Nellie Fox was born on Sunday, December 25, 1927, in St. Thomas, Pennsylvania. Fox was 19 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 8, 1947, with the Philadelphia Athletics. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Nellie Fox baseball stats page.
"Nellie Fox, that little son of a gun, was always on base and was a great hit-and-run man. He sprayed hits all over." - Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in the New York Sunday News (July 12, 1970) [Nellie Fox Quotes]
Nellie FoxNellie Fox Autograph on a 1955 Bowman Baseball Card (#33 | Checklist) |
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Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nellie FoxNellie Fox Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
- | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
Nellie FoxNellie Fox Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1947 | 20 | Athletics | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .250 | .000 |
1948 | 21 | Athletics | 3 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 | .214 | .154 |
1949 | 22 | Athletics | 88 | 247 | 42 | 63 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 32 | 3 | 9 | 11 | - | 6 | 10 | .255 | .354 | .296 |
1950 | 23 | White Sox | 130 | 457 | 45 | 113 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 35 | 1 | 17 | 10 | - | 2 | 6 | .247 | .304 | .304 |
1951 | 24 | White Sox | 147 | 604 | 93 | 189 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 43 | 1 | 11 | 20 | - | 14 | 7 | .313 | .372 | .425 |
1952 | 25 | White Sox | 152 | 648 | 76 | 192 | 25 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 34 | 0 | 14 | 15 | - | 3 | 11 | .296 | .334 | .366 |
1953 | 26 | White Sox | 154 | 624 | 92 | 178 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72 | 49 | 0 | 18 | 12 | - | 7 | 15 | .285 | .344 | .375 |
1954 | 27 | White Sox | 155 | 631 | 111 | 201 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 51 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 13 | .319 | .372 | .391 |
1955 | 28 | White Sox | 154 | 636 | 100 | 198 | 28 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 59 | 38 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 17 | 8 | .311 | .364 | .406 |
1956 | 29 | White Sox | 154 | 649 | 109 | 192 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 44 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 19 | .296 | .347 | .376 |
1957 | 30 | White Sox | 155 | 619 | 110 | 196 | 27 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 61 | 75 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 7 | .317 | .403 | .415 |
1958 | 31 | White Sox | 155 | 623 | 82 | 187 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 47 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 13 | .300 | .357 | .353 |
1959 | 32 | White Sox | 156 | 624 | 84 | 191 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 70 | 71 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 6 | .306 | .380 | .389 |
1960 | 33 | White Sox | 150 | 605 | 85 | 175 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 59 | 50 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 11 | .289 | .351 | .372 |
1961 | 34 | White Sox | 159 | 606 | 67 | 152 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 59 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 17 | .251 | .323 | .295 |
1962 | 35 | White Sox | 157 | 621 | 79 | 166 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 38 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 13 | .267 | .314 | .343 |
1963 | 36 | White Sox | 137 | 539 | 54 | 140 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 24 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 10 | .260 | .299 | .306 |
1964 | 37 | Colt .45s | 133 | 442 | 45 | 117 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 27 | 1 | 13 | 20 | 3 | 10 | 8 | .265 | .320 | .319 |
1965 | 38 | Astros | 21 | 41 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .268 | .286 | .317 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
19 Years | 2,367 | 9,232 | 1,279 | 2,663 | 355 | 112 | 35 | 0 | 790 | 719 | 30 | 216 | 208 | 48 | 142 | 175 | .288 | .348 | .363 |
Nellie FoxNellie Fox Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1947 Athletics | 2B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.50 |
1948 Athletics | 2B | 3 | 3 | 78 | 20 | 6.7 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .950 | 6.58 |
1949 Athletics | 2B | 77 | 73 | 1,851 | 394 | 5.1 | 387 | 191 | 196 | 7 | 68 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .982 | 5.65 |
1950 White Sox | 2B | 121 | 120 | 3,120 | 702 | 5.8 | 684 | 340 | 344 | 18 | 100 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .974 | 5.92 |
