Don Bessent, baseball player, 1955-1958

Don Bessent

Born: 3/13/1931 in Jacksonville, FL, USA

Died: 7/7/1990 in Jacksonville, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-07-17 | Final Game: 1958-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Fred Donald Bessent

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Biography

Don Bessent was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1958. Born in 1931, Bessent made a name for himself during a time when the game was transitioning from the post-war era into a more dynamic style of play. He was known for his solid pitching abilities, reflected in his career record of 14 wins and 7 losses, along with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.33. His prowess on the mound was further highlighted by his strikeout total of 118 and 12 saves, showcasing his ability to not only start games but also close them out effectively. Bessent's contributions to the teams he played for were marked by his reliability and skill, playing a crucial role in the pitching rotation. Although his career was relatively brief, his performance during these years left an indelible mark. Pitchers of his era often faced the challenge of adapting to evolving offensive strategies, and Bessent's effectiveness in this environment underscored his talent and competitiveness. His legacy is remembered by baseball enthusiasts as a testament to the skill and determination required to succeed in the major leagues during the 1950s.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
14 7 108 2 1 0 12 211.0 196 78 20 88 118 3.33 0

Career ERA 3.33 vs. league average 3.91 across their career seasons — 15.0% better 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
1955 BRO NL 8 1 24 2 1 0 3 63.3 51 19 21 29 2.70 4.00 (+32%) 184.0
1956 BRO NL 4 3 38 0 0 0 9 79.3 63 22 31 52 2.50 3.96 (+37%) 1844.9
1957 BRO NL 1 3 27 0 0 0 0 44.0 58 28 19 24 5.73 3.83 (-49%) -339.1
1958 LAD NL 1 0 19 0 0 0 0 24.3 24 9 17 13 3.33 3.86 (+14%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
108 44 1 5 0 0 0 3 0 0 14 0.114 0.111 0.114 0.225 0.0

Career AVG .114 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 56.0% below league average.

Career OBP .111 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 66.1% below league average.

Career SLG .114 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 71.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.225 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — 68.9% 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
1955 BRO NL 24 20 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 8 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1956 BRO NL 38 18 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1957 BRO NL 27 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1958 LAD NL 19 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 0.333

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1956 WS BRO 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0.500
1955 WS BRO 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 5 0 0 13.3 11 2 4 6 1.35

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1956 WS BRO 1 0 2 0 0 10.0 8 2 3 5 1.80
1955 WS BRO 0 0 3 0 0 3.3 3 0 1 1 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 108 2 12 29 1 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1955 BRO P 24 2 1 11 0 0
1956 BRO P 38 0 3 8 1 1
1957 BRO P 27 0 6 4 0 0
1958 LAN P 19 0 2 6 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 108

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1955 Rookie of the Year NL 3rd 2.0 24 2