{{Short description|American baseball player (1883–1935)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Bill Louden | image = Baldy Louden.jpg | caption = Louden in 1914 with the Buffalo Buffeds | position = Second baseman / Shortstop | birth_date = {{birth date|1883|8|27}} | birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1935|12|8|1883|8|27}} | death_place = Piedmont, West Virginia, U.S. | bats = Right | throws = Right |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = September 13 | debutyear = 1907 | debutteam = New York Highlanders |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = September 18 | finalyear = 1916 | finalteam = Cincinnati Reds |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Batting average | stat1value = .261 | stat2label = Home runs | stat2value = 12 | stat3label = Runs batted in | stat3value = 202 | teams = * New York Highlanders ({{mlby|1907}}) * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1912}}–{{mlby|1913}}) * Buffalo Buffeds/Blues ({{mlby|1914}}–{{mlby|1915}}) * Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1916}}) }} '''William P. '''"'''Baldy'''"''' Louden''' (August 27, 1883 – December 8, 1935) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball from 1906 to 1920, including six years in Major League Baseball as an infielder with the New York Highlanders (1907), Detroit Tigers (1912–1913), Buffalo Buffeds (1914–1915), and Cincinnati Reds (1916). He appeared in 603 major league games (313 at second base, 176 at shortstop) and compiled a .261 batting average and a .355 on-base percentage.
==Early years== Louden was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1883.<ref name=BR>{{cite web|title=Baldy Louden Major League Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=March 27, 2016|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loudeba01.shtml}}</ref>
==Professional baseball== Louden began his professional baseball career playing with the Allegheny Hilldales in the Pittsburgh sandlots,<ref name=Obit/> before moving on to the Texas League where he played for the Greenville Hunters and Dallas Giants in 1906 and 1907.<ref name=BR2>{{cite web|title=Baldy Louden Minor League Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=March 27, 2016|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=louden001wil}}</ref>
Louden was acquired by the New York Yankees in August 1907 and made his major league debut the following month. He appeared in 11 games with the Yankees and compiled a .111 batting average and .273 on-base percentage.<ref name=BR/><ref>{{cite news|title=Bill Louden in Majors|newspaper=Pittsburgh Daily Post|date=August 6, 1907|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4766055/bill_louden_in_majors/|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref>
After his brief tryout with New York, Louden spent the next four years in the minor leagues with the Montreal Royals in 1908 and the Newark Indians from 1909 to 1911.<ref name=BR2/>
Louden returned to the major leagues in 1912 with the Detroit Tigers. He appeared in 122 games for the 1912 Tigers, including 87 at second base and 26 at third base, and compiled a .241 batting average and .352 on-base percentage. He led the American League's second basemen with a 5.61 range factor — 0.86 points higher than the league average for second basemen. He remained with the Tigers in 1913, appearing in 76 games with a .241 batting average and .344 on-base percentage.<ref name=BR/>
In 1914, Louden jumped to the Buffalo Buffeds of the newly formed Federal League.<ref name=Obit/> He appeared in 126 games in 1914 as Buffalo's regular shortstop. He ranked among the Federal League's leaders in 1914 with a .313 batting average (eighth), a .391 on-base percentage (tenth), and 35 stolen bases (eighth). The following year, he appeared in 141 games for Buffalo but his batting average dropped 32 points to .281.<ref name=BR/>
When the Federal League folded in 1916, Louden moved to the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in 134 games, 108 at second base and 23 at shortstop, and compiled a .219 batting average and .313 on-base percentage. He led the National League second basemen with a .968 fielding percentage. He also had a range factor of 5.40 — 0.66 points higher than the National League average for second basemen.<ref name=BR/>
In February 1917, Louden was traded to Kansas City.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill Louden Is Slated For Minors|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Gazette Times|date=February 26, 1917|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4766389/bill_louden_is_slated_for_minors/|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref> Louden finished his professional baseball career in 1920 as a player-manager of the Martinsburg Mountaineers in the Blue Ridge League.<ref name=BR2/><ref>{{cite news|title=Big League Pilot: Former Detroit Infielder To Lead Martinsburg|newspaper=The Gettysburg Times|date=March 31, 1920|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4766440/big_league_pilot/|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==Later years== After retiring from baseball, Louden settled in Piedmont, West Virginia, where he operated a garage. He died in 1935 at age 52 in Piedmont.<ref name=Obit>{{cite news|title=Bill Louden, Ex-Major League Player, Dies: Started Baseball Career with Allegheny Hilldales; Served in National, American and Federal Leagues Before Quitting Game|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=December 9, 1935|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4766560/bill_louden_exmajor_league_player/|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{Find a Grave}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Louden, Baldy}} Category:1883 births Category:1935 deaths Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:Baseball players from Pittsburgh Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Buffalo Buffeds players Category:Buffalo Blues players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:New York Highlanders players Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:Dallas Giants players Category:Greenville Hunters players Category:Montreal Royals players Category:Newark Indians players Category:Martinsburg Mountaineers players