Burgess Whitehead
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1933-1946)
Burgess Whitehead was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1933 to 1946 for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Giants, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 14 seasons. In 924 career games, he hit .266 with 883 hits, 17 home runs, and 245 RBI. Burgess Whitehead was a 2-time All-Star.
- 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
- 5'10" / 160 lb
- Died
- 11/25/1993 in Windsor, NC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1933-04-30
- Last Game
- 1946-09-29
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Burgess Urquhart Whitehead
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 924 | 3,316 | 415 | 883 | 100 | 31 | 17 | 245 | 51 | 150 | 138 | .266 | .304 | .331 | .634 | -7,366 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .304 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 10.2% below league average.
Career SLG .331 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 14.6% below league average.
Career OPS .634 vs. league average .725 across their career seasons — 12.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | SLN | NL | 12 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1934 | SLN | NL | 100 | 332 | 55 | 92 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 19 | .277 | .278 (avg) | .340 (-9%) | .392 (-10%) | .733 (-9%) | -537.3 |
| 1935 | SLN | NL | 107 | 338 | 45 | 89 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 5 | 11 | 14 | .263 | .279 (-6%) | .342 (-16%) | .399 (-24%) | .742 (-20%) | -1120.8 |
| 1936 | NY1 | NL | 154 | 632 | 99 | 176 | 31 | 3 | 4 | 47 | 14 | 29 | 32 | .278 | .283 (-2%) | .349 (-9%) | .404 (-12%) | .753 (-11%) | -1159.2 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 152 | 574 | 64 | 164 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 52 | 7 | 28 | 20 | .286 | .276 (+3%) | .342 (-6%) | .398 (-10%) | .740 (-8%) | -755.5 |
| 1939 | NY1 | NL | 95 | 335 | 31 | 80 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 19 | .239 | .274 (-13%) | .342 (-12%) | .393 (-26%) | .735 (-19%) | -1030.1 |
| 1940 | NY1 | NL | 133 | 568 | 68 | 160 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 36 | 9 | 26 | 17 | .282 | .267 (+5%) | .335 (-5%) | .387 (-12%) | .722 (-9%) | -811.4 |
| 1941 | NY1 | NL | 116 | 403 | 41 | 92 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 7 | 14 | 10 | .228 | .262 (-13%) | .332 (-22%) | .373 (-22%) | .705 (-22%) | -1467.2 |
| 1946 | PIT | NL | 55 | 127 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | .220 | .256 (-14%) | .328 (-21%) | .358 (-28%) | .687 (-24%) | -484.6 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 924 | 3,316 | 415 | 883 | 100 | 31 | 17 | 245 | 51 | 150 | 138 | .266 | — | — | — | — | -7,366 | ||
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 (924 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 466 | 1637 | 227 | 461 | 16 | 137 | .282 |
| Away | 458 | 1679 | 188 | 422 | 1 | 106 | .251 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-09-29 | PIT | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1946-09-25 | PIT | CHC | W | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1946-09-24 | PIT | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-21 | PIT | CIN | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-19 | PIT | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-13 | PIT | BSN | W | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-13 | PIT | BSN | W | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-12 | PIT | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-12 | PIT | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-09-11 | PIT | NY1 | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 718 | 0 | 1847 | 2297 | 118 | 462 |
| 3B | 116 | 0 | 106 | 191 | 15 | 14 |
| SS | 53 | 0 | 65 | 68 | 5 | 10 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | SLN | 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933 | SLN | SS | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1934 | SLN | 2B | 48 | 0 | 88 | 140 | 9 | 27 |
| 1934 | SLN | 3B | 28 | 0 | 30 | 47 | 3 | 6 |
| 1934 | SLN | SS | 29 | 0 | 40 | 33 | 4 | 5 |
| 1935 | SLN | 2B | 80 | 0 | 172 | 218 | 8 | 43 |
| 1935 | SLN | 3B | 8 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 1935 | SLN | SS | 6 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1936 | NY1 | 2B | 153 | 0 | 442 | 552 | 32 | 107 |
| 1937 | NY1 | 2B | 152 | 0 | 394 | 514 | 24 | 106 |
| 1939 | NY1 | 2B | 91 | 0 | 232 | 320 | 17 | 60 |
| 1939 | NY1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939 | NY1 | SS | 4 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| 1940 | NY1 | 2B | 57 | 0 | 164 | 200 | 5 | 45 |
| 1940 | NY1 | 3B | 74 | 0 | 68 | 130 | 11 | 5 |
| 1940 | NY1 | SS | 4 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | NY1 | 2B | 104 | 0 | 288 | 285 | 18 | 60 |
| 1941 | NY1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | PIT | 2B | 30 | 0 | 66 | 64 | 5 | 14 |
| 1946 | PIT | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | PIT | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 715 |
| Third Base | 118 |
| Shortstop | 55 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | NC | 1929, 1930 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 11th | 6.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Burgess Whitehead (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Burgess Whitehead: the record in brief
Burgess Whitehead played a first major league game on April 30, 1933 and a last one on September 29, 1946. The team column moves through the St. Louis Cardinals (1933 through 1935), the New York Giants (1936 to 1941), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1946). Born on June 29, 1910, in Tarboro, NC, USA, Whitehead is listed as a second baseman and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 160 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The bio records the death on November 25, 1993, in Windsor, NC, USA. Whitehead's full given name, per the bio, is Burgess Urquhart Whitehead.
Whitehead finished with 883 hits from 3,316 at bats in 924 games, which works out to .266, plus 17 homers, 245 RBI, and 51 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .304 and the slugging percentage .331, for an OPS of .634. Against a .272 league average for those years, Whitehead's .266 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .634 to a league .725, 12.5% below average. No season topped the 176 hits of 1936.
Frequently Asked Questions about Burgess Whitehead
- What years did Burgess Whitehead play?
- Burgess Whitehead played in Major League Baseball from 1933 to 1946.
- Was Burgess Whitehead a pitcher?
- No. Burgess Whitehead was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Burgess Whitehead hit?
- Burgess Whitehead hit 17 career home runs with 883 hits.
- What teams did Burgess Whitehead play for?
- Burgess Whitehead played for 3 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1933–1935), the New York Giants (1936–1937, 1939–1941), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1946).
- Did Burgess Whitehead win an MVP award?
- No. Burgess Whitehead did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Burgess Whitehead win?
- Burgess Whitehead was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Burgess Whitehead's career stats?
- In 924 games, Burgess Whitehead had 883 hits, 17 home runs, 245 RBI, 415 runs, and 51 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Burgess Whitehead play?
- Burgess Whitehead played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Burgess Whitehead and how much did he weigh?
- Burgess Whitehead was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Burgess Whitehead hit each season?
- Burgess Whitehead's home runs by season: 0 in 1933, 1 in 1934, 0 in 1935, 4 in 1936, 5 in 1937, 2 in 1939, 4 in 1940, 1 in 1941, and 0 in 1946. His most in one season was 5, in 1937.
- What was Burgess Whitehead's career batting average?
- Burgess Whitehead batted .266 over his career, with 883 hits in 3,316 at bats.
- How many RBI did Burgess Whitehead have?
- Burgess Whitehead drove in 245 runs in his career.
- Is Burgess Whitehead in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Burgess Whitehead has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Burgess Whitehead make?
- Burgess Whitehead was selected to 2 All-Star Games.