Kettle Wirts

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1921-1924)

Kettle Wirts was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1921 to 1924 for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 4 seasons. In 49 career games, he hit .163 with 14 hits, 1 home runs, and 8 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

AVG .163
HR 1
RBI 8
H 14
OPS .515
PIV -192
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 170 lb
Born
10/30/1897 in Cosumnes, CA, USA
Died
7/12/1968 in Sacramento, CA, USA
MLB Debut
1921-07-20
Last Game
1924-07-02

Full name: Elwood Vernon Wirts

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Career Batting Statistics

Kettle Wirts — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
49 86 9 14 2 0 1 8 1 16 20 .163 .294 .221 .515 -192

Career AVG .163 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 42.8% below league average.

Career OBP .294 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — 14.8% below league average.

Career SLG .221 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 43.8% below league average.

Career OPS .515 vs. league average .738 across their career seasons — 30.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Kettle Wirts — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1921 CHN NL 7 11 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .182 — — — — 0.0
1922 CHN NL 31 58 7 10 2 0 1 6 0 12 15 .172 .285 (-40%) .345 (-9%) .397 (-35%) .743 (-23%) -191.8
1923 CHN NL 5 5 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1924 CHA AL 6 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 .083 — — — — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 49 86 9 14 2 0 1 8 1 16 20 .163 — — — — -192

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 (50 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Kettle Wirts — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home17214615.286
Away33665804.121

Last 10 Games — Batting

Kettle Wirts — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1924-07-02 CHWDETL 301000000
1924-07-01 CHWDETL 400000002
1924-06-30 CHWDETW 500000000
1924-06-29 CHWSLAW 000000010
1924-06-25 CHWCLEW 000000010
1924-06-21 CHWSLAL 000000000
1923-10-07 CHCSTLL 300000000
1923-08-11 CHCPHIL 010000010
1923-07-29 CHCNY1L 000000010
1923-07-21 CHCPHIL 100000100

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Kettle Wirts — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 40 0 87 16 2 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Kettle Wirts — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1921 CHN C 5 0 13 3 0 1
1922 CHN C 27 0 55 6 2 1
1923 CHN C 3 0 10 0 0 0
1924 CHA C 5 0 9 7 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Kettle Wirts — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 40

College History

Kettle Wirts — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
St. Mary's College of California Moraga CA 1917

Kettle Wirts: the record in brief

According to the bio, Kettle Wirts debuted on July 20, 1921 and played a final game on July 2, 1924. By club, Wirts's seasons break down as the Chicago Cubs (1921 through 1923) and the Chicago White Sox (1924). Wirts played primarily as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on October 30, 1897, in Cosumnes, CA, USA and a listed size of 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. Wirts died on July 12, 1968, in Sacramento, CA, USA. Kettle Wirts was the playing name; the full given name is Elwood Vernon.

Across 49 games at the plate, Wirts's career line reads 14 hits in 86 at bats for a .163 average, along with 1 home run and 8 RBI. Wirts got on base at a .294 rate and slugged .221 (.515 OPS). Set against a .285 league average for the same years, Wirts's .163 average sits 42.8% below it. 1922 produced Wirts's most hits, 10 of them for the Chicago Cubs. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .172 in 1922, did not top the league's .285.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kettle Wirts

What years did Kettle Wirts play?
Kettle Wirts played in Major League Baseball from 1921 to 1924.
Was Kettle Wirts a pitcher?
No. Kettle Wirts was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Kettle Wirts hit?
Kettle Wirts hit 1 career home run with 14 hits.
What teams did Kettle Wirts play for?
Kettle Wirts played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1921–1923) and the Chicago White Sox (1924).
What were Kettle Wirts's career stats?
In 49 games, Kettle Wirts had 14 hits, 1 home runs, 8 RBI, 9 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .163 batting average.
What position did Kettle Wirts play?
Kettle Wirts played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Kettle Wirts and how much did he weigh?
Kettle Wirts was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
How many home runs did Kettle Wirts hit each season?
Kettle Wirts's home runs by season: 0 in 1921, 1 in 1922, 0 in 1923, and 0 in 1924. His most in one season was 1, in 1922.
What was Kettle Wirts's career batting average?
Kettle Wirts batted .163 over his career, with 14 hits in 86 at bats.
How many RBI did Kettle Wirts have?
Kettle Wirts drove in 8 runs in his career.
Is Kettle Wirts in the Hall of Fame?
No. Kettle Wirts has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.