Bill Wight
Born: 4/12/1922 in Rio Vista, CA, USA
Died: 5/17/2007 in Mount Shasta, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1946-04-17 | Final Game: 1958-09-21
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: William Robert Wight
Biography
Bill Wight was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1946 to 1958. Born in 1922, he made his Major League debut shortly after World War II, a time when baseball was experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Over the course of his career, Wight played for several teams, showcasing his skills primarily as a starting pitcher. He finished his career with a record of 77 wins and 99 losses, and he posted an earned run average (ERA) of 3.95. His ability to strike out hitters was notable, as he recorded 574 strikeouts, while also contributing 8 saves to his teams.
Wight's playing style was characterized by poise on the mound, and he was known for his ability to navigate through tough situations with a resilient mindset. Competing during a period of transition in baseball, he witnessed the integration of the sport and the evolution of pitching strategies. Despite finishing his career with a slightly below .500 win-loss record, Wight's contributions to the game and his performance during a competitive era solidified his place in baseball history. After retiring in 1958, he left behind a legacy that reflected the grit and determination of pitchers during the post-war era.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 99 | 347 | 198 | 66 | 15 | 8 | 1563.0 | 1656 | 686 | 74 | 714 | 574 | 3.95 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | NYY | AL | 2 | 2 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40.3 | 44 | 20 | 30 | 11 | 4.46 | - |
| 1947 | NYY | AL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1.00 | - |
| 1948 | CHW | AL | 9 | 20 | 34 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 223.3 | 238 | 119 | 135 | 68 | 4.80 | - |
| 1949 | CHW | AL | 15 | 13 | 35 | 33 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 245.0 | 254 | 90 | 96 | 78 | 3.31 | - |
| 1950 | CHW | AL | 10 | 16 | 30 | 28 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 206.0 | 213 | 82 | 79 | 62 | 3.58 | - |
| 1951 | BOS | AL | 7 | 7 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 118.3 | 128 | 67 | 63 | 38 | 5.10 | 171.0 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.3 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 2.96 | -1057.4 |
| 1952 | DET | AL | 5 | 9 | 23 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 143.7 | 167 | 62 | 55 | 65 | 3.88 | 1611.0 |
| 1953 | CLE | AL | 2 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26.7 | 29 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 3.71 | 207.0 |
| 1953 | DET | AL | 0 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25.3 | 35 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 8.88 | -875.5 |
| 1955 | BAL | AL | 6 | 8 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 117.3 | 111 | 32 | 39 | 54 | 2.45 | 2596.9 |
| 1955 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24.0 | 24 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 2.62 | 757.2 |
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 9 | 12 | 35 | 26 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 174.7 | 198 | 78 | 72 | 84 | 4.02 | 3155.5 |
| 1957 | BAL | AL | 6 | 6 | 27 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 121.0 | 122 | 49 | 54 | 50 | 3.64 | 1040.3 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.05 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | STL | NL | 3 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 57.3 | 64 | 32 | 32 | 18 | 5.02 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 347 | 480 | 19 | 55 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 | 169 | 0.115 | 0.160 | 0.127 | 0.287 | -3166.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | NYY | AL | 14 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1947 | NYY | AL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | CHW | AL | 34 | 73 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 0.082 | -883.9 |
| 1949 | CHW | AL | 35 | 85 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 0.165 | -630.0 |
| 1950 | CHW | AL | 30 | 61 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 0.000 | -988.3 |
| 1951 | BOS | AL | 34 | 41 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0.073 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.143 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | DET | AL | 23 | 50 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.220 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CLE | AL | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | DET | AL | 13 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.429 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | BAL | AL | 19 | 36 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0.083 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | CLE | AL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 35 | 60 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 0.200 | -421.4 |
| 1957 | BAL | AL | 27 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0.029 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | STL | NL | 28 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.100 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 347 | 58 | 45 | 355 | 40 | 16 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | NYA | P | 14 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1947 | NYA | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | CHA | P | 34 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 3 | 2 |
| 1949 | CHA | P | 35 | 0 | 10 | 50 | 5 | 3 |
| 1950 | CHA | P | 30 | 0 | 5 | 49 | 6 | 2 |
| 1951 | BOS | P | 34 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 3 | 2 |
| 1952 | BOS | P | 10 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1952 | DET | P | 23 | 0 | 4 | 40 | 3 | 0 |
| 1953 | CLE | P | 20 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1953 | DET | P | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1955 | BAL | P | 19 | 14 | 2 | 34 | 3 | 1 |
| 1955 | BAL | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955 | CLE | P | 17 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1956 | BAL | P | 35 | 26 | 6 | 27 | 4 | 1 |
| 1957 | BAL | P | 27 | 17 | 3 | 21 | 3 | 1 |
| 1958 | CIN | P | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1958 | SLN | P | 28 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 347 |
| First Base | 1 |