Len Barker, baseball player, 1976-1987

Len Barker

Born: 7/7/1955 in Fort Knox, KY, USA

MLB Debut: 1976-09-14 | Final Game: 1987-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 225 lbs

Full name: Leonard Harold Barker

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Biography

Len Barker was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1976 until 1987. Born in 1955, Barker made his mark primarily with the Cleveland Indians, where he became known for his powerful fastball and sharp breaking pitches. Over his career, he compiled a record of 74 wins and 76 losses, with a career earned run average (ERA) of 4.34. He struck out 975 batters and recorded 5 saves, showcasing his ability as both a starter and a reliever. Barker's career highlight came in 1981 when he was selected as an All-Star, a recognition that underscored his talent during a competitive era of baseball. He played during a time of significant changes in the game, including the rise of the designated hitter and evolving pitching strategies. Despite not amassing overwhelming numbers, Barker's contributions on the mound and his memorable performances left a lasting impression on fans and his teammates alike. His legacy in baseball remains as a testament to the skill and determination required to succeed in the major leagues.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
74 76 248 194 35 7 5 1323.7 1289 639 96 513 975 4.34 0

Career ERA 4.34 vs. league average 3.86 across their career seasons — 12.5% worse than 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
1976 TEX AL 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 15.0 7 4 6 7 2.40 3.51 (+32%) 80.8
1977 TEX AL 4 1 15 3 0 0 1 47.3 36 14 24 51 2.66 4.00 (+33%) 1859.5
1978 TEX AL 1 5 29 0 0 0 4 52.3 63 28 29 33 4.82 3.69 (-31%) -1195.8
1979 CLE AL 6 6 29 19 2 0 0 137.3 146 75 70 93 4.92 4.00 (-23%) 1706.7
1980 CLE AL 19 12 36 36 8 1 0 246.3 237 114 92 187 4.17 3.84 (-8%) 3582.0
1981 CLE AL 8 7 22 22 9 3 0 154.3 150 67 46 127 3.91 3.58 (-9%) 4481.7
1982 CLE AL 15 11 33 33 10 1 0 244.7 211 106 88 187 3.90 3.86 (-1%) 4213.8
1983 CLE AL 8 13 24 24 4 1 0 149.7 150 85 52 105 5.11 3.87 (-32%) 186.2
1983 ATL NL 1 3 6 6 0 0 0 33.0 31 14 14 21 3.82 3.87 (+1%) 928.0
1984 ATL NL 7 8 21 20 1 0 0 126.3 120 54 38 95 3.85 3.81 (-1%) 1840.1
1985 ATL NL 2 9 20 18 0 0 0 73.7 84 52 37 47 6.35 3.89 (-63%) -1546.2
1987 ATL AL 2 1 11 11 0 0 0 43.7 54 26 17 22 5.36 4.29 (-25%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
248 63 3 3 1 0 0 1 0 6 31 0.048 0.130 0.063 0.194 0.0

Career AVG .048 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 81.7% below league average.

Career OBP .130 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 59.9% below league average.

Career SLG .063 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 83.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.194 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — 72.8% 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
1976 TEX AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 TEX AL 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1978 TEX AL 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 CLE AL 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 CLE AL 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1981 CLE AL 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 CLE AL 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 CLE AL 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 ATL NL 6 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1984 ATL NL 21 38 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 6 19 0.053 — — — — 0.0
1985 ATL NL 20 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1987 ATL AL 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 248 194 76 177 13 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1976 TEX P 2 2 0 2 0 0
1977 TEX P 15 3 4 8 0 1
1978 TEX P 29 0 2 9 1 1
1979 CLE P 29 19 8 13 2 1
1980 CLE P 36 36 11 24 0 2
1981 CLE P 22 22 9 21 2 1
1982 CLE P 33 33 23 27 2 1
1983 CLE P 24 24 5 16 1 3
1983 ATL P 6 6 4 8 2 0
1984 ATL P 21 20 5 34 2 2
1985 ATL P 20 18 2 9 1 0
1987 ML4 P 11 11 3 6 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 248

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1981 Player of the Week Week of 1981-05-15
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-08-03

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1988 ATL NL $900,000
1987 ATL NL $890,000
1987 ML4 AL $72,500
1986 ATL NL $880,000
1985 ATL NL $870,000
Total Career Earnings $3,612,500