Vic Willis
⭐ Hall of Fame 1995
Born: 4/12/1876 in Cecil County, MD, USA
Died: 8/3/1947 in Elkton, MD, USA
MLB Debut: 1898-04-20 | Final Game: 1910-09-05
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Victor Gazaway Willis
Biography
Vic Willis was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball during the early 20th century, known for his exceptional skill on the mound and impressive career statistics. Born in 1876, Willis made his professional debut in 1898 and played until his retirement in 1910. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 249 wins and 205 losses, showcasing his durability and competitiveness. With an earned run average (ERA) of 2.63, he established himself as one of the more reliable pitchers of his era, contributing significantly to the success of his teams. Willis recorded a total of 1,651 strikeouts and secured 11 saves, demonstrating his ability to both start games and finish them effectively.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995, Willis's legacy is marked by his contributions to the game during a time characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-oriented approach in baseball. His pitching style emphasized control and strategy, allowing him to maintain a low ERA in an era where scoring was often limited. Willis's impact on the game is remembered not only through his statistics but also through his role in shaping the modern understanding of pitching in baseball history. His achievements continue to be celebrated by fans and historians alike.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 249 | 205 | 513 | 471 | 388 | 50 | 11 | 3996.0 | 3621 | 1167 | 66 | 1212 | 1651 | 2.63 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | BSN | NL | 25 | 13 | 41 | 38 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 311.0 | 264 | 98 | 148 | 160 | 2.84 | -432.4 |
| 1899 | BSN | NL | 27 | 8 | 41 | 38 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 342.7 | 277 | 95 | 117 | 120 | 2.50 | 880.4 |
| 1900 | BSN | NL | 10 | 17 | 32 | 29 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 236.0 | 258 | 110 | 106 | 53 | 4.19 | -4918.7 |
| 1901 | BSN | NL | 20 | 17 | 38 | 35 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 305.3 | 262 | 80 | 78 | 133 | 2.36 | 2476.0 |
| 1902 | BSN | NL | 27 | 20 | 51 | 46 | 45 | 4 | 3 | 410.0 | 372 | 100 | 101 | 225 | 2.20 | 6402.0 |
| 1903 | BSN | NL | 12 | 18 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 278.0 | 256 | 92 | 88 | 125 | 2.98 | 447.2 |
| 1904 | BSN | NL | 18 | 25 | 43 | 43 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 350.0 | 357 | 111 | 109 | 196 | 2.85 | 453.3 |
| 1905 | BSN | NL | 12 | 29 | 41 | 41 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 342.0 | 340 | 122 | 107 | 149 | 3.21 | -1376.1 |
| 1906 | PIT | NL | 23 | 13 | 41 | 36 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 322.0 | 295 | 62 | 76 | 124 | 1.73 | 2642.6 |
| 1907 | PIT | NL | 21 | 11 | 39 | 37 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 292.7 | 234 | 76 | 69 | 107 | 2.34 | 760.1 |
| 1908 | PIT | NL | 23 | 11 | 41 | 38 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 304.7 | 239 | 70 | 69 | 97 | 2.07 | 636.4 |
| 1909 | PIT | NL | 22 | 11 | 39 | 35 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 289.7 | 243 | 72 | 83 | 95 | 2.24 | -518.7 |
| 1910 | STL | NL | 9 | 12 | 33 | 23 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 212.0 | 224 | 79 | 61 | 67 | 3.35 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 531 | 1493 | 107 | 248 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 84 | 3 | 81 | 199 | 0.166 | 0.213 | 0.186 | 0.399 | -9095.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | BSN | NL | 41 | 117 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 0.145 | -836.4 |
| 1899 | BSN | NL | 41 | 134 | 14 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0.216 | -738.5 |
| 1900 | BSN | NL | 32 | 88 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0.136 | -744.9 |
| 1901 | BSN | NL | 38 | 107 | 8 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 0.187 | -510.0 |
| 1902 | BSN | NL | 52 | 150 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 18 | 0.153 | -1110.1 |
| 1903 | BSN | NL | 39 | 128 | 9 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 0.188 | -723.9 |
| 1904 | BSN | NL | 52 | 148 | 9 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 0.182 | -544.5 |
| 1905 | BSN | NL | 43 | 131 | 12 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0.153 | -899.4 |
| 1906 | PIT | NL | 41 | 115 | 5 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 0.174 | -597.7 |
| 1907 | PIT | NL | 39 | 103 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 0.136 | -706.2 |
| 1908 | PIT | NL | 41 | 103 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0.165 | -604.2 |
| 1909 | PIT | NL | 39 | 103 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0.136 | -661.5 |
| 1910 | STL | NL | 33 | 66 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0.167 | -418.5 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | WS | PIT | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11.7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 4.63 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | WS | PIT | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11.7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 4.63 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 12 | 5 | 118 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| P | 513 | 253 | 271 | 1124 | 67 | 29 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | BSN | P | 41 | 0 | 19 | 67 | 11 | 1 |
| 1899 | BSN | P | 41 | 0 | 17 | 81 | 8 | 2 |
| 1900 | BSN | P | 32 | 0 | 10 | 49 | 2 | 0 |
| 1901 | BSN | P | 38 | 0 | 22 | 66 | 3 | 2 |
| 1902 | BSN | P | 51 | 0 | 37 | 105 | 4 | 5 |
| 1903 | BSN | P | 33 | 0 | 13 | 84 | 4 | 1 |
| 1903 | BSN | 1B | 6 | 0 | 69 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 1904 | BSN | P | 43 | 43 | 39 | 110 | 7 | 5 |
| 1904 | BSN | 1B | 6 | 5 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1905 | BSN | P | 41 | 41 | 37 | 115 | 7 | 3 |
| 1906 | PIT | P | 41 | 36 | 22 | 117 | 8 | 5 |
| 1907 | PIT | P | 39 | 37 | 17 | 87 | 3 | 2 |
| 1908 | PIT | P | 41 | 38 | 11 | 87 | 1 | 2 |
| 1909 | PIT | P | 39 | 35 | 16 | 85 | 5 | 1 |
| 1910 | SLN | P | 33 | 23 | 11 | 71 | 4 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 513 |
| First Base | 12 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Delaware | Newark | DE | 1897 |