Pinky Ward
Center Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Pinky Ward was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the Indianapolis ABCs. In 335 career games, he hit .266 with 301 hits, 8 home runs, and 111 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 237.
- 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
- Center Fielder
Full name: Thomas Ward
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 335 | 1,131 | 170 | 301 | 52 | 14 | 8 | 111 | 47 | 158 | 1 | .266 | .365 | .358 | .724 | 237 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.
Career OBP .365 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.
Career SLG .358 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — 9.9% below league average.
Career OPS .724 vs. league average .742 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | ABC | NNL | 20 | 72 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .292 | .283 (+3%) | .345 (avg) | .389 (-11%) | .734 (-6%) | -59.6 |
| 1924 | CAG | NNL | 5 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | -59.6 |
| 1924 | MRS | NNL | 35 | 130 | 15 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 17 | 0 | .238 | .283 (-16%) | .345 (-4%) | .389 (-29%) | .734 (-17%) | -59.6 |
| 1925 | MRS | NNL | 45 | 142 | 26 | 41 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 18 | 0 | .289 | .288 (avg) | .349 (+5%) | .407 (avg) | .756 (+3%) | 87.5 |
| 1927 | MRS | NNL | 72 | 254 | 29 | 59 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 33 | 0 | .232 | .282 (-18%) | .344 (-2%) | .392 (-17%) | .736 (-10%) | -346.6 |
| 1927 | BBB | NNL | 17 | 56 | 8 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .446 | .282 (+58%) | .344 (+47%) | .392 (+50%) | .736 (+49%) | -346.6 |
| 1928 | MRS | NNL | 69 | 225 | 42 | 65 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 10 | 33 | 0 | .289 | .280 (+3%) | .342 (+15%) | .395 (+1%) | .737 (+8%) | 448.3 |
| 1929 | MRS | NNL | 67 | 222 | 37 | 56 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 44 | 0 | .252 | .289 (-13%) | .353 (+8%) | .415 (-17%) | .769 (-5%) | -65.1 |
| 1931 | CC2 | NNL | 4 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1932 | LVB | NSL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 335 | 1,131 | 170 | 301 | 52 | 14 | 8 | 111 | 47 | 158 | 1 | .266 | — | — | — | — | -402 | ||
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 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Away | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Last 2 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-08-14 | MEM | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-08-29 | MEM | BIR | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 3B | 9 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| OF | 336 | 275 | 520 | 28 | 30 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | ABC | 3B | 8 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 1924 | ABC | OF | 12 | 11 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1924 | CAG | OF | 5 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | MRS | 3B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | MRS | OF | 38 | 34 | 55 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1925 | MRS | OF | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | MRS | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | MRS | OF | 72 | 72 | 159 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| 1927 | BBB | OF | 17 | 17 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1928 | MRS | OF | 69 | 68 | 138 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| 1929 | MRS | 2B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929 | MRS | OF | 66 | 64 | 103 | 10 | 8 | 1 |
| 1931 | CC2 | OF | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | LVB | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 9 |
| Left Field | 75 |
| Center Field | 207 |
| Right Field | 54 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Pinky Ward: the record in brief
Pinky Ward's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1924 to 1932. Club by club, the record runs the Indianapolis ABCs (1924), the Chicago American Giants (1924), the Memphis Red Sox (1924 to 1929), the Birmingham Black Barons (1927), the Chicago Columbia Giants (1931), and the Louisville Black Caps (1932). The bio lists Ward's primary position as center fielder. Pinky Ward was the playing name; the full given name is Thomas.
In 335 games and 1,131 at bats, Ward batted .266 with 301 hits, adding 8 home runs, 111 runs batted in, and 47 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .365 and .358 give Ward a career OPS of .724. Over the seasons Ward played, league hitters batted .282; the .266 career figure is 5.8% below that. The hits column peaks at 65, in 1928. 1928 brought the most runs batted in, 34. In 1928, a season of regular play, Ward hit .289 while the league hit .280.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pinky Ward
- Was Pinky Ward a pitcher?
- No. Pinky Ward was a position player (Center Fielder).
- How many home runs did Pinky Ward hit?
- Pinky Ward hit 8 career home runs with 301 hits.
- What teams did Pinky Ward play for?
- Pinky Ward played for 5 teams: the Indianapolis ABCs (1924), the Chicago Columbia Giants (1924, 1931), the Memphis Red Sox (1924–1925, 1927–1929), the Birmingham Black Barons (1927), and the Louisville Black Caps (1932).
- What were Pinky Ward's career stats?
- In 335 games, Pinky Ward had 301 hits, 8 home runs, 111 RBI, 170 runs, and 47 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Pinky Ward play?
- Pinky Ward played primarily as a center fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How many home runs did Pinky Ward hit each season?
- Pinky Ward's home runs by season: 0 in 1924, 1 in 1925, 2 in 1927, 2 in 1928, 3 in 1929, 0 in 1931, and 0 in 1932. His most in one season was 3, in 1929.
- What was Pinky Ward's career batting average?
- Pinky Ward batted .266 over his career, with 301 hits in 1,131 at bats.
- How many RBI did Pinky Ward have?
- Pinky Ward drove in 111 runs in his career.
- Is Pinky Ward in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Pinky Ward has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.