Ken Wood
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1948-1953)
Ken Wood was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1953 for the St. Louis Browns, the Boston Red Sox, and the Washington Senators, a span of 6 seasons. In 342 career games, he hit .224 with 223 hits, 34 home runs, and 143 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 200 lb
- Died
- 11/22/2007 in Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1948-04-28
- Last Game
- 1953-05-23
Full name: Kenneth Lanier Wood
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 342 | 995 | 110 | 223 | 52 | 7 | 34 | 143 | 1 | 102 | 141 | .224 | .298 | .393 | .691 | -324 |
Career AVG .224 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 14.4% below league average.
Career OBP .298 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career SLG .393 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .691 vs. league average .724 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | SLA | AL | 10 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1949 | SLA | AL | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1950 | SLA | AL | 128 | 369 | 42 | 83 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 62 | 0 | 38 | 58 | .225 | .265 (-15%) | .346 (-14%) | .401 (-2%) | .747 (-7%) | -516.3 |
| 1951 | SLA | AL | 109 | 333 | 40 | 79 | 19 | 0 | 15 | 44 | 1 | 27 | 49 | .237 | .260 (-9%) | .336 (-12%) | .385 (+11%) | .721 (+1%) | -75.1 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 15 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | WS1 | AL | 61 | 210 | 26 | 50 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 0 | 30 | 21 | .238 | .252 (-6%) | .326 (+2%) | .369 (+13%) | .696 (+8%) | 0.0 |
| 1953 | WS1 | AL | 12 | 33 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .212 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 342 | 995 | 110 | 223 | 52 | 7 | 34 | 143 | 1 | 102 | 141 | .224 | — | — | — | — | -591 | ||
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 (342 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 173 | 476 | 55 | 118 | 19 | 78 | .248 |
| Away | 169 | 519 | 55 | 105 | 15 | 65 | .202 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-05-23 | MIN | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-08 | MIN | PHA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1953-04-28 | MIN | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-04-24 | MIN | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-04-23 | MIN | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-04-22 | MIN | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1953-04-21 | MIN | PHA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-04-20 | MIN | BOS | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-04-20 | MIN | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953-04-19 | MIN | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 99 |
| Center Field | 7 |
| Right Field | 177 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 29th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
Ken Wood: the record in brief
According to the bio, Ken Wood debuted on April 28, 1948 and played a final game on May 23, 1953. The team column moves through the St. Louis Browns (1948 through 1951), the Boston Red Sox (1952), and the Washington Senators (1952 through 1953). Wood is listed as an outfielder at 200 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. The bio says Wood threw and hit right-handed. The recorded birth is July 1, 1924, in Lincolnton, NC, USA. Wood's death is recorded on November 22, 2007, in Myrtle Beach, SC, USA. Ken Wood was the playing name; the full given name is Kenneth Lanier.
Across 342 games at the plate, Wood's career line reads 223 hits in 995 at bats for a .224 average, adding 34 home runs and 143 RBI. The on-base percentage is .298 and the slugging percentage .393, for an OPS of .691. Wood's .224 average ran 14.4% below the .262 that the league posted over the same seasons. 1951 was Wood's biggest home run year, with 15. 1950 produced Wood's most hits, 83 of them for the St. Louis Browns.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ken Wood
- What years did Ken Wood play?
- Ken Wood played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1953.
- Was Ken Wood a pitcher?
- No. Ken Wood was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Ken Wood hit?
- Ken Wood hit 34 career home runs with 223 hits.
- What teams did Ken Wood play for?
- Ken Wood played for 3 teams: the St. Louis Browns (1948–1951), the Boston Red Sox (1952), and the Washington Senators (1952–1953).
- What were Ken Wood's career stats?
- In 342 games, Ken Wood had 223 hits, 34 home runs, 143 RBI, 110 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .224 batting average.
- What position did Ken Wood play?
- Ken Wood played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ken Wood and how much did he weigh?
- Ken Wood was listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ken Wood hit each season?
- Ken Wood's home runs by season: 0 in 1948, 0 in 1949, 13 in 1950, 15 in 1951, 6 in 1952, and 0 in 1953. His most in one season was 15, in 1951.
- What was Ken Wood's career batting average?
- Ken Wood batted .224 over his career, with 223 hits in 995 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ken Wood have?
- Ken Wood drove in 143 runs in his career.
- Is Ken Wood in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ken Wood has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.