Al Unser
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1942-1945)
Al Unser was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1945 for the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 4 seasons. In 120 career games, he hit .251 with 85 hits, 4 home runs, and 30 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 57.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 175 lb
- Died
- 7/7/1995 in Decatur, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1942-09-14
- Last Game
- 1945-09-05
Full name: Albert Bernard Unser
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 338 | 41 | 85 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 32 | 43 | .251 | .322 | .355 | .677 | 57 |
Career AVG .251 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .322 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .355 vs. league average .352 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .677 vs. league average .678 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | DET | AL | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | DET | AL | 38 | 101 | 14 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 15 | .248 | .255 (-3%) | .324 (+8%) | .346 (-14%) | .671 (-4%) | -3.9 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 11 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .120 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CIN | NL | 67 | 204 | 23 | 54 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 24 | .265 | .260 (+1%) | .328 (-3%) | .354 (+9%) | .683 (+3%) | 60.8 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 120 | 338 | 41 | 85 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 32 | 43 | .251 | — | — | — | — | 57 | ||
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 (120 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 58 | 173 | 19 | 36 | 1 | 14 | .208 |
| Away | 62 | 165 | 22 | 49 | 3 | 15 | .297 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-05 | CIN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-03 | CIN | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-02 | CIN | PIT | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-31 | CIN | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-26 | CIN | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-23 | CIN | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-21 | CIN | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1945-08-19 | CIN | PHI | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-08-16 | CIN | BSN | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1945-08-15 | CIN | BSN | L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 103 |
| Second Base | 5 |
Al Unser: the record in brief
Al Unser's major league career runs from a debut on September 14, 1942 to a final game on September 5, 1945. The team column moves through the Detroit Tigers (1942 through 1944) and the Cincinnati Reds (1945). Unser played primarily as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. Born on October 12, 1912, in Morrisonville, IL, USA, Unser was listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 175 pounds. Unser died on July 7, 1995, in Decatur, IL, USA. Al Unser was the playing name; the full given name is Albert Bernard.
The batting record for Unser: 120 games, 85 hits in 338 at bats, and a .251 average, adding 4 home runs and 30 RBI. The on-base percentage is .322 and the slugging percentage .355, for an OPS of .677. Against a .258 league average for those years, Unser's .251 average was near the norm. 1945 produced Unser's most hits, 54 of them for the Cincinnati Reds. The Lg AVG column puts Unser's 1945 at .265 against .260, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 1%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Al Unser
- What years did Al Unser play?
- Al Unser played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1945.
- Was Al Unser a pitcher?
- No. Al Unser was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Al Unser hit?
- Al Unser hit 4 career home runs with 85 hits.
- What teams did Al Unser play for?
- Al Unser played for 2 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1942–1944) and the Cincinnati Reds (1945).
- What were Al Unser's career stats?
- In 120 games, Al Unser had 85 hits, 4 home runs, 30 RBI, and 41 runs, with a .251 batting average.
- What position did Al Unser play?
- Al Unser played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Al Unser and how much did he weigh?
- Al Unser was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Al Unser hit each season?
- Al Unser's home runs by season: 0 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 1 in 1944, and 3 in 1945. His most in one season was 3, in 1945.
- What was Al Unser's career batting average?
- Al Unser batted .251 over his career, with 85 hits in 338 at bats.
- How many RBI did Al Unser have?
- Al Unser drove in 30 runs in his career.
- Is Al Unser in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Al Unser has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.