Bob Vail
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908)
Bob Vail was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball in 1908 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Across 4 career appearances, he went 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA and 9 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 165 lb
- Died
- 3/22/1942 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1908-08-27
- Last Game
- 1908-09-18
Full name: Robert Garfield Vail
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | PIT | NL | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 6.00 | 2.40 (-150%) | -49.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 6.00 | — | -49 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 | .500 | .333 | .833 | 0 |
Career AVG .333 vs. league average .241 across their career seasons — +38.6% above league average.
Career OBP .500 vs. league average .298 across their career seasons — +67.6% above league average.
Career SLG .333 vs. league average .307 across their career seasons — +8.7% above league average.
Career OPS .833 vs. league average .605 across their career seasons — +37.7% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | PIT | NL | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 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 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Away | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 3 | 13.0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Away | 1 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
Last 4 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908-09-18 | PIT | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1908-09-10 | PIT | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908-09-05 | PIT | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1908-08-27 | PIT | PHI | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 4 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908-09-18 | PIT | NY1 | L | 2.0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908-09-10 | PIT | CIN | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1908-09-05 | PIT | CHC | L | 4.0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1908-08-27 | PIT | PHI | W | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 4 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby College | Waterville | ME | 1903 |
| Davidson College | Davidson | NC | 1904 |
Bob Vail: the record in brief
Bob Vail played a first major league game on August 27, 1908 and a last one on September 18, 1908. Vail spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vail, born on September 24, 1881, in Linneus, ME, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Vail's listed size is 5'10" and 165 pounds. The bio records the death on March 22, 1942, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. The bio lists the given name Robert Garfield.
The pitching table credits Vail with a 1-2 record and a 6.00 ERA in 4 games. The totals include 9 strikeouts. Against a 2.40 league ERA for the same seasons, the 6.00 mark was 150.1% worse. Vail's only pitching season is 1908: 4 games, 9 strikeouts.
Vail appears at one position only: pitcher, in 4 games.
Before the majors, Vail played college baseball at Colby College (1903).
Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Vail
- Was Bob Vail a pitcher?
- Yes. Bob Vail pitched in the major leagues, recording 1 wins and 9 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bob Vail hit?
- Bob Vail hit 0 career home runs with 1 hits.
- What was Bob Vail's career batting average?
- Bob Vail batted .333 over his career, with 1 hits in 3 at bats.
- What was Bob Vail's career ERA?
- Bob Vail finished with a 6.00 career ERA, going 1-2 with 9 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bob Vail have?
- Bob Vail recorded 9 career strikeouts.
- Is Bob Vail in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bob Vail has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.