Phil Cavarretta, baseball player, 1934-1955

Phil Cavarretta

Born: 7/19/1916 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 12/18/2010 in Lilburn, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1934-09-16 | Final Game: 1955-05-08

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Philip Joseph Cavarretta

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Biography

Phil Cavarretta, born in 1916, was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1934 to 1955. Known for his versatility as a position player, Cavarretta played in 2,030 games, accumulating 1,977 hits and a commendable batting average of .293. His offensive prowess included 95 home runs and 920 RBIs, showcasing his ability to drive in runs and contribute significantly to his team's success. Cavarretta's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, bridging the pre-war and post-war eras, and he was instrumental in the Chicago Cubs' resurgence during the 1940s. A four-time All-Star, Cavarretta was celebrated not only for his consistent hitting but also for his speed on the bases, finishing his career with 65 stolen bases. His playing style combined power with finesse, making him a well-rounded player and a fan favorite. Cavarretta's impact extended beyond the diamond as he became a beloved figure in Chicago baseball lore, remembered for his leadership and sportsmanship throughout his lengthy career.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2030 6754 990 1977 347 99 95 920 65 820 598 0.293 0.372 0.416 0.788 15384.8

Career AVG .293 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — +10.3% above league average.

Career OBP .372 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +10.9% above league average.

Career SLG .416 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — +9.2% above league average.

Career OPS 0.788 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — +10.0% above 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
1934 CHC NL 7 21 5 8 0 1 1 6 1 2 3 0.381 — — — — 0.0
1935 CHC NL 146 589 85 162 28 12 8 82 4 39 61 0.275 .279 (-2%) .342 (-6%) .399 (+1%) .742 (-2%) -415.0
1936 CHC NL 124 458 55 125 18 1 9 56 8 17 36 0.273 .283 (-4%) .349 (-12%) .404 (-7%) .753 (-10%) -968.1
1937 CHC NL 106 329 43 94 18 7 5 56 7 32 35 0.286 .276 (+3%) .342 (+2%) .398 (+8%) .740 (+5%) 278.7
1938 CHC NL 92 268 29 64 11 4 1 28 4 14 27 0.239 .272 (-12%) .341 (-16%) .392 (-18%) .734 (-17%) -926.5
1939 CHC NL 22 55 4 15 3 1 0 0 2 4 3 0.273 .274 (-1%) .342 (-6%) .393 (-7%) .735 (-7%) -71.3
1940 CHC NL 65 193 34 54 11 4 2 22 3 31 18 0.280 .267 (+5%) .335 (+16%) .387 (+6%) .722 (+10%) 444.2
1941 CHC NL 107 346 46 99 18 4 6 40 2 53 28 0.286 .262 (+9%) .332 (+15%) .373 (+11%) .705 (+13%) 992.2
1942 CHC NL 136 482 59 130 28 4 3 54 7 71 42 0.270 .253 (+6%) .323 (+13%) .349 (+4%) .672 (+8%) 933.0
1943 CHC NL 143 530 93 154 27 9 8 73 3 75 42 0.291 .255 (+14%) .324 (+17%) .346 (+21%) .671 (+20%) 2126.6
1944 CHC NL 152 614 106 197 35 15 5 82 4 67 42 0.321 .261 (+23%) .325 (+20%) .357 (+26%) .683 (+23%) 2815.6
1945 CHC NL 132 498 94 177 34 10 6 97 5 81 34 0.355 .260 (+36%) .328 (+37%) .354 (+41%) .683 (+39%) 4009.6
1946 CHC NL 139 510 89 150 28 10 8 78 2 88 54 0.294 .256 (+15%) .328 (+22%) .358 (+21%) .687 (+22%) 2405.7
1947 CHC NL 127 459 56 144 22 5 2 63 2 58 35 0.314 .262 (+20%) .336 (+16%) .376 (+5%) .712 (+10%) 1079.0
1948 CHC NL 111 334 41 93 16 5 3 40 4 35 29 0.278 .263 (+6%) .340 (+3%) .379 (+1%) .719 (+2%) 100.6
1949 CHC NL 105 360 46 106 22 4 8 49 2 45 31 0.294 .262 (+12%) .343 (+9%) .384 (+16%) .727 (+13%) 867.6
1950 CHC NL 82 256 49 70 11 1 10 31 1 40 31 0.273 .265 (+3%) .346 (+9%) .401 (+10%) .747 (+9%) 522.4
1951 CHC NL 89 206 24 64 7 1 6 28 0 27 28 0.311 .260 (+19%) .336 (+17%) .385 (+15%) .721 (+16%) 668.2
1952 CHC NL 41 63 7 15 1 1 1 8 0 9 3 0.238 .252 (-6%) .326 (+2%) .369 (-10%) .696 (-4%) -30.9
1953 CHC NL 27 21 3 6 3 0 0 3 0 6 3 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1954 CHW AL 71 158 21 50 6 0 3 24 4 26 12 0.316 .261 (+21%) .333 (+25%) .390 (+5%) .723 (+15%) 553.3
1955 CHW AL 6 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
17 63 9 20 3 0 1 5 4 9 0.317

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1945 WS CHN 7 26 7 11 2 0 1 5 4 3 0.423
1938 WS CHN 4 13 1 6 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.462
1935 WS CHN 6 24 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.125

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1254 31 11375 796 123 1012
OF 538 9 1060 48 26 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1934 CHN 1B 5 0 53 5 0 6
1935 CHN 1B 145 0 1347 98 20 129
1936 CHN 1B 115 0 980 71 14 93
1937 CHN 1B 43 0 355 33 7 27
1937 CHN OF 55 0 99 7 3 1
1938 CHN 1B 28 0 206 16 1 14
1938 CHN OF 52 0 71 5 3 0
1939 CHN 1B 13 0 106 6 1 10
1939 CHN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1940 CHN 1B 52 0 524 30 5 57
1941 CHN 1B 33 0 335 12 4 18
1941 CHN OF 66 0 128 3 1 2
1942 CHN 1B 61 0 567 44 5 48
1942 CHN OF 70 0 177 5 2 1
1943 CHN 1B 134 0 1290 67 18 103
1943 CHN OF 7 0 15 0 0 0
1944 CHN 1B 139 0 1337 77 11 121
1944 CHN OF 13 0 26 1 2 0
1945 CHN 1B 120 0 1149 77 9 83
1945 CHN OF 11 0 23 1 0 0
1946 CHN 1B 51 0 450 40 4 26
1946 CHN OF 86 0 196 7 7 2
1947 CHN 1B 24 0 217 13 3 23
1947 CHN OF 100 0 203 11 5 3
1948 CHN 1B 41 0 374 28 1 46
1948 CHN OF 40 0 72 4 2 0
1949 CHN 1B 70 0 673 63 5 58
1949 CHN OF 25 0 39 4 0 1
1950 CHN 1B 67 0 606 47 9 55
1950 CHN OF 3 0 3 0 0 0
1951 CHN 1B 53 0 444 42 3 53
1952 CHN 1B 13 0 98 10 1 13
1954 CHA 1B 44 31 261 17 2 29
1954 CHA OF 9 9 8 0 1 0
1955 CHA 1B 3 0 3 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1254
Left Field 152
Center Field 234
Right Field 163

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star CF
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1945 Most Valuable Player
1945 TSN All-Star 1B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1951 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 1.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 6.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 6.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 49.0 336 0
1945 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 279.0 336 15
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 27.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 28th 4.0 336 0