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Robert Matthew Byrne (December 31, 1884 – December 31, 1964) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1907 through 1917, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1907–1909), Pittsburgh Pirates (1909–1913), Philadelphia Phillies (1913–1917) and Chicago White Sox (1917). Byrne batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
| Bobby Byrne | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born: December 31, 1884 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: December 31, 1964 (aged 80) Wayne, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1907, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 4, 1917, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .254 |
| Home runs | 10 |
| Runs batted in | 331 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Baseball
edit
The speedy Byrne was a defensive stalwart with excellent range. He started his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1907. Acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in late August 1909, Byrne made an immediate impact contributing down the stretch, and allowing Tommy Leach to remain in the center field. Used mainly in the leadoff spot by the Pirates, Byrne committed just two errors while hitting .256 with eight stolen bases.
Byrne enjoyed his most productive season in 1910, when he posted career-numbers in batting average (.296), runs batted in (52), runs (101), stolen bases (36), slugging percentage (.417), and led the National League with 178 hits and in doubles with 43 (also career highs).
Despite a low .259 batting average in 1911, Byrne scored 96 runs with 23 stolen bases and set career highs in triples (17) and games played (153). He raised his batting average to .288 in 1912, with 31 doubles, 11 triples, and 20 steals.
In the 1913 midseason, Byrne was traded by Pittsburgh pirates, along with pitcher Howie Camnitz to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for utility player Cozy Dolan and cash considerations. In 1917, he was selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the Phillies, making his final major league appearance in the 1917 World Series.
In an 11-season career, Byrne was a .254 hitter (1225-for-4831) with 10 home runs and 331 runs batted in during 1283 games. He also collected 176 stolen bases and posted an above average walk-to-strikeout ratio of 2.07 (456-to-220).
Soccer
editByrne played soccer in the St. Louis Soccer League during the off-season. However, When he signed with the Pirates, team president Barney Dreyfuss ordered him to give it up.[1]
Following his baseball career, Byrne became the owner of a bowling alley in St. Louis.[2]
Bobby Byrne passed away in Wayne, Pennsylvania on his 80th birthday.
See also
editSources
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference
- The Deadball Era
References
edit- ^ November 23, 1912 Sporting Life
- ^ Karmik, Thom. "Even When He Wins He Loses". baseballhistorydaily.com. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)