Don Wheeler
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1949)
Don Wheeler was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball in 1949 for the Chicago White Sox. In 67 career games, he hit .240 with 46 hits, 1 home runs, and 22 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- Died
- 12/10/2003 in Bloomington, MN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1949-04-23
- Last Game
- 1949-10-02
Full name: Donald Wesley Wheeler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 192 | 17 | 46 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 27 | 19 | .240 | .333 | .323 | .656 | -285 |
Career AVG .240 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .323 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career OPS .656 vs. league average .728 across their career seasons — 9.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | CHA | AL | 67 | 192 | 17 | 46 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 27 | 19 | .240 | .262 (-9%) | .343 (-3%) | .384 (-16%) | .727 (-10%) | -284.5 |
| Career · 1 season | 67 | 192 | 17 | 46 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 27 | 19 | .240 | — | — | — | — | -285 | ||
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 (67 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 40 | 114 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 12 | .193 |
| Away | 27 | 78 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 10 | .308 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-10-02 | CHW | SLA | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-25 | CHW | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-21 | CHW | NYY | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-20 | CHW | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-16 | CHW | PHA | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-11 | CHW | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-05 | CHW | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-05 | CHW | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-03 | CHW | DET | L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-08-31 | CHW | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 58 |
Don Wheeler: the record in brief
Don Wheeler's major league career runs from a debut on April 23, 1949 to a final game on October 2, 1949. Wheeler's only club in the season tables is the Chicago White Sox. Listed as a catcher, Wheeler both batted and threw right-handed. Wheeler is listed at 5 feet, 10 inches and 175 pounds. Wheeler was born on September 29, 1922, in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Wheeler's death is recorded on December 10, 2003, in Bloomington, MN, USA. The given name on file is Donald Wesley Wheeler.
Wheeler finished with 46 hits from 192 at bats in 67 games, which works out to .240, adding 1 home run and 22 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .333 clip and slugging .323, Wheeler finished with a .656 OPS. Set against a .263 league average for the same years, Wheeler's .240 average sits 8.8% below it. The season table holds a single row: 1949 with the Chicago White Sox, 67 games, 192 at bats and 46 hits. That year the league hit .262, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
The position breakdown shows 58 games, all at catcher. Fielding behind the plate produced 210 putouts and 36 assists against 6 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Don Wheeler
- Was Don Wheeler a pitcher?
- No. Don Wheeler was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Don Wheeler hit?
- Don Wheeler hit 1 career home run with 46 hits.
- What teams did Don Wheeler play for?
- Don Wheeler played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1949).
- What were Don Wheeler's career stats?
- In 67 games, Don Wheeler had 46 hits, 1 home runs, 22 RBI, 17 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .240 batting average.
- What position did Don Wheeler play?
- Don Wheeler played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Don Wheeler and how much did he weigh?
- Don Wheeler was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
- What was Don Wheeler's career batting average?
- Don Wheeler batted .240 over his career, with 46 hits in 192 at bats.
- How many RBI did Don Wheeler have?
- Don Wheeler drove in 22 runs in his career.
- Is Don Wheeler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Don Wheeler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.