Rufus Smith
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1927)
Rufus Smith was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball in 1927 for the Detroit Tigers. Across 1 career appearance, he went 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 2 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 165 lb
- Died
- 8/21/1984 in Aiken, SC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1927-10-02
Full name: Rufus Frazier Smith
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.38 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.38 | — | 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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 |
Career AVG .000 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.
Career OBP .000 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.
Career SLG .000 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.
Career OPS .000 vs. league average .737 across their career seasons — 100.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | DET | AL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 8.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.38 |
Last 1 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-10-02 | DET | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Last 1 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-10-02 | DET | CLE | — | 8.0 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford College | Greensboro | NC | 1924, 1925, 1926 |
Rufus Smith: the record in brief
Rufus Smith's entire major league record comes from the period beginning October 2, 1927. All of the seasons listed were played for the Detroit Tigers. At 5 feet, 8 inches and 165 pounds, Smith is listed as a pitcher. The bio says Smith hit right-handed while throwing left-handed. Smith was born on January 24, 1905, in Guilford College, NC, USA. The bio records the death on August 21, 1984, in Aiken, SC, USA. Rufus Smith was the playing name; the full given name is Rufus Frazier.
Across 1 games (1 starts), Smith recorded 0 wins against 0 losses with a 3.38 ERA. The same table counts 2 strikeouts. The leagues Smith pitched in allowed 4.08 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 17.3% better than average. All of that pitching came in 1927, with 1 games and 2 strikeouts.
The college table lists Guilford College in 1924, 1925, and 1926.
Every defensive appearance on record for Smith, 1 games, came at pitcher.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rufus Smith
- Was Rufus Smith a pitcher?
- Yes. Rufus Smith pitched in the major leagues, recording 0 wins and 2 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Rufus Smith hit?
- Rufus Smith hit 0 career home runs.
- What was Rufus Smith's career batting average?
- Rufus Smith batted .000 over his career, with 0 hits in 3 at bats.
- What was Rufus Smith's career ERA?
- Rufus Smith finished with a 3.38 career ERA, going 0-0 with 2 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Rufus Smith have?
- Rufus Smith recorded 2 career strikeouts.
- Is Rufus Smith in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rufus Smith has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.