Bill Sweeney
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1884)
Bill Sweeney was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1884 for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Baltimore Monumentals, a span of 3 seasons. Across 82 career appearances, he went 49-31 with a 2.67 ERA and 422 strikeouts. He also batted .221 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 5673.9.
- 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
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 160 lb
- Born
- 1858 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Died
- 8/2/1903 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1882-06-27
- Last Game
- 1884-10-14
Full name: William J. Sweeney
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | PH4 | AA | 9 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 170.0 | 178 | 55 | 42 | 48 | 2.91 | 2.80 (-4%) | -1882.9 |
| 1884 | BLU | UA | 40 | 21 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 4 | 0 | 538.0 | 522 | 155 | 74 | 374 | 2.59 | 3.11 (+17%) | 7556.8 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 49 | 31 | 82 | 80 | 76 | 4 | 0 | 708.0 | 700 | 210 | 116 | 422 | 2.67 | — | 5,674 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 384 | 43 | 85 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 | .221 | .247 | .250 | .497 | -878 |
Career AVG .221 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — 9.5% below league average.
Career OBP .247 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.
Career SLG .250 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 23.7% below league average.
Career OPS .497 vs. league average .606 across their career seasons — 18.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | PH4 | AA | 23 | 88 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .159 | .248 (-36%) | .275 (-29%) | .329 (-38%) | .605 (-34%) | -388.6 |
| 1884 | BLU | UA | 74 | 296 | 35 | 71 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | .240 | .243 (-1%) | .278 (-6%) | .327 (-19%) | .606 (-13%) | -489.9 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 97 | 384 | 43 | 85 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 | .221 | — | — | — | — | -879 | ||
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 Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 82 |
| Second Base | 6 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Center Field | 7 |
| Right Field | 8 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Sweeney (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bill Sweeney: the record in brief
Between the debut on June 27, 1882 and the final game on October 14, 1884, Bill Sweeney built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Philadelphia Athletics (1882) and the Baltimore Monumentals (1884). Sweeney played primarily as a pitcher. The bio adds a birth date in 1858, in Philadelphia, PA, USA and a listed size of 160 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio records the death on August 2, 1903, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The given name on file is William J. Sweeney.
Sweeney went 49-31 with a 2.67 ERA in 82 games, 80 of them starts. The same table counts 422 strikeouts and 76 complete games. Against a 3.02 league ERA for the same years, Sweeney was 11.7% better. 1884 brought Sweeney a season-high 40 wins. In 1884, one of the busiest seasons, Sweeney posted a 2.59 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.11. Sweeney's career Pitcher PIV, which scores run prevention against each season's league, is 5,673.9.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Sweeney
- What years did Bill Sweeney play?
- Bill Sweeney played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1884.
- Was Bill Sweeney a pitcher?
- Yes. Bill Sweeney pitched in the major leagues, recording 49 wins and 422 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bill Sweeney hit?
- Bill Sweeney hit 0 career home runs with 85 hits.
- What teams did Bill Sweeney play for?
- Bill Sweeney played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Athletics (1882) and the Baltimore Monumentals (1884).
- What were Bill Sweeney's career stats?
- In 82 games, Bill Sweeney went 49-31 with a 2.67 ERA, 422 strikeouts, and 708.0 innings pitched. At the plate he had 85 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Bill Sweeney play?
- Bill Sweeney played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Sweeney and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Sweeney was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds.
- What was Bill Sweeney's career ERA?
- Bill Sweeney finished with a 2.67 career ERA, going 49-31 with 422 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bill Sweeney have?
- Bill Sweeney recorded 422 career strikeouts.
- Is Bill Sweeney in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Sweeney has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.