Jay Ward
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1963-1970)
Jay Ward was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1970 for the Minnesota Twins and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 8 seasons. In 27 career games, he hit .163 with 8 hits and 4 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 2/24/2012 in Kalispell, MT, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1963-05-06
- Last Game
- 1970-06-07
Full name: John Francis Ward
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 49 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 19 | .163 | .293 | .224 | .518 | 0 |
Career AVG .163 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 34.8% below league average.
Career OBP .293 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.
Career SLG .224 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — 40.7% below league average.
Career OPS .518 vs. league average .695 across their career seasons — 25.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | MIN | AL | 9 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | MIN | AL | 12 | 31 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 13 | .226 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | CIN | NL | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 27 | 49 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 19 | .163 | — | — | — | — | 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
View full game log (27 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 14 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | .172 |
| Away | 13 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .150 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-07 | CIN | NYN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970-05-29 | CIN | WSN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-05-26 | CIN | SDP | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970-05-23 | CIN | HOU | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-05-17 | CIN | ATL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970-05-08 | CIN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-10-04 | MIN | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964-10-03 | MIN | LAA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964-10-02 | MIN | LAA | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1964-10-01 | MIN | KC1 | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 10 |
| Third Base | 6 |
| Left Field | 4 |
Jay Ward: the record in brief
Jay Ward's major league career runs from a debut on May 6, 1963 to a final game on June 7, 1970. By club, Ward's seasons break down as the Minnesota Twins (1963 to 1964) and the Cincinnati Reds (1970). Ward played primarily as a second baseman and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on September 9, 1938, in Brookfield, MO, USA and a listed size of 185 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The bio records the death on February 24, 2012, in Kalispell, MT, USA. On the record, Jay Ward was born John Francis Ward.
In 27 games and 49 at bats, Ward batted .163 with 8 hits; the totals also include 4 RBI. Ward got on base at a .293 rate and slugged .224 (.518 OPS). Over the seasons Ward played, league hitters batted .250; the .163 career figure is 34.8% below that. By OPS the gap is 25.6% below league average (.518 against .695). The hits column peaks at 7, in 1964.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jay Ward
- What years did Jay Ward play?
- Jay Ward played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1970.
- Was Jay Ward a pitcher?
- No. Jay Ward was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jay Ward hit?
- Jay Ward hit 0 career home runs with 8 hits.
- What was Jay Ward's career batting average?
- Jay Ward batted .163 over his career, with 8 hits in 49 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jay Ward have?
- Jay Ward drove in 4 runs in his career.
- Is Jay Ward in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jay Ward has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.