Harry Brecheen, baseball player, 1940-1953

Harry Brecheen

Born: 10/14/1914 in Broken Bow, OK, USA

Died: 1/17/2004 in Bethany, OK, USA

MLB Debut: 1940-04-22 | Final Game: 1953-09-13

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Harry David Brecheen

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Biography

Harry Brecheen, born in 1914, was a prominent pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during his career from 1940 to 1953. Known for his exceptional control and ability to pitch under pressure, Brecheen finished his career with a record of 133 wins and 92 losses, alongside an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.92. He struck out 901 batters and recorded 18 saves, showcasing his versatility and effectiveness as both a starter and a reliever. His skill on the mound earned him selection as an All-Star twice, highlighting his status among the elite pitchers of his time. Brecheen's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the end of the deadball era and the increasing popularity of the sport in post-war America. He played a pivotal role for the St. Louis Cardinals, contributing to their 1944 World Series championship. Renowned for his crafty left-handed pitching, Brecheen was adept at using a mix of pitches to keep hitters off balance. His legacy is remembered not only for his achievements on the field but also for the influence he had on future generations of pitchers, reflecting the evolution of the game during his era.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
133 92 318 240 125 25 18 1907.7 1731 618 117 536 901 2.92 0

Career ERA 2.92 vs. league average 3.90 across their career seasons — 25.3% 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 STL NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3.3 2 0 2 4 0.00 — -
1943 STL NL 9 6 29 13 8 1 4 135.3 98 34 39 68 2.26 3.50 (+35%) -
1944 STL NL 16 5 30 22 13 3 0 189.3 174 60 46 88 2.85 3.57 (+20%) -
1945 STL NL 15 4 24 18 13 3 2 157.3 136 44 44 63 2.52 3.67 (+31%) -
1946 STL NL 15 15 36 30 14 5 3 231.3 212 64 67 117 2.49 3.59 (+31%) -
1947 STL NL 16 11 29 28 18 1 1 223.3 220 82 66 89 3.30 3.97 (+17%) -
1948 STL NL 20 7 33 30 21 7 1 233.3 193 58 49 149 2.24 4.10 (+45%) -
1949 STL NL 14 11 32 31 14 2 1 214.7 207 80 65 88 3.35 4.12 (+19%) -
1950 STL NL 8 11 27 23 12 2 1 163.3 151 69 45 80 3.80 4.36 (+13%) -
1951 STL NL 8 4 24 16 5 0 2 138.7 134 50 54 57 3.25 4.04 (+20%) -
1952 STL NL 7 5 25 13 4 1 2 100.3 82 37 28 54 3.32 3.70 (+10%) -
1953 SLA AL 5 13 26 16 3 0 1 117.3 122 40 31 44 3.07 4.14 (+26%) 1958.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
321 673 48 129 13 5 2 44 0 45 121 0.192 0.247 0.235 0.481 -3006.8

Career AVG .192 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 26.6% below league average.

Career OBP .247 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 26.2% below league average.

Career SLG .235 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 37.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.481 vs. league average 0.708 across their career seasons — 32.0% 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 STL NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1943 STL NL 29 42 4 8 2 0 0 3 0 2 8 0.190 — — — — 0.0
1944 STL NL 31 68 8 11 0 1 0 4 0 9 12 0.162 .261 (-38%) .325 (-20%) .357 (-47%) .683 (-34%) -357.6
1945 STL NL 24 57 1 7 2 0 0 7 0 4 11 0.123 .260 (-53%) .328 (-41%) .354 (-56%) .683 (-49%) -442.9
1946 STL NL 37 83 2 11 1 0 0 6 0 3 17 0.133 .256 (-48%) .328 (-51%) .358 (-60%) .687 (-55%) -758.4
1947 STL NL 29 83 5 20 2 1 0 8 0 7 7 0.241 .262 (-8%) .336 (-9%) .376 (-23%) .712 (-16%) -220.2
1948 STL NL 33 82 4 12 1 1 0 2 0 5 20 0.146 .263 (-44%) .340 (-40%) .379 (-52%) .719 (-46%) -651.9
1949 STL NL 32 77 8 21 3 1 0 6 0 4 14 0.273 .262 (+4%) .343 (-10%) .384 (-12%) .727 (-11%) -165.3
1950 STL NL 27 58 8 14 0 1 1 2 0 5 6 0.241 .265 (-9%) .346 (-13%) .401 (-18%) .747 (-16%) -164.5
1951 STL NL 24 55 4 12 2 0 1 3 0 1 11 0.218 .260 (-16%) .336 (-31%) .385 (-20%) .721 (-25%) -246.1
1952 STL NL 25 29 3 6 0 0 0 1 0 4 5 0.207 — — — — 0.0
1953 SLA AL 27 39 1 7 0 0 0 2 0 1 10 0.179 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 12 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0.083

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 WS SLN 3 8 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0.125
1944 WS SLN 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1943 WS SLN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
4 1 7 3 0 32.7 28 3 12 18 0.83

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1946 WS SLN 3 0 3 2 0 20.0 14 1 5 11 0.45
1944 WS SLN 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 9 1 4 4 1.00
1943 WS SLN 0 1 3 0 0 3.7 5 1 3 3 2.45

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 318 0 78 376 8 22

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1940 SLN P 3 0 0 2 0 0
1943 SLN P 29 0 8 28 0 3
1944 SLN P 30 0 3 36 0 2
1945 SLN P 24 0 6 26 1 2
1946 SLN P 36 0 11 50 1 6
1947 SLN P 29 0 11 47 1 0
1948 SLN P 33 0 5 45 0 2
1949 SLN P 32 0 5 37 3 0
1950 SLN P 27 0 11 25 0 1
1951 SLN P 24 0 5 25 2 1
1952 SLN P 25 0 8 26 0 3
1953 SLA P 26 0 5 29 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 318

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1948 TSN All-Star P
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 61.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 14.0 336 0
1945 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 31.0 336 0