Career Statistics
In a 13 year career, Kamm played in 1693 games, accumulating 1643 hits in 5851 at bats for a .281 career batting average along with 29 home runs and 826 runs batted in. At the time of his retirement, only Heinie Groh had a higher career fielding percentage among retired major league third basemen, and as of 2010, his .967 career fielding percentage is the 15th highest by a third baseman in major league baseball history. Kamm led the league in fielding average eight times, including six times in a row, and in putouts seven times. Kamm still holds the American League single-season record for putouts by a third baseman with 243 set in 1928, and ranks eighth overall in putouts by third basemen. He also led American League third basemen four times in assists and twice in range factor.
Kamm is one of only 18 players in major league baseball history to have more than 60 runs batted in during a season, without hitting a home run. He is the only player to have ever accomplished the feat twice, with 62 runs batted in during the 1926 season, and 75 runs batted in during the 1931 season.
Sabermetrician Bill James, in his baseball reference book The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, has noted that after trading Willie Kamm, the Chicago White Sox did not stabilize the third base position until 1989 -- a period of 58 years.
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