Harry Byrd, baseball player, 1950-1957

Harry Byrd

Born: 2/3/1925 in Darlington, SC, USA

Died: 5/14/1985 in Darlington, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1950-04-21 | Final Game: 1957-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 188 lbs

Full name: Harry Gladwin Byrd

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Biography

Harry Byrd was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1957. Born in 1925, Byrd carved out a notable career during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the integration of African American players and a shift in pitching styles. He was known for his competitive spirit on the mound and his ability to adapt to the evolving dynamics of the game. Byrd finished his career with a record of 46-54 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.35. Over his time in the league, he recorded 381 strikeouts and notched 9 saves, showcasing his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. His contributions helped shape the competitive landscape of the teams he played for, and he remains a respected figure among fans and historians of the game. Byrd's career is a reflection of the challenges and changes in baseball during the 1950s, a decade that laid the groundwork for future generations of players.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
46 54 187 108 33 8 9 827.7 890 400 71 355 381 4.35 0

Career ERA 4.35 vs. league average 3.98 across their career seasons — 9.2% 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
1950 PHA AL 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 10.7 25 20 9 2 16.88 4.36 (-287%) -1229.6
1952 PHA AL 15 15 37 28 15 3 2 228.3 244 84 98 116 3.31 3.70 (+11%) 1589.4
1953 PHA AL 11 20 40 37 11 2 0 236.7 279 145 115 122 5.51 4.14 (-33%) -1999.3
1954 NYY AL 9 7 25 21 5 1 0 132.3 131 44 43 52 2.99 3.90 (+23%) -
1955 BAL AL 3 2 14 8 1 1 1 65.3 64 33 28 25 4.55 4.00 (-14%) -1001.0
1955 CHW AL 4 6 25 12 1 1 1 91.0 85 47 30 44 4.65 4.00 (-16%) -
1956 CHW AL 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 4.3 9 5 4 0 10.38 — -
1957 DET AL 4 3 37 1 0 0 5 59.0 53 22 28 20 3.36 3.83 (+12%) -1184.7

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
187 262 16 42 2 0 0 14 1 9 60 0.160 0.188 0.168 0.356 -1477.9

Career AVG .160 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 38.3% below league average.

Career OBP .188 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 43.4% below league average.

Career SLG .168 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 57.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.356 vs. league average 0.724 across their career seasons — 50.8% 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
1950 PHA AL 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1952 PHA AL 37 75 4 10 2 0 0 2 0 3 21 0.133 .252 (-47%) .326 (-49%) .369 (-57%) .696 (-53%) -669.2
1953 PHA AL 40 81 9 18 0 0 0 6 0 1 13 0.222 .264 (-16%) .335 (-31%) .397 (-44%) .733 (-38%) -535.7
1954 NYY AL 25 46 1 9 0 0 0 5 0 4 10 0.196 — — — — -273.1
1955 BAL AL 14 19 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 6 0.158 — — — — 0.0
1955 CHW AL 25 30 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.067 — — — — 0.0
1956 CHW AL 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1957 DET AL 37 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 187 43 46 126 9 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1950 PHA P 6 0 0 2 0 0
1952 PHA P 37 0 26 32 4 5
1953 PHA P 40 0 6 35 2 1
1954 NYA P 25 21 5 21 2 2
1955 BAL P 14 8 4 8 0 0
1955 CHA P 25 12 5 16 1 0
1956 CHA P 3 1 0 2 0 0
1957 DET P 37 1 0 10 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 187

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1952 Rookie of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1952 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 9.0 24 9