Willie Wells
⭐ Hall of Fame 1997
Born: 8/10/1904 in Shawnee, OK, USA
Died: 1/22/1989 in Austin, TX, USA
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 170 lbs
Full name: Willie James Wells
Biography
Willie Wells was a prominent figure in the history of baseball, celebrated for his contributions to the game during a transformative era. Born in 1904, he made his mark primarily as a position player in the Negro Leagues from 1924 to 1948, a time when the sport was still grappling with issues of segregation and racial inequality. Though his official Major League Baseball statistics reflect no recorded games, hits, or other traditional metrics, his impact on the field was profound, and he is often remembered as one of the most talented players of his time.
Wells was known for his exceptional skills as a shortstop and his powerful batting, which earned him recognition as a key player in the leagues he participated in. His career culminated in a Hall of Fame induction in 1997, which served to honor not only his individual achievements but also his role in paving the way for future generations of African American players. His legacy continues to inspire, as he remains a significant figure in baseball history, symbolizing the talent and resilience of players during the era of segregation in American sports.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 260.0 | 235.0 | 30.0 | 48.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 17.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.204 | 0.268 | 0.264 | 0.532 |
Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 33.0 | 27.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.222 | 0.300 | 0.333 | 0.633 |
| 1926 | 32.0 | 27.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0.185 | 0.267 | 0.333 | 0.600 |
| 1927 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.250 | 1.000 | 1.250 |
| 1928 | 36.0 | 28.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.393 | 0.514 | 1.071 | 1.585 |
| 1929 | 22.0 | 21.0 | 9.0 | 12.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 3.0 | 0.571 | 0.591 | 1.000 | 1.591 |
| 1930 | 91.0 | 84.0 | 15.0 | 29.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 5.0 | 0.345 | 0.382 | 0.488 | 0.870 |
| 1931 | 19.0 | 16.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.438 | 0.526 | 0.688 | 1.214 |
| 1933 | 47.0 | 44.0 | 9.0 | 16.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.364 | 0.378 | 0.591 | 0.969 |
| 1934 | 68.0 | 60.0 | 13.0 | 22.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.367 | 0.424 | 0.583 | 1.007 |
| 1935 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 1936 | 252.0 | 229.0 | 51.0 | 61.0 | 13.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 16.0 | 21.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 0.266 | 0.331 | 0.393 | 0.724 |
| 1937 | 185.0 | 163.0 | 43.0 | 62.0 | 9.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 25.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.380 | 0.451 | 0.613 | 1.064 |
| 1938 | 164.0 | 144.0 | 33.0 | 50.0 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 23.0 | 15.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.347 | 0.417 | 0.597 | 1.014 |
| 1939 | 207.0 | 178.0 | 44.0 | 53.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 19.0 | 27.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 0.298 | 0.391 | 0.438 | 0.829 |
| 1942 | 228.0 | 210.0 | 55.0 | 84.0 | 18.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 31.0 | 15.0 | 0 | 3.0 | 0.400 | 0.448 | 0.619 | 1.067 |
| 1944 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.250 | .000 | 0.250 |
| 1944 | 32.0 | 27.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.111 | 0.200 | 0.111 | 0.311 |
| 1945 | 127.0 | 109.0 | 14.0 | 32.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 7.0 | 14.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.294 | 0.384 | 0.394 | 0.778 |
| 1945 | 44.0 | 42.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.143 | 0.182 | 0.214 | 0.396 |
| 1946 | 267.0 | 243.0 | 28.0 | 72.0 | 14.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 38.0 | 22.0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0.296 | 0.355 | 0.399 | 0.754 |
| 1946 | 48.0 | 43.0 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.326 | 0.356 | 0.372 | 0.728 |
| 1947 | 21.0 | 18.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.444 | 0.500 | 0.556 | 1.056 |
| 1947 | 73.0 | 66.0 | 14.0 | 12.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0.182 | 0.267 | 0.242 | 0.509 |
| 1948 | 19.0 | 17.0 | 7.0 | 14.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.824 | 0.842 | 1.294 | 2.136 |
| 1948 | 39.0 | 35.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.286 | 0.359 | 0.400 | 0.759 |
| 1949 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.429 | 0.429 | 0.857 | 1.286 |
| 1949 | 24.0 | 22.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.136 | 0.208 | 0.182 | 0.390 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
| Season | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1947 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |