Sam Wise
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1881-1893)
Sam Wise was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1881 to 1893 for 6 teams, including the Detroit Wolverines, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,175 career games, he hit .272 with 1,281 hits, 48 home runs, and 672 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,561.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 170 lb
- Died
- 1/22/1910 in Akron, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1881-07-30
- Last Game
- 1893-09-29
Full name: Samuel Washington Wise
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,175 | 4,715 | 834 | 1,281 | 221 | 112 | 48 | 672 | 203 | 389 | 643 | .272 | .332 | .397 | .729 | 8,561 |
Career AVG .272 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — +6.6% above league average.
Career OBP .332 vs. league average .312 across their career seasons — +6.5% above league average.
Career SLG .397 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — +15.4% above league average.
Career OPS .729 vs. league average .655 across their career seasons — +11.2% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | DTN | NL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1882 | BSN | NL | 78 | 298 | 44 | 66 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 0 | 5 | 45 | .221 | .248 (-11%) | .275 (-15%) | .329 (-1%) | .605 (-8%) | -349.8 |
| 1883 | BSN | NL | 96 | 406 | 73 | 110 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 58 | 0 | 13 | 74 | .271 | .257 (+5%) | .285 (+3%) | .345 (+15%) | .631 (+9%) | 557.8 |
| 1884 | BSN | NL | 114 | 426 | 60 | 91 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 41 | 0 | 25 | 104 | .214 | .243 (-12%) | .278 (-8%) | .327 (-2%) | .606 (-5%) | -306.8 |
| 1885 | BSN | NL | 107 | 424 | 71 | 120 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 46 | 0 | 25 | 61 | .283 | .244 (+16%) | .287 (+12%) | .325 (+25%) | .613 (+19%) | 1255.8 |
| 1886 | BSN | NL | 96 | 387 | 71 | 112 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 72 | 31 | 33 | 61 | .289 | .246 (+17%) | .302 (+14%) | .331 (+30%) | .634 (+22%) | 1400.5 |
| 1887 | BSN | NL | 113 | 467 | 103 | 156 | 27 | 17 | 9 | 92 | 43 | 36 | 44 | .334 | .270 (+23%) | .331 (+18%) | .373 (+40%) | .705 (+29%) | 2542.0 |
| 1888 | BSN | NL | 105 | 417 | 66 | 100 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 40 | 33 | 34 | 66 | .240 | .238 (+1%) | .290 (+5%) | .319 (+16%) | .610 (+11%) | 728.7 |
| 1889 | WS8 | NL | 121 | 472 | 79 | 118 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 62 | 24 | 61 | 62 | .250 | .263 (-5%) | .334 (+2%) | .357 (-5%) | .691 (-1%) | -23.2 |
| 1890 | BFP | PL | 119 | 505 | 95 | 148 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 102 | 19 | 46 | 45 | .293 | .260 (+13%) | .336 (+7%) | .351 (+21%) | .687 (+14%) | 1223.9 |
| 1891 | BL3 | AA | 103 | 388 | 70 | 96 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 48 | 33 | 62 | 52 | .247 | .254 (-3%) | .331 (+10%) | .343 (-8%) | .675 (+1%) | 306.2 |
| 1893 | WAS | NL | 122 | 521 | 102 | 162 | 27 | 17 | 5 | 77 | 20 | 49 | 27 | .311 | .279 (+11%) | .356 (+5%) | .379 (+20%) | .735 (+13%) | 1225.5 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,175 | 4,715 | 834 | 1,281 | 221 | 112 | 48 | 672 | 203 | 389 | 643 | .272 | — | — | — | — | 8,561 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 62 | 0 | 570 | 19 | 27 | 24 |
| 2B | 448 | 0 | 1198 | 1387 | 282 | 179 |
| 3B | 57 | 0 | 69 | 113 | 49 | 9 |
| OF | 48 | 0 | 64 | 9 | 15 | 2 |
| SS | 563 | 0 | 908 | 1672 | 422 | 148 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | DTN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1882 | BSN | 3B | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1882 | BSN | SS | 72 | 0 | 84 | 197 | 49 | 13 |
| 1883 | BSN | SS | 96 | 0 | 134 | 274 | 88 | 21 |
| 1884 | BSN | 2B | 7 | 0 | 19 | 23 | 9 | 5 |
| 1884 | BSN | SS | 107 | 0 | 156 | 307 | 61 | 16 |
| 1885 | BSN | 2B | 22 | 0 | 56 | 67 | 18 | 6 |
| 1885 | BSN | OF | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | BSN | SS | 79 | 0 | 135 | 270 | 67 | 29 |
| 1886 | BSN | 1B | 57 | 0 | 527 | 17 | 25 | 21 |
| 1886 | BSN | 2B | 20 | 0 | 41 | 44 | 15 | 4 |
| 1886 | BSN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1886 | BSN | SS | 18 | 0 | 24 | 39 | 15 | 2 |
| 1887 | BSN | 2B | 16 | 0 | 40 | 49 | 13 | 5 |
| 1887 | BSN | OF | 27 | 0 | 39 | 7 | 10 | 2 |
| 1887 | BSN | SS | 72 | 0 | 152 | 233 | 58 | 22 |
| 1888 | BSN | 1B | 5 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 1888 | BSN | 2B | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | BSN | 3B | 6 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | BSN | OF | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | BSN | SS | 89 | 0 | 179 | 271 | 57 | 34 |
| 1889 | WS8 | 2B | 72 | 0 | 170 | 225 | 36 | 26 |
| 1889 | WS8 | 3B | 13 | 0 | 26 | 25 | 12 | 1 |
| 1889 | WS8 | OF | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1889 | WS8 | SS | 26 | 0 | 40 | 72 | 25 | 9 |
| 1890 | BFP | 2B | 119 | 0 | 328 | 375 | 73 | 58 |
| 1891 | BL3 | 2B | 99 | 0 | 225 | 299 | 66 | 30 |
| 1891 | BL3 | SS | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 1893 | WAS | 2B | 91 | 0 | 315 | 302 | 51 | 45 |
| 1893 | WAS | 3B | 31 | 0 | 30 | 78 | 28 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 62 |
| Second Base | 448 |
| Third Base | 57 |
| Shortstop | 563 |
| Left Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 36 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Sam Wise (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Sam Wise: the record in brief
The profile opens with Sam Wise's first major league game on July 30, 1881; the last one listed came on September 29, 1893. Wise played for the Detroit Wolverines (1881), the Boston Red Caps (1882), the Boston Beaneaters (1883 to 1888), the Washington Nationals (1889), the Buffalo Bisons (1890), the Baltimore Orioles (1891), and the Washington Senators (1893). Wise played primarily as a shortstop and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Born on August 18, 1857, in Akron, OH, USA, Wise was listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. Wise's death is recorded on January 22, 1910, in Akron, OH, USA. Wise's full given name, per the bio, is Samuel Washington Wise.
Wise collected 1,281 hits in 4,715 at bats across 1,175 games, good for a .272 batting average, adding 48 homers, 672 RBI, and 203 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .332 and .397 give Wise a career OPS of .729. Over the seasons Wise played, league hitters batted .255; the .272 career figure is 6.6% above that.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sam Wise
- What years did Sam Wise play?
- Sam Wise played in Major League Baseball from 1881 to 1893.
- Was Sam Wise a pitcher?
- No. Sam Wise was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Sam Wise hit?
- Sam Wise hit 48 career home runs with 1281 hits.
- What was Sam Wise's career batting average?
- Sam Wise batted .272 over his career, with 1,281 hits in 4,715 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sam Wise have?
- Sam Wise drove in 672 runs in his career.
- Is Sam Wise in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Sam Wise has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.