Tiny Bonham, baseball player, 1940-1949

Tiny Bonham

Born: 8/16/1913 in Ione, CA, USA

Died: 9/15/1949 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1940-08-05 | Final Game: 1949-08-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 215 lbs

Full name: Ernest Edward Bonham

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Biography

Tiny Bonham was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, active from 1940 to 1949. Born in 1913, he made a significant impact on the game during an era characterized by fierce competition and evolving playing styles. Bonham concluded his career with a record of 103 wins and 72 losses, showcasing his ability to perform consistently on the mound. With an earned run average (ERA) of 3.06, he demonstrated remarkable control and skill, which contributed to his status as a two-time All-Star. Over his career, Bonham accumulated 478 strikeouts and recorded 9 saves, reflecting his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. Bonham's playing style was marked by his strategic approach and ability to induce weak contact from hitters, which was crucial during a time when offensive production was steadily increasing. His contributions to the teams he played for were significant, as he not only excelled on the mound but also served as a reliable leader in the clubhouse. Tiny Bonham's legacy endures as a testament to the talent and dedication required to succeed in the major leagues during the mid-20th century.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
103 72 231 193 110 21 9 1551.0 1501 528 117 287 478 3.06 0

Career ERA 3.06 vs. league average 3.82 across their career seasons — 19.8% 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
1940 NYY AL 9 3 12 12 10 3 0 99.3 83 21 13 37 1.90 4.21 (+55%) -
1941 NYY AL 9 6 23 14 7 1 2 126.7 118 42 31 43 2.98 3.94 (+24%) -
1942 NYY AL 21 5 28 27 22 6 0 226.0 199 57 24 71 2.27 3.57 (+36%) -
1943 NYY AL 15 8 28 26 17 4 1 225.7 197 57 52 71 2.27 3.50 (+35%) -
1944 NYY AL 12 9 26 25 17 1 0 213.7 228 71 41 54 2.99 3.57 (+16%) -
1945 NYY AL 8 11 23 23 12 0 0 180.7 186 66 22 42 3.29 3.67 (+10%) -
1946 NYY AL 5 8 18 14 6 2 3 104.7 97 43 23 30 3.70 3.59 (-3%) -
1947 PIT NL 11 8 33 18 7 3 3 149.7 167 64 35 63 3.85 3.97 (+3%) -389.4
1948 PIT NL 6 10 22 20 7 0 0 135.7 145 65 23 42 4.31 4.10 (-5%) -1225.0
1949 PIT NL 7 4 18 14 5 1 0 89.0 81 42 23 25 4.25 4.12 (-3%) -483.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
231 522 34 84 9 0 0 26 1 31 89 0.161 0.211 0.178 0.389 -2197.5

Career AVG .161 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 38.3% below league average.

Career OBP .211 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 36.5% below league average.

Career SLG .178 vs. league average .366 across their career seasons — 51.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.389 vs. league average 0.698 across their career seasons — 44.3% 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
1940 NYY AL 12 37 3 7 1 0 0 2 0 2 6 0.189 — — — — 0.0
1941 NYY AL 23 50 1 8 0 0 0 2 0 2 12 0.160 .262 (-39%) .332 (-42%) .373 (-57%) .705 (-50%) -407.7
1942 NYY AL 28 74 4 9 0 0 0 2 0 3 17 0.122 .253 (-52%) .323 (-48%) .349 (-65%) .672 (-57%) -665.8
1943 NYY AL 28 76 5 15 1 0 0 2 0 4 15 0.197 .255 (-23%) .324 (-27%) .346 (-39%) .671 (-33%) -399.4
1944 NYY AL 26 75 5 10 1 0 0 3 1 5 12 0.133 .261 (-49%) .325 (-42%) .357 (-59%) .683 (-51%) -610.0
1945 NYY AL 23 63 6 15 5 0 0 4 0 5 9 0.238 .260 (-9%) .328 (-11%) .354 (-11%) .683 (-11%) -114.5
1946 NYY AL 18 31 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 4 5 0.129 — — — — 0.0
1947 PIT NL 33 45 4 7 1 0 0 4 0 3 5 0.156 — — — — 0.0
1948 PIT NL 22 49 2 8 0 0 0 3 0 0 7 0.163 — — — — 0.0
1949 PIT NL 18 22 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 3 1 0.045 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1943 WS NYA 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1942 WS NYA 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000
1941 WS NYA 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 2 4 3 0 28.0 19 10 8 14 3.21

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1943 WS NYA 0 1 1 1 0 8.0 6 4 3 9 4.50
1942 WS NYA 0 1 2 1 0 11.0 9 5 3 3 4.09
1941 WS NYA 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 4 1 2 2 1.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 231 0 63 165 8 15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1940 NYA P 12 0 6 8 0 0
1941 NYA P 23 0 6 12 2 1
1942 NYA P 28 0 11 28 0 2
1943 NYA P 28 0 8 26 0 1
1944 NYA P 26 0 8 26 1 5
1945 NYA P 23 0 6 23 0 2
1946 NYA P 18 0 2 13 2 1
1947 PIT P 33 0 7 11 2 1
1948 PIT P 22 0 6 9 1 1
1949 PIT P 18 0 3 9 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 231

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1942 TSN All-Star P

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 102.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 8.0 336 0