Donn Clendenon

Born: 7/15/1935 in Neosho, MO, USA

Died: 9/17/2005 in Sioux Falls, SD, USA

MLB Debut: 1961-09-22 | Final Game: 1972-08-05

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 209 lbs

Full name: Donn Alvin Clendenon

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Biography

Donn Clendenon, born in 1935, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball who played from 1961 until his retirement in 1972. He became particularly well-known for his contributions during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period marked by a competitive landscape in baseball that included the rise of pitching dominance and the emergence of power hitters. Clendenon played a total of 1,362 games, amassing 1,273 hits, 159 home runs, and 682 runs batted in, all while maintaining a respectable batting average of .274. Clendenon's career was highlighted by his pivotal role in the 1969 World Series, where he earned the World Series MVP award for his outstanding performance, helping lead the New York Mets to their first championship in franchise history. Known for his strong bat and ability to drive in runs, he also showcased speed on the basepaths with 90 stolen bases throughout his career. Clendenon's impact extended beyond just statistics; he was a key figure in promoting the game during an era of significant change, as baseball began to embrace a more diverse and dynamic player pool. His legacy remains a testament to the evolution of the game during a transformative period in its history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1362	4648	594	1273	192	57	159	682	90	379	1140	0.274	0.328	0.442	0.771	10527.7

Career AVG .274 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — +10.3% above league average.

Career OBP .328 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .442 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — +19.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.771 vs. league average 0.686 across their career seasons — +12.3% 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
1961	PIT	NL	9	35	7	11	1	1	0	2	0	5	10	0.314	—	—	—	—	0.0
1962	PIT	NL	80	222	39	67	8	5	7	28	16	26	58	0.302	.257 (+17%)	.326 (+15%)	.393 (+21%)	.719 (+19%)	767.7
1963	PIT	NL	154	563	65	155	28	7	15	57	22	39	136	0.275	.246 (+12%)	.308 (+5%)	.371 (+16%)	.680 (+11%)	1082.6
1964	PIT	NL	133	457	53	129	23	8	12	64	12	26	96	0.282	.250 (+13%)	.312 (+3%)	.377 (+18%)	.690 (+11%)	792.1
1965	PIT	NL	162	612	89	184	32	14	14	96	9	48	128	0.301	.245 (+22%)	.310 (+13%)	.371 (+26%)	.682 (+20%)	2188.8
1966	PIT	NL	155	571	80	171	22	10	28	98	8	52	142	0.299	.248 (+20%)	.309 (+16%)	.376 (+38%)	.685 (+28%)	3024.7
1967	PIT	NL	131	478	46	119	15	2	13	56	4	34	107	0.249	.242 (+3%)	.306 (-3%)	.357 (+4%)	.663 (+1%)	-13.6
1968	PIT	NL	158	584	63	150	20	6	17	87	10	47	163	0.257	.236 (+9%)	.298 (+4%)	.340 (+17%)	.638 (+11%)	1015.7
1969	WSN	NL	38	129	14	31	6	1	4	14	0	6	32	0.240	.248 (-3%)	.320 (-15%)	.369 (+7%)	.689 (-3%)	-127.0
1969	NYN	NL	72	202	31	51	5	0	12	37	3	19	62	0.252	.248 (+2%)	.320 (avg)	.369 (+23%)	.689 (+13%)	-127.0
1970	NYN	NL	121	396	65	114	18	3	22	97	4	39	91	0.288	.253 (+13%)	.325 (+7%)	.385 (+34%)	.711 (+21%)	1481.9
1971	NYN	NL	88	263	29	65	10	0	11	37	1	21	78	0.247	.249 (-1%)	.316 (-5%)	.365 (+12%)	.682 (+4%)	143.0
1972	STL	NL	61	136	13	26	4	0	4	9	1	17	37	0.191	.243 (-22%)	.310 (-10%)	.353 (-13%)	.664 (-12%)	-246.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	14	4	5	1	0	3	4	2	6	0.357

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1969	WS	NYN	4	14	4	5	1	0	3	4	2	6	0.357

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1200	1124	10913	819	146	1136
3B	1	0	0	2	0	0
OF	39	36	63	4	4	2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1961	PIT	OF	8	8	15	1	0	0
1962	PIT	1B	52	41	382	24	4	44
1962	PIT	OF	19	18	32	1	2	0
1963	PIT	1B	151	146	1450	118	15	154
1964	PIT	1B	119	113	1153	75	14	116
1965	PIT	1B	158	156	1572	119	28	161
1965	PIT	3B	1	0	0	2	0	0
1966	PIT	1B	152	148	1452	96	24	182
1967	PIT	1B	123	119	1199	89	15	122
1968	PIT	1B	155	152	1587	128	17	134
1969	MON	1B	24	21	214	20	3	22
1969	MON	OF	11	10	16	2	2	2
1969	NYN	1B	58	46	418	25	7	46
1969	NYN	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1970	NYN	1B	100	96	722	62	7	72
1971	NYN	1B	72	55	505	37	8	49
1972	SLN	1B	36	31	259	26	4	34