Bill Connelly – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

William Wirt Connelly finished up his major league baseball career in 1953 after spending eight years in professional baseball. Folks called him “Wild Bill.” This right-handed pitcher came out of Alberta, Virginia, and played for four different teams while he was in the majors.

His career ran from 1945 to 1957, though he only appeared in the big leagues during a handful of seasons.

Connelly wrapped up his professional baseball days in 1953 with the New York Giants, closing out a major league run that started back in 1945 with the Philadelphia Athletics. He only played 25 games at the top level, but

Hitting Stats

We really don’t have much hitting data for Connelly’s career. As a pitcher in the 1940s and 1950s, he barely got any at-bats during his short time in the majors.

Back then, people didn’t expect pitchers to do much at the plate. The stats that do exist show almost no offense, which honestly, was just how things went for pitchers in that era.

Hitting just wasn’t a priority for him. When folks look back at his career, they focus on his pitching, not what he did with a bat.

Fielding Stats

Connelly’s fielding stats show that he struggled in the field, which matched some of his pitching control problems. In 1945, his career fielding percentage sat at .500, way below the league average of .955.

He managed just 1 putout and 0 assists, and he committed 1 error in the few chances he got. His range factor—1.13 per nine innings—was also underwhelming.

These defensive numbers make it clear he had trouble with the basics of his position. That probably didn’t help his short career, since teams really wanted pitchers who could field their spot.

Post-Baseball Life and Legacy

After his baseball days ended, William Wirt Connelly settled back in Virginia. He passed away in Richmond in 1980. His story feels pretty typical for a lot of mid-20th century athletes who moved on from sports to regular life.

Life After Baseball

When he retired from pro baseball in 1957, Bill Connelly returned to Virginia. He’d spent 13 seasons in pro ball, from 1945 to 1957.

For players like Connelly, moving from baseball to civilian life was just the norm. A lot of them took jobs in local businesses or found new careers using what they picked up in baseball.

He stayed in Virginia for the rest of his life. Connelly died on November 27, 1980, at 55, in Richmond.

His post-baseball years stretched over two decades. During that time, he saw Major League Baseball change a lot, with new teams popping up and salaries going through the roof.

Memorials and Honors

William Wirt Connelly rests at Crestview Memorial Park in La Crosse, Virginia. His final resting place ties him back to his Virginia roots.

You can still find his baseball career stats in the official Major League Baseball records. Places like Baseball-Reference keep documenting his 6-2 record and 6.92 ERA.

Connelly’s story kind of captures what a lot of players from baseball’s earlier days went through. People called him “Wild Bill,” which says a lot about the colorful personalities in mid-20th century baseball.

Not many folks talk about him now, but he played for four different MLB teams during the 1940s and 1950s. His five straight wins for the New York Giants in 1952 helped the team secure second place in the National League.