Wild Bill Widner
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1887-1891)
Wild Bill Widner was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1891 for 4 teams, including the Cincinnati Red Stockings, a span of 5 seasons. Across 69 career appearances, he went 22-36 with a 4.36 ERA and 110 strikeouts. He also batted .207 with 2 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 12/10/1908 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1887-06-08
- Last Game
- 1891-07-23
Full name: William Waterfield Widner
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CN2 | AA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5.00 | 4.17 (-20%) | 0.0 |
| 1888 | WS8 | NL | 5 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 115.0 | 111 | 36 | 22 | 33 | 2.82 | 2.95 (+4%) | -1684.2 |
| 1889 | CL6 | AA | 12 | 20 | 41 | 34 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 294.0 | 368 | 170 | 85 | 63 | 5.20 | 3.93 (-32%) | -1336.9 |
| 1890 | CL6 | AA | 4 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 96.0 | 103 | 35 | 24 | 14 | 3.28 | 3.88 (+15%) | 22.0 |
| 1891 | CN3 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 7.88 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 22 | 36 | 69 | 59 | 48 | 3 | 1 | 522.0 | 606 | 253 | 137 | 110 | 4.36 | — | -2,999 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 242 | 23 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 42 | .207 | .223 | .244 | .466 | -861 |
Career AVG .207 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 19.8% below league average.
Career OBP .223 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 31.8% below league average.
Career SLG .244 vs. league average .349 across their career seasons — 30.2% below league average.
Career OPS .466 vs. league average .676 across their career seasons — 31.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CN2 | AA | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1888 | WS8 | NL | 15 | 60 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 8 | .200 | .238 (-16%) | .290 (-31%) | .319 (-37%) | .610 (-34%) | -283.9 |
| 1889 | CL6 | AA | 41 | 133 | 16 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 31 | .211 | .263 (-20%) | .334 (-32%) | .357 (-22%) | .691 (-27%) | -577.3 |
| 1890 | CL6 | AA | 13 | 41 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .195 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1891 | CN3 | AA | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 71 | 242 | 23 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 42 | .207 | — | — | — | — | -861 | ||
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.
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 69 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Wild Bill Widner (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Wild Bill Widner: the record in brief
According to the bio, Wild Bill Widner debuted on June 8, 1887 and played a final game on July 23, 1891. By club, Widner's seasons break down as the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1887), the Washington Nationals (1888), the Columbus Solons (1889 to 1890), and the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891). Born on June 3, 1867, in Cincinnati, OH, USA, Widner is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Size on record: 6 feet, 0 inches and 180 pounds. The bio records the death on December 10, 1908, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. Wild Bill Widner was the playing name; the full given name is William Waterfield.
The pitching table credits Widner with a 22-36 record and a 4.36 ERA in 69 games. Also on Widner's record: 110 strikeouts and 48 complete games. The league ERA over Widner's seasons was 3.70, so the 4.36 figure ran 17.8% worse than average. No season topped the 12 wins of 1889.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wild Bill Widner
- What years did Wild Bill Widner play?
- Wild Bill Widner played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1891.
- Was Wild Bill Widner a pitcher?
- Yes. Wild Bill Widner pitched in the major leagues, recording 22 wins and 110 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Wild Bill Widner hit?
- Wild Bill Widner hit 2 career home runs with 50 hits.
- What was Wild Bill Widner's career batting average?
- Wild Bill Widner batted .207 over his career, with 50 hits in 242 at bats.
- How many RBI did Wild Bill Widner have?
- Wild Bill Widner drove in 19 runs in his career.
- What was Wild Bill Widner's career ERA?
- Wild Bill Widner finished with a 4.36 career ERA, going 22-36 with 110 strikeouts.