Karl Swanson
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1928-1929)
Karl Swanson was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1928 to 1929 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 2 seasons. In 24 career games, he hit .138 with 9 hits and 6 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 155 lb
- Died
- 4/3/2002 in Rock Island, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1928-08-12
- Last Game
- 1929-05-05
Full name: Karl Edward Swanson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 65 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | .138 | .188 | .154 | .342 | -549 |
Career AVG .138 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 51.5% below league average.
Career OBP .188 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 45.9% below league average.
Career SLG .154 vs. league average .406 across their career seasons — 62.1% below league average.
Career OPS .342 vs. league average .754 across their career seasons — 54.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | CHA | AL | 22 | 64 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | .141 | .280 (-50%) | .342 (-44%) | .395 (-60%) | .737 (-53%) | -549.2 |
| 1929 | CHA | AL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 24 | 65 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | .138 | — | — | — | — | -549 | ||
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 (24 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 10 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | .167 |
| Away | 14 | 41 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | .122 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-05-05 | CHW | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-04-25 | CHW | SLA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1928-09-20 | CHW | NYY | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-11 | CHW | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1928-09-10 | CHW | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-09 | CHW | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-08 | CHW | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-06 | CHW | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-05 | CHW | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928-09-04 | CHW | DET | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 21 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana College | Rock Island | IL | 1918 |
Karl Swanson: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 12, 1928 and the final game on May 5, 1929, Karl Swanson built the record summarized on this page. Every season row on the page belongs to the Chicago White Sox, from 1928 through 1929. The bio lists Swanson as a second baseman who hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Swanson is listed at 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds. Swanson was born on December 17, 1900, in North Henderson, IL, USA. Swanson's death is recorded on April 3, 2002, in Rock Island, IL, USA. On the record, Karl Swanson was born Karl Edward Swanson.
Swanson finished with 9 hits from 65 at bats in 24 games, which works out to .138; the totals also include 6 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .188 clip and slugging .154, Swanson finished with a .342 OPS. Set against a .285 league average for the same years, Swanson's .138 average sits 51.5% below it. The hits column peaks at 9, in 1928. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .141 in 1928, did not top the league's .280.
Frequently Asked Questions about Karl Swanson
- What years did Karl Swanson play?
- Karl Swanson played in Major League Baseball from 1928 to 1929.
- Was Karl Swanson a pitcher?
- No. Karl Swanson was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Karl Swanson hit?
- Karl Swanson hit 0 career home runs with 9 hits.
- What teams did Karl Swanson play for?
- Karl Swanson played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1928–1929).
- What were Karl Swanson's career stats?
- In 24 games, Karl Swanson had 9 hits, 6 RBI, 2 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .138 batting average.
- What position did Karl Swanson play?
- Karl Swanson played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Karl Swanson and how much did he weigh?
- Karl Swanson was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 155 pounds.
- What was Karl Swanson's career batting average?
- Karl Swanson batted .138 over his career, with 9 hits in 65 at bats.
- How many RBI did Karl Swanson have?
- Karl Swanson drove in 6 runs in his career.
- Is Karl Swanson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Karl Swanson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.