1951 White Sox | 2B | 147 | 147 | 4,026 | 879 | 6.0 | 862 | 413 | 449 | 17 | 112 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .981 | 5.78 |
1952 White Sox | 2B | 151 | 150 | 444 | 852 | 5.6 | 839 | 406 | 433 | 13 | 111 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 51.02 |
1953 White Sox | 2B | 154 | 151 | 453 | 892 | 5.8 | 877 | 451 | 426 | 15 | 101 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .983 | 52.27 |
1954 White Sox | 2B | 155 | 155 | 459 | 801 | 5.2 | 792 | 400 | 392 | 9 | 103 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .989 | 46.59 |
1955 White Sox | 2B | 154 | 154 | 456 | 906 | 5.9 | 882 | 399 | 483 | 24 | 110 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .974 | 52.22 |
1956 White Sox | 2B | 154 | 154 | 453 | 886 | 5.8 | 874 | 478 | 396 | 12 | 124 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .986 | 52.09 |
1957 White Sox | 2B | 155 | 155 | 453 | 919 | 5.9 | 906 | 453 | 453 | 13 | 141 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .986 | 54.00 |
1958 White Sox | 2B | 155 | 155 | 456 | 856 | 5.5 | 843 | 444 | 399 | 13 | 117 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 49.91 |
1959 White Sox | 2B | 156 | 156 | 453 | 827 | 5.3 | 817 | 364 | 453 | 10 | 93 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .988 | 48.70 |
1960 White Sox | 2B | 149 | 148 | 39 | 872 | 5.9 | 859 | 412 | 447 | 13 | 126 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 594.69 |
1961 White Sox | 2B | 159 | 156 | 4,143 | 835 | 5.3 | 820 | 413 | 407 | 15 | 97 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .982 | 5.34 |
1962 White Sox | 2B | 154 | 151 | 4,011 | 812 | 5.3 | 804 | 376 | 428 | 8 | 93 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .990 | 5.41 |
1963 White Sox | 2B | 134 | 128 | 3,441 | 655 | 4.9 | 647 | 305 | 342 | 8 | 71 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .988 | 5.08 |
1964 Colt .45s | 2B | 115 | 114 | 2,886 | 561 | 4.9 | 548 | 231 | 317 | 13 | 51 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .977 | 5.13 |
1965 Astros | 1B | 2 | 1 | 24 | 9 | 4.5 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 10.13 |
1965 Astros | 2B | 1 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.00 |
1965 Astros | 3B | 6 | 4 | 135 | 15 | 2.5 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.00 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
2B Totals | 2,295 | 2,271 | 27,246 | 12,672 | 5.5 | 12,463 | 6,090 | 6,373 | 209 | 1,619 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 12.35 | |
3B Totals | 6 | 4 | 135 | 15 | 2.5 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.00 | |
1B Totals | 2 | 1 | 24 | 9 | 4.5 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 10.13 | |
19 Years | 2,303 | 2,276 | 27,405 | 12,696 | 5.5 | 12,487 | 6,102 | 6,385 | 209 | 1,621 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 12.30 |
Nellie FoxNellie Fox Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1947 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3 | 3 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
1948 Athletics | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
1949 Athletics | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2 | 11 | n/a | 0.0 | 27.4 | 11.8 | - | - | - |
1950 White Sox | 4 | 3 | .571 | 8 | 1 | n/a | 0.0 | 26.9 | 15.2 | - | - | - |
1951 White Sox | 9 | 12 | .429 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 151.0 | 54.9 | 11.0 | - | - | - |
1952 White Sox | 5 | 5 | .500 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 46.3 | 16.6 | - | - | - |
1953 White Sox | 4 | 5 | .444 | 1 | 1 | n/a | 208.0 | 34.7 | 8.7 | - | - | - |
1954 White Sox | 16 | 9 | .640 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 315.5 | 52.6 | 13.4 | - | - | - |
1955 White Sox | 7 | 9 | .438 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 106.0 | 42.4 | 10.8 | - | - | - |
1956 White Sox | 8 | 4 | .667 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 162.3 | 46.4 | 12.5 | - | - | - |
1957 White Sox | 5 | 6 | .455 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 103.2 | 47.6 | 10.1 | - | - | - |
1958 White Sox | 5 | 6 | .455 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 56.6 | 12.7 | - | - | - |
1959 White Sox | 5 | 6 | .455 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 312.0 | 48.0 | 8.9 | - | - | - |
1960 White Sox | 2 | 4 | .333 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 302.5 | 46.5 | 10.3 | - | - | - |
1961 White Sox | 2 | 3 | .400 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 303.0 | 50.5 | 11.9 | - | - | - |
1962 White Sox | 1 | 2 | .333 | 4 | 0 | n/a | 310.5 | 51.8 | 11.5 | - | - | - |
1963 White Sox | 0 | 2 | .000 | 6 | 0 | n/a | 269.5 | 31.7 | 12.8 | - | - | - |
