Don Carlsen, baseball player, 1948-1952

Don Carlsen

Born: 10/15/1926 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 9/22/2002 in Denver, CO, USA

MLB Debut: 1948-04-28 | Final Game: 1952-05-24

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Donald Herbert Carlsen

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Biography

Don Carlsen was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1952. Born in 1926, Carlsen’s career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, just after World War II and before the rise of the modern era of the game. He was known for his determination on the mound, contributing to his teams with a competitive spirit despite facing challenges throughout his career. Over the course of his time in the majors, Carlsen compiled a record of 2-4 with an earned run average (ERA) of 6.0. He struck out 23 batters but did not record any saves. His playing style reflected the era's emphasis on pitching endurance and strategy, though he struggled to make a lasting impact in a league that was beginning to see the emergence of more dominant pitchers. Carlsen's brief stint in the majors serves as a reminder of the many players who contributed to the sport during a unique chapter in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
2 4 13 7 2 0 0 54.0 75 36 5 21 23 6.00 0

Career ERA 6.00 vs. league average 3.96 across their career seasons — 51.7% 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
1948 CHC NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 5 4 2 1 36.00 — -
1951 PIT NL 2 3 7 6 2 0 0 43.0 50 20 14 20 4.19 4.04 (-4%) 255.0
1952 PIT NL 0 1 5 1 0 0 0 10.0 20 12 5 2 10.80 3.70 (-192%) -272.6

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
13 19 1 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.263 0.263 0.263 0.526 0.0

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .263 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 21.4% below league average.

Career SLG .263 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 30.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.526 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 26.2% 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
1948 CHC NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1951 PIT NL 7 16 1 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1952 PIT NL 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 13 0 1 12 2 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1948 CHN P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1951 PIT P 7 0 1 6 2 1
1952 PIT P 5 0 0 6 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 13