Ben Cantwell, baseball player, 1927-1937

Ben Cantwell

Born: 4/13/1902 in Milan, TN, USA

Died: 12/4/1962 in Salem, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1927-08-19 | Final Game: 1937-09-23

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 168 lbs

Full name: Benjamin Caldwell Cantwell

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Ben Cantwell was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1927 to 1937. Born in 1902, he made his debut during an era characterized by a transition in the game, as teams began to emphasize pitching and the strategic aspects of play. Throughout his career, Cantwell showcased a solid skill set, finishing with a win-loss record of 76-108 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.91. His ability to miss bats was evident in his 348 career strikeouts, and he contributed to his teams with 21 saves, highlighting his role as a reliable option in high-leverage situations. Cantwell's playing style reflected the evolving nature of baseball during his time, as the sport was shifting away from the deadball era towards a more offensive approach. Despite the challenges he faced, he carved out a niche for himself as a dependable pitcher. His contributions on the mound were significant for the teams he played for, and he remains a noteworthy figure in the annals of baseball history, representing the persistence and dedication found in the lives of many players of his generation.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
4.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 .000 0.250 .000 0.250

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 9.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1942 4.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 .000 0.250 .000 0.250

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1942 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 9.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
76 108 316 163 75 6 21 1534.0 1640 666 90 382 348 3.91 0

Career ERA 3.91 vs. league average 4.30 across their career seasons — 9.1% 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
1927 NY1 NL 1 1 5 2 1 0 0 19.7 26 9 2 6 4.12 4.08 (-1%) 238.9
1928 NY1 NL 1 0 7 1 0 0 1 18.3 20 9 4 0 4.42 4.13 (-7%) -224.3
1928 BSN NL 3 3 22 9 3 0 0 90.0 112 51 36 18 5.10 4.13 (-23%) -1922.3
1929 BSN NL 4 13 27 20 8 0 2 157.0 171 78 52 25 4.47 4.60 (+3%) -1493.9
1930 BSN NL 9 15 31 21 10 0 2 173.3 213 94 45 43 4.88 4.80 (-2%) -1044.6
1931 BSN NL 7 9 33 16 9 2 2 156.3 160 63 34 32 3.63 4.10 (+12%) 1556.2
1932 BSN NL 13 11 37 9 3 1 5 146.0 133 48 33 33 2.96 4.13 (+28%) 514.4
1933 BSN NL 20 10 40 29 18 2 2 254.7 242 74 54 57 2.62 3.86 (+32%) 729.2
1934 BSN NL 5 11 27 19 6 1 5 143.3 163 69 34 45 4.33 4.29 (-1%) 811.7
1935 BSN NL 4 25 39 24 13 0 0 210.7 235 108 44 34 4.61 4.35 (-6%) -556.7
1936 BSN NL 9 9 34 12 4 0 2 133.3 127 45 35 42 3.04 4.59 (+34%) 691.5
1937 NY1 NL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 4.0 6 4 1 1 9.00 — 0.0
1937 BRO NL 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 27.3 32 14 8 12 4.61 4.34 (-6%) 453.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
340 503 46 116 9 2 0 31 1 12 57 0.231 0.249 0.256 0.505 -1985.8

Career AVG .231 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 17.9% below league average.

Career OBP .249 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 27.6% below league average.

Career SLG .256 vs. league average .399 across their career seasons — 35.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.505 vs. league average 0.742 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
1927 NY1 NL 5 8 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1928 NY1 NL 7 4 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1928 BSN NL 22 29 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0.172 — — — — 0.0
1929 BSN NL 27 50 5 9 3 0 0 5 0 4 5 0.180 .289 (-38%) .353 (-32%) .415 (-42%) .769 (-37%) -337.8
1930 BSN NL 34 63 4 19 1 1 0 5 0 0 7 0.302 .293 (+3%) .354 (-15%) .429 (-19%) .784 (-17%) -201.1
1931 BSN NL 40 57 7 13 1 0 0 2 0 0 7 0.228 .276 (-17%) .338 (-33%) .388 (-37%) .726 (-35%) -344.8
1932 BSN NL 37 50 3 14 0 0 0 4 0 1 3 0.280 .275 (+2%) .335 (-12%) .391 (-28%) .726 (-21%) -174.4
1933 BSN NL 49 85 9 12 2 1 0 7 0 4 10 0.141 .270 (-48%) .329 (-46%) .377 (-50%) .707 (-48%) -710.9
1934 BSN NL 29 43 5 12 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.279 — — — — 0.0
1935 BSN NL 41 67 4 19 1 0 0 2 0 2 8 0.284 .279 (+1%) .342 (-11%) .399 (-25%) .742 (-19%) -216.8
1936 BSN NL 35 41 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0.195 — — — — 0.0
1937 NY1 NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1937 BRO NL 13 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.167 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 316 0 95 463 19 33

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1927 NY1 P 5 0 2 2 0 0
1928 NY1 P 7 0 2 7 0 0
1928 BSN P 22 0 5 27 3 1
1929 BSN P 27 0 12 53 4 5
1930 BSN P 31 0 13 50 1 9
1931 BSN P 33 0 7 49 3 2
1932 BSN P 37 0 12 43 1 6
1933 BSN P 40 0 12 77 1 3
1934 BSN P 27 0 8 40 3 1
1935 BSN P 39 0 12 54 1 4
1936 BSN P 34 0 9 44 2 2
1937 NY1 P 1 0 0 2 0 0
1937 BRO P 13 0 1 15 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 316

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 1921, 1922, 1923

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1933 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 18.0 80 0