Gene Bearden, baseball player, 1947-1953

Gene Bearden

Born: 9/5/1920 in Lexa, AR, USA

Died: 3/18/2004 in Alexander City, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-05-10 | Final Game: 1953-09-05

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 198 lbs

Full name: Henry Eugene Bearden

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Biography

Gene Bearden was a professional baseball pitcher who had a notable career in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1953. Born in 1920, Bearden made his mark during a transitional era in baseball, post-World War II, when the sport began to flourish with returning veterans and a renewed fan enthusiasm. He played for several teams, most prominently the Cleveland Indians, where he showcased his left-handed pitching prowess. Over the course of his career, Bearden recorded a win-loss record of 45-38 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 3.96. He struck out 259 batters and collected one save, contributing to his team's efforts during a time when pitching depth was crucial for success. Known for his competitive spirit and ability to perform under pressure, Bearden's contributions on the mound solidified his reputation as a reliable pitcher in the league during the early years of the modern game. His career remains a reflection of the shifting dynamics in baseball as it moved into a new era of expansion and talent.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
6.0 6.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.334

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
7.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 23.0 16.0 14.0 2.0 0 0 8.40

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1948 6.0 6.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.334

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1948 7.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 23.0 16.0 14.0 2.0 0 0 8.40

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
45 38 193 84 29 7 1 788.3 791 347 48 435 259 3.96 0

Career ERA 3.96 vs. league average 4.06 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
1947 CLE AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.3 2 3 1 0 81.00 — 0.0
1948 CLE AL 20 7 37 29 15 6 1 229.7 187 62 106 80 2.43 4.10 (+41%) 561.3
1949 CLE AL 8 8 32 19 5 0 0 127.0 140 72 92 41 5.10 4.12 (-24%) -1898.9
1950 CLE AL 1 3 14 3 0 0 0 45.3 57 31 32 10 6.15 4.36 (-41%) -1528.5
1950 WSN AL 3 5 12 9 4 0 0 68.3 81 32 33 20 4.21 4.36 (+3%) -
1951 WSN AL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2.7 6 5 2 1 16.88 — -
1951 DET AL 3 4 37 4 2 1 0 106.0 112 51 58 38 4.33 4.04 (-7%) -347.2
1952 SLA AL 7 8 34 16 3 0 0 150.7 158 72 78 45 4.30 3.70 (-16%) -3054.5
1953 CHW AL 3 3 25 3 0 0 0 58.3 48 19 33 24 2.93 4.14 (+29%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
212 288 35 68 10 1 4 32 0 14 42 0.236 0.272 0.319 0.591 -55.2

Career AVG .236 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 9.8% below league average.

Career OBP .272 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 19.7% below league average.

Career SLG .319 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 16.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.591 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — 18.2% 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
1947 CLE AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1948 CLE AL 37 90 14 23 3 0 2 14 0 5 9 0.256 .263 (-3%) .340 (-13%) .379 (-6%) .719 (-10%) -165.1
1949 CLE AL 32 45 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 2 11 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1950 CLE AL 14 13 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 0.154 — — — — 0.0
1950 WSN AL 14 22 1 5 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 0.227 — — — — 0.0
1951 WSN AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1951 DET AL 37 32 7 6 2 0 2 6 0 0 4 0.188 — — — — 0.0
1952 SLA AL 45 65 6 23 3 0 0 8 0 2 10 0.354 .252 (+40%) .326 (+14%) .369 (+8%) .696 (+11%) 109.9
1953 CHW AL 31 21 2 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 0.190 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.500

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1948 WS CLE 2 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.500

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 2 1 1 10.7 6 0 1 4 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1948 WS CLE 1 0 2 1 1 10.7 6 0 1 4 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 2 0 0 1
P 193 0 47 180 15 13

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 CLE P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1948 CLE P 37 0 15 52 1 11
1949 CLE P 32 0 9 42 1 2
1950 CLE P 14 0 2 8 6 0
1950 WS1 1B 1 0 2 0 0 1
1950 WS1 P 12 0 4 14 1 0
1951 WS1 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1951 DET P 37 0 3 21 1 0
1952 SLA P 34 0 12 32 2 0
1953 CHA P 25 0 2 11 3 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 193
First Base 1

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 52.0 336 0
1948 Rookie of the Year ML 2nd 8.0 48 8