Stan Bahnsen, baseball player, 1966-1982

Stan Bahnsen

Born: 12/15/1944 in Council Bluffs, IA, USA

MLB Debut: 1966-09-09 | Final Game: 1982-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Stanley Raymond Bahnsen

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Biography

Stan Bahnsen, born in 1944, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1966 to 1982. He played primarily in Major League Baseball, showcasing his talents on the mound during an era characterized by a transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven style of play. Over his career, Bahnsen compiled a record of 146 wins and 149 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.6. He struck out a total of 1,359 batters and recorded 20 saves, demonstrating his versatility and effectiveness as both a starter and a reliever. Bahnsen was known for his competitive spirit and strong pitching mechanics, which allowed him to remain a reliable option for his teams throughout his career. He played for several franchises, leaving a lasting impact with his contributions on the mound. His performances were particularly noted during the late 1960s and 1970s, a time when pitchers were facing increasing offensive challenges. As a member of the Chicago White Sox, Bahnsen earned the 1968 American League Rookie of the Year award, further solidifying his place in baseball history. His career, marked by resilience and skill, continues to be remembered by fans and historians alike.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
146 149 574 327 73 16 20 2529.0 2440 1013 223 924 1359 3.60 0

Career ERA 3.60 vs. league average 3.66 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1966 NYY AL 1 1 4 3 1 0 1 23.0 15 9 7 16 3.52 3.52 (avg) -
1968 NYY AL 17 12 37 34 10 1 0 267.3 216 61 68 162 2.05 2.98 (+31%) -
1969 NYY AL 9 16 40 33 5 2 1 220.7 222 94 90 130 3.83 3.61 (-6%) -
1970 NYY AL 14 11 36 35 6 2 0 232.7 227 86 75 116 3.33 3.89 (+14%) -
1971 NYY AL 14 12 36 34 14 3 0 242.0 221 90 72 110 3.35 3.47 (+4%) -
1972 CHW AL 21 16 43 41 5 1 0 252.3 263 101 73 157 3.60 3.26 (-10%) -
1973 CHW AL 18 21 42 42 14 4 0 282.3 290 112 117 120 3.57 3.75 (+5%) -
1974 CHW AL 12 15 38 35 10 1 0 216.3 230 113 110 102 4.70 3.63 (-30%) -
1975 CHW AL 4 6 12 12 2 0 0 67.3 78 45 40 31 6.01 3.71 (-62%) -
1975 OAK AL 6 7 21 16 2 0 0 100.0 88 36 37 49 3.24 3.71 (+13%) 1642.1
1976 OAK AL 8 7 35 14 1 1 0 143.0 124 53 43 82 3.34 3.51 (+5%) -358.6
1977 OAK AL 1 2 11 2 0 0 1 22.0 24 15 13 21 6.14 4.00 (-53%) -936.0
1977 WSN NL 8 9 23 22 3 1 0 127.3 142 68 38 58 4.81 4.00 (-20%) -
1978 WSN NL 1 5 44 1 0 0 7 75.0 74 32 31 44 3.84 3.69 (-4%) -
1979 WSN NL 3 1 55 0 0 0 5 94.3 80 33 42 71 3.15 4.00 (+21%) -
1980 WSN NL 7 6 57 0 0 0 4 91.3 80 31 33 48 3.05 3.84 (+20%) -
1981 WSN NL 2 1 25 3 0 0 1 49.0 45 27 24 28 4.96 3.58 (-38%) -
1982 LAA AL 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 9.7 13 5 8 5 4.66 3.86 (-21%) -
1982 PHI NL 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 13.3 8 2 3 9 1.35 3.86 (+65%) 608.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
575 479 22 56 8 2 1 19 0 19 225 0.117 0.152 0.148 0.300 -3572.3

Career AVG .117 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 54.2% below league average.

Career OBP .152 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 52.7% below league average.

Career SLG .148 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 60.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.300 vs. league average 0.697 across their career seasons — 56.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1966 NYY AL 4 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1968 NYY AL 37 81 4 4 0 0 0 3 0 6 49 0.049 .236 (-79%) .298 (-62%) .340 (-85%) .638 (-74%) -921.2
1969 NYY AL 40 60 1 5 1 0 0 1 0 2 33 0.083 .248 (-66%) .320 (-65%) .369 (-73%) .689 (-69%) -684.6
1970 NYY AL 36 74 3 11 0 1 0 1 0 2 34 0.149 .253 (-41%) .325 (-47%) .385 (-54%) .711 (-51%) -642.5
1971 NYY AL 36 79 6 12 2 1 0 3 0 1 32 0.152 .249 (-39%) .316 (-49%) .365 (-45%) .682 (-46%) -610.5
1972 CHW AL 44 92 5 14 2 0 0 2 0 1 38 0.152 .243 (-38%) .310 (-45%) .353 (-51%) .664 (-48%) -713.4
1973 CHW AL 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 CHW AL 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 CHW AL 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 OAK AL 21 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1976 OAK AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 OAK AL 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 WSN NL 23 42 0 5 2 0 0 7 0 3 18 0.119 — — — — 0.0
1978 WSN NL 44 11 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1979 WSN NL 55 14 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 0.071 — — — — 0.0
1980 WSN NL 57 9 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 3 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1981 WSN NL 25 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1982 LAA AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 PHI NL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1981 NEDIV MON 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 1 0 0 1.3 1 0 1 1 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1981 NEDIV MON 0 0 1 0 0 1.3 1 0 1 1 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 574 327 154 414 35 26

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1966 NYA P 4 3 1 3 0 0
1968 NYA P 37 34 15 32 3 1
1969 NYA P 40 33 13 36 3 4
1970 NYA P 36 35 17 40 4 3
1971 NYA P 36 34 18 55 4 5
1972 CHA P 43 41 11 50 2 6
1973 CHA P 42 42 20 53 4 4
1974 CHA P 38 35 5 39 2 1
1975 CHA P 12 12 4 11 2 0
1975 OAK P 21 16 6 15 0 1
1976 OAK P 35 14 13 23 1 0
1977 OAK P 11 2 0 1 1 0
1977 MON P 23 22 12 18 3 0
1978 MON P 44 1 6 10 2 0
1979 MON P 55 0 4 13 2 0
1980 MON P 57 0 6 12 0 1
1981 MON P 25 3 2 2 1 0
1982 CAL P 7 0 0 0 1 0
1982 PHI P 8 0 1 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 574

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1968 Rookie of the Year
1968 TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Nebraska at Lincoln Lincoln NE 1965

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1968 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 17.0 20 17