What non pitcher has the lowest batting average of anyone in the baseball Hall of Fame?

Answer 1

There are 12 members in the Hall of Fame that played in at least 1 MLB game and hit 0 home runs that were elected as a manager, umpire, executive, or were pitchers. They are Walt Alston (elected as a manager), Sparky Anderson (manager), Jocko Conlan (umpire), Candy Cummings (executive), Lefty Gomez (pitcher), Rich Gossage (pitcher), Waite Hoyt (pitcher), Tom Lasorda (manager), Joe McGinnity (pitcher), Satchel Paige (Negro League pitcher), Bruce Sutter (pitcher), and Don Sutton (pitcher).

For those members of the MLB Hall of Fame that were elected as an MLB player (as opposed to those elected for managing, umpiring, or being an executive) AND were not pitchers, that is catcher Ray Schalk of the Chicago White Sox with 11 home runs between 1912-1929.

Answer 2

Although John McGraw went into the Hall of Fame as a manager, he was a pretty good ballplayer ending up his career with a .334 batting average. He had 1309 career base hits and 13 career home runs for a average of 1 home run every 100.7 base hits. Of the Hall of Famers that had 3000 base hits, only two hit less than 100 home runs. Cap Anson had 3418 base hits and 97 home runs for an average of 1 home run every 35.2 base hits and Rod Carew had 3053 base hits and 92 home runs for an average of 1 home run every 33.2 base hits.

Answer 3

That would be any one of a number of Baseball Hall of Fame inductees who had zero hits, simply because they never actually played baseball, at least not at the Major League level (the HoF is open to more than just players). Among this number are umpires such as Tom Connolly and Bill Klem, Commissioners such as Kennesaw Landis and Ford Frick, Managers such as Joe McCarthy and Branch Rickey, and other Executives such as George Weiss.

If you limit the question to actual major league players, then it is probably Walter Emmons Alston. Alston was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his managerial skills, but he was, during the 1936 season, on the active player roster for the St. Louis Cardinals, and played in exactly one game, on September 27, 1936, as a replacement for Johnny Mize, who had been ejected from the game. In his sole major league at-bat, he struck out on three pitches (though the second strike had home-run distance and was just barely foul). So Alston, an actual MLB player, is tied with the guys in the first paragraph with exactly zero major league hits.

If you further limit the question to people who not only played Major League Baseball, but were inducted into the HoF fortheir playing, then I would say it would have to be a player who 1) was a pitcher, 2) began his career after the inception of the Designated Hitter rule in the American league in 1973 , 3) retired prior to inception of inter-league play 1997, 4) pitched exclusively for the American League, and 5) never played in a World Series (or at least never pitched in a game when the National League team was the home team. Such a player would have never had a major-league plate appearance, and therefore could have no hits. Actually, no one comes to mind that meets all those conditions, and given how often players switch teams (and often leagues) in the modern era, I really don't think anyone could have met all 5 conditions and yet still made it to the HoF. However, Dennis Eckersley probably has very close to zero hits. Eckersley, a pitcher, played most of his career on American League teams. Or perhaps Goose Gossage, who also played most of his career for American League teams, and even when he played on NL teams, pitched exclusively as a closer. I cannot find batting statistics on either of these players (since, obviously, no one cares about their batting averages) but I suspect that neither of them had more hits than you could count on one hand.

If you limit the question to those who were inducted to the HoF for a non-pitching playing roll, it would have to be someone with either a low batting average or a short career, neither of which are very helpful in making it to the HoF. So such a player would have to have something going for him other than offensive skills. I'm thinking Roy Campanella, catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers for just 10 years, with a .276 batting average. Though Campanella had quite a few home runs, he was inducted mostly for his defensive skills, and is known as one of the greatest catchers of all time. But alas, I cannot find his career hits total.

Answer 4

Ray Schalk, catcher for the White Sox and Giants between 1912-1929, has the lowest batting average of any non pitcher in the Hall of Fame at .253.