Whitey Wietelmann
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1947)
Whitey Wietelmann was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1947 for the Boston Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 9 seasons. In 580 career games, he hit .232 with 409 hits, 7 home runs, and 122 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 170 lb
- Died
- 3/26/2002 in San Diego, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-09-06
- Last Game
- 1947-09-18
Full name: William Frederick Wietelmann
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 580 | 1,762 | 170 | 409 | 55 | 6 | 7 | 122 | 14 | 156 | 131 | .232 | .298 | .282 | .580 | -3,353 |
Career AVG .232 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.
Career OBP .298 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 10.1% below league average.
Career SLG .282 vs. league average .366 across their career seasons — 23.0% below league average.
Career OPS .580 vs. league average .697 across their career seasons — 16.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | BSN | NL | 23 | 69 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | .203 | .274 (-26%) | .342 (-34%) | .393 (-45%) | .735 (-40%) | -445.5 |
| 1940 | BSN | NL | 35 | 41 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | .195 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | BSN | NL | 16 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | BSN | NL | 13 | 34 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .206 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | BSN | NL | 153 | 534 | 33 | 115 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 9 | 46 | 40 | .215 | .255 (-16%) | .324 (-13%) | .346 (-29%) | .671 (-22%) | -1665.9 |
| 1944 | BSN | NL | 125 | 417 | 46 | 100 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 33 | 25 | .240 | .261 (-8%) | .325 (-8%) | .357 (-15%) | .683 (-12%) | -733.5 |
| 1945 | BSN | NL | 123 | 428 | 53 | 116 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 39 | 27 | .271 | .260 (+4%) | .328 (+2%) | .354 (-2%) | .683 (avg) | 18.3 |
| 1946 | BSN | NL | 44 | 78 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 8 | .205 | .256 (-20%) | .328 (-1%) | .358 (-43%) | .687 (-23%) | -217.5 |
| 1947 | PIT | NL | 48 | 128 | 21 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 10 | .234 | .262 (-11%) | .336 (-11%) | .376 (-19%) | .712 (-15%) | -309.1 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 580 | 1,762 | 170 | 409 | 55 | 6 | 7 | 122 | 14 | 156 | 131 | .232 | — | — | — | — | -3,353 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | BSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 54.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | BSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8.10 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 14.09 | — | 0 | ||
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 (584 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 276 | 798 | 89 | 187 | 5 | 54 | .234 |
| Away | 304 | 963 | 82 | 222 | 2 | 68 | .231 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 2.0 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 40.50 |
| Away | 2 | 5.2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4.76 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-18 | PIT | BRO | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-17 | PIT | BRO | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-16 | PIT | PHI | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-15 | PIT | PHI | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-14 | PIT | PHI | L | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1947-09-11 | PIT | BSN | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-04 | PIT | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-01 | PIT | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-23 | PIT | NY1 | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-20 | PIT | BSN | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 4 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-09-13 | BSN | PIT | — | 1.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-31 | BSN | PHI | — | 3.2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-24 | BSN | CHC | — | 2.0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1945-07-03 | BSN | CHC | — | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 155 | 0 | 341 | 351 | 23 | 87 |
| 3B | 28 | 0 | 11 | 31 | 3 | 4 |
| P | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SS | 374 | 0 | 730 | 1148 | 94 | 201 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | BSN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 1939 | BSN | SS | 22 | 0 | 36 | 66 | 5 | 10 |
| 1940 | BSN | 2B | 15 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| 1940 | BSN | 3B | 9 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1940 | BSN | SS | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 1941 | BSN | 2B | 10 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | BSN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | BSN | SS | 5 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 1942 | BSN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | BSN | SS | 11 | 0 | 19 | 29 | 3 | 6 |
| 1943 | BSN | SS | 153 | 0 | 307 | 581 | 40 | 91 |
| 1944 | BSN | 2B | 23 | 0 | 54 | 62 | 6 | 14 |
| 1944 | BSN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1944 | BSN | SS | 103 | 0 | 215 | 287 | 24 | 60 |
| 1945 | BSN | 2B | 87 | 0 | 222 | 232 | 13 | 58 |
| 1945 | BSN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | BSN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | BSN | SS | 39 | 0 | 79 | 104 | 8 | 18 |
| 1946 | BSN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | BSN | 3B | 8 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1946 | BSN | P | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946 | BSN | SS | 16 | 0 | 28 | 26 | 5 | 5 |
| 1947 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | PIT | 2B | 14 | 0 | 30 | 24 | 3 | 8 |
| 1947 | PIT | 3B | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947 | PIT | SS | 22 | 0 | 31 | 38 | 9 | 6 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 4 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 155 |
| Third Base | 29 |
| Shortstop | 374 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Whitey Wietelmann (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Whitey Wietelmann: the record in brief
The profile opens with Whitey Wietelmann's first major league game on September 6, 1939; the last one listed came on September 18, 1947. The season rows list, in order, the Boston Bees (1939 through 1940), the Boston Braves (1941 to 1946), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947). Wietelmann, born on March 15, 1919, in Zanesville, OH, USA, is listed as a shortstop and batted from both sides and threw right-handed. The bio gives 170 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. Wietelmann's death is recorded on March 26, 2002, in San Diego, CA, USA. Whitey Wietelmann was the playing name; the full given name is William Frederick.
Wietelmann's career batting table shows 580 games, 1,762 at bats and 409 hits, a .232 average, adding 7 home runs and 122 RBI. The on-base percentage is .298 and the slugging percentage .282, for an OPS of .580. The league as a whole hit .262 across Wietelmann's seasons, which puts the .232 career mark 11.3% below average. No season topped the 116 hits of 1945.
Frequently Asked Questions about Whitey Wietelmann
- What years did Whitey Wietelmann play?
- Whitey Wietelmann played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1947.
- Was Whitey Wietelmann a pitcher?
- No. Whitey Wietelmann was a position player (Shortstop), though he did pitch in 4 career games.
- How many home runs did Whitey Wietelmann hit?
- Whitey Wietelmann hit 7 career home runs with 409 hits.
- What teams did Whitey Wietelmann play for?
- Whitey Wietelmann played for 2 teams: the Boston Braves (1939–1946) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947).
- What were Whitey Wietelmann's career stats?
- In 580 games, Whitey Wietelmann had 409 hits, 7 home runs, 122 RBI, 170 runs, and 14 stolen bases, with a .232 batting average.
- What position did Whitey Wietelmann play?
- Whitey Wietelmann played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Whitey Wietelmann and how much did he weigh?
- Whitey Wietelmann was listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Whitey Wietelmann hit each season?
- Whitey Wietelmann's home runs by season: 0 in 1939, 0 in 1940, 0 in 1941, 0 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 2 in 1944, 4 in 1945, 0 in 1946, and 1 in 1947. His most in one season was 4, in 1945.
- What was Whitey Wietelmann's career batting average?
- Whitey Wietelmann batted .232 over his career, with 409 hits in 1,762 at bats.
- How many RBI did Whitey Wietelmann have?
- Whitey Wietelmann drove in 122 runs in his career.
- What was Whitey Wietelmann's career ERA?
- Whitey Wietelmann finished with a 14.09 career ERA, going 0-0 with 2 strikeouts.
- Is Whitey Wietelmann in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Whitey Wietelmann has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.