shows catcher (5).
Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Shaw
- What years did Ben Shaw play?
- Ben Shaw played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1918.
- Was Ben Shaw a pitcher?
- No. Ben Shaw was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ben Shaw hit?
- Ben Shaw hit 0 career home runs with 7 hits.
- What was Ben Shaw's career batting average?
- Ben Shaw batted .184 over his career, with 7 hits in 38 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ben Shaw have?
- Ben Shaw drove in 2 runs in his career.
- Is Ben Shaw in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ben Shaw has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.