Red Wilson
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951-1960)
Red Wilson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1960 for the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 10 seasons. In 602 career games, he hit .258 with 455 hits, 24 home runs, and 189 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 200 lb
- Died
- 8/8/2014 in Fitchburg, WI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-09-22
- Last Game
- 1960-09-24
Full name: Robert James Wilson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 602 | 1,765 | 206 | 455 | 84 | 8 | 24 | 189 | 25 | 215 | 163 | .258 | .338 | .355 | .694 | -480 |
Career AVG .258 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .338 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .355 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 8.9% below league average.
Career OPS .694 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | CHA | AL | 4 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CHA | AL | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CHA | AL | 71 | 164 | 21 | 41 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 26 | 12 | .250 | .264 (-5%) | .335 (+5%) | .397 (-25%) | .733 (-11%) | -223.6 |
| 1954 | CHA | AL | 8 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1954 | DET | AL | 54 | 170 | 22 | 48 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 27 | 12 | .282 | .261 (+8%) | .333 (+14%) | .390 (+1%) | .723 (+7%) | 0.0 |
| 1955 | DET | AL | 78 | 241 | 26 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 26 | 23 | .220 | .258 (-15%) | .332 (-11%) | .393 (-28%) | .726 (-20%) | -748.0 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 78 | 228 | 32 | 66 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 38 | 2 | 42 | 18 | .289 | .258 (+12%) | .331 (+19%) | .397 (+14%) | .728 (+16%) | 759.6 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 60 | 180 | 21 | 43 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 25 | 19 | .239 | .257 (-7%) | .323 (+5%) | .391 (-12%) | .715 (-4%) | -41.3 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 103 | 298 | 31 | 89 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 29 | 10 | 35 | 30 | .299 | .257 (+16%) | .324 (+15%) | .394 (-4%) | .719 (+5%) | 379.3 |
| 1959 | DET | AL | 67 | 228 | 28 | 60 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 35 | 2 | 10 | 23 | .263 | .256 (+3%) | .323 (-9%) | .392 (+4%) | .715 (-2%) | -161.2 |
| 1960 | DET | AL | 45 | 134 | 17 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 16 | 14 | .216 | .255 (-15%) | .323 (-8%) | .387 (-31%) | .711 (-20%) | -399.0 |
| 1960 | CLE | AL | 32 | 88 | 5 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 7 | .216 | .255 (-15%) | .323 (-17%) | .387 (-27%) | .711 (-22%) | -399.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 602 | 1,765 | 206 | 455 | 84 | 8 | 24 | 189 | 25 | 215 | 163 | .258 | — | — | — | — | -833 | ||
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 (602 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 281 | 775 | 90 | 206 | 11 | 95 | .266 |
| Away | 321 | 990 | 116 | 249 | 13 | 94 | .252 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-09-24 | CLE | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-18 | CLE | KC1 | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-09-11 | CLE | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-05 | CLE | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-08-28 | CLE | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-08-27 | CLE | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-08-26 | CLE | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-08-26 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1960-08-21 | CLE | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-08-21 | CLE | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | CHA | C | 4 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | CHA | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953 | CHA | C | 63 | 0 | 282 | 24 | 6 | 1 |
| 1954 | CHA | C | 8 | 6 | 44 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1954 | DET | C | 53 | 50 | 245 | 25 | 1 | 7 |
| 1955 | DET | C | 72 | 62 | 292 | 25 | 5 | 5 |
| 1956 | DET | C | 78 | 70 | 393 | 34 | 4 | 7 |
| 1957 | DET | C | 60 | 50 | 280 | 29 | 0 | 5 |
| 1958 | DET | C | 101 | 90 | 565 | 34 | 5 | 6 |
| 1959 | DET | C | 64 | 60 | 374 | 25 | 5 | 8 |
| 1960 | DET | C | 45 | 39 | 229 | 17 | 5 | 0 |
| 1960 | CLE | C | 30 | 27 | 163 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 580 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin at Madison | Madison | WI | 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Red Wilson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Red Wilson: the record in brief
September 22, 1951 and September 24, 1960 bracket Red Wilson's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Wilson's seasons break down as the Chicago White Sox (1951 through 1954), the Detroit Tigers (1954 through 1960), and the Cleveland Indians (1960). Wilson played primarily as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on March 7, 1929, in Milwaukee, WI, USA and a listed size of 6 feet, 0 inches and 200 pounds. Wilson's death is recorded on August 8, 2014, in Fitchburg, WI, USA. Wilson's full given name, per the bio, is Robert James Wilson.
Wilson finished with 455 hits from 1,765 at bats in 602 games, which works out to .258, along with 24 homers, 189 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Wilson got on base at a .338 rate and slugged .355 (.694 OPS). Against a .258 league average for those years, Wilson's .258 average was near the norm. No season topped the 89 hits of 1958. In 1958, a season of regular play, Wilson hit .299 while the league hit .257.
Frequently Asked Questions about Red Wilson
- What years did Red Wilson play?
- Red Wilson played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1960.
- Was Red Wilson a pitcher?
- No. Red Wilson was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Red Wilson hit?
- Red Wilson hit 24 career home runs with 455 hits.
- What was Red Wilson's career batting average?
- Red Wilson batted .258 over his career, with 455 hits in 1,765 at bats.
- How many RBI did Red Wilson have?
- Red Wilson drove in 189 runs in his career.
- Is Red Wilson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Red Wilson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.