1964 Colt .45s | 0 | 2 | .000 | 19 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 34.0 | 15.8 | - | - | - |
1965 Astros | 0 | 0 | .000 | 12 | 1 | n/a | 0.0 | 20.5 | 41.0 | - | - | - |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
19 Years | 76 | 80 | .487 | 60 | 17 | n/a | 263.8 | 42.7 | 11.7 | - | - | - |
In 1957, only one Gold Glove per position was awarded to the top fielder at each position in Major League Baseball (separate awards were given for the National and American Leagues beginning in 1958). The one second baseman selected in 1957, for his superior individual fielding performance, was Nellie Fox - who went on to win two more Gold Glove Awards in the American League, in 1959 and 1960 (the first second baseman from either league to win more than once, the first second baseman to win three). [Gold Glove Second Basemen]
Nellie Fox Rookie Card | 1951 Bowman Baseball Card (#232 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
Did you know that Nellie Fox played in 798 consecutive games, the sixth most in Major League history at the time of his retirement, and the most ever (through today) by a Chicago White Sox player, at any position? [Most Consecutive Games Played]
Nellie Fox once told a writer about his childhood, "I think I liked soccer better than baseball for a while. I was only about 130 pounds, but I liked the contact. I liked to mix it up." Did you know his parents drove the 16-year old to an open tryout hoping the team did NOT sign their son:
Fox was never much of a student: In class he was known to hide sports books or magazines in his notebook and read them when he was supposed to be studying. By the age of 16 he had decided that he wanted to make baseball his career. "I had to be a ballplayer," he said. "I wasn’t very good at school and I didn't have any outside hobbies. I played ball. That’s what I did." His mother, Mae, was concerned about Nelson's future, and one day early in 1944, she wrote a letter to Connie Mack, owner / manager of the Philadelphia A's. "My boy is baseball crazy," she wrote. "He won't study in school. … He worries me to death. … All he talks about is you and the Athletics." Mack wrote back that if her son actually had talent, it was possible to make a living playing ball. "I may one of these days be able to help him," Mack wrote.
Due to wartime travel restrictions, the A's were holding 1944 spring training in Frederick, Maryland, about 50 miles from St. Thomas, and like most major-league teams, the club was holding open tryouts in an effort to fill its war-depleted farm system. With the encouragement they'd received from Mack's letter, Jake (Fox, Nellies father) and Mae decided to take Nelson to the camp to try out for the team. Though they didn't tell Nelson, the Foxes hoped that the A's would tell their son that he would be better off staying in school.
So in a story that seems like something out of a 1940s B movie, Jake and Nelson drove to Frederick, found the A's hotel, introduced themselves to Connie Mack, and got a chance to try out for the team. (Fox later squelched the oft-repeated story that he showed up at the A's camp smoking a big cigar.) According to Philadelphia sportswriter Stan Baumgartner, "(Coach) Earle Mack had difficulty finding a small enough uniform to fit the boy." Though he was almost ridiculously short for a first baseman at no more than 5-feet-6, Fox made a good impression on Mack. According to a story in the Frederick Post, "Connie Mack liked the way the youth conducted himself at the plate and his technique of handling low throws to the initial sack." To Jake and Mae's surprise, the A's decided to offer the 16-year-old Fox a contract to join their minor-league system. "(Mack) probably thought the boy was good enough for Class D," said Jake, "and that he would get as much education by being around with a baseball team as he would in high school."
Source of Excerpt: Go-Go To Glory: The 1959 Chicago White Sox. Zminda, Don. Author. SABR Publishing. 7 October 2019.
Nellie Fox | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1997 (HOF)
Nellie Fox, in 1959, led all American League hitters in at-bats, plate appearances, games played, singles and he was the most difficult batter to strike out in the league. He was second in hits and doubles, and even stronger defensively, finishing first among second basemen in games played, putouts, assists, chances, total chances and fielding percentage. For his efforts, the slick fielding, clutch hitting, second baseman - who played a large part in helping the 1959 Chicago White Sox win their first pennant in forty years - was awarded with the Most Valuable Player Award - the first White Sox player to win the MVP Award.