Dick Coffman, baseball player, 1927-1945

Dick Coffman

Born: 12/18/1906 in Veto, AL, USA

Died: 3/24/1972 in Athens, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1927-04-28 | Final Game: 1945-06-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Samuel Richard Coffman

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Biography

Dick Coffman was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1927 to 1945. Born in 1906, he made his mark in Major League Baseball during a time when the sport was evolving, transitioning from the deadball era into a more offensive-minded approach. Coffman played for several teams throughout his career, amassing a record of 72 wins and 95 losses, and finishing with an ERA of 4.65. Known for his competitive spirit on the mound, he struck out a total of 372 batters and recorded 38 saves, showcasing his ability to close games when called upon. Coffman's career unfolded against the backdrop of significant changes in baseball, including the integration of African American players and the eventual rise of power-hitting in the sport. While he may not have reached the heights of some of his contemporaries, Coffman's contributions to his teams and the game itself were notable, as he navigated the challenges of a career that lasted nearly two decades. His legacy as a reliable pitcher remains part of the rich tapestry of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
72 95 472 132 47 8 38 1460.3 1782 755 92 463 372 4.65 0

Career ERA 4.65 vs. league average 4.25 across their career seasons — 9.4% 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
1927 WSN AL 0 1 5 2 0 0 0 16.0 20 6 2 5 3.38 4.08 (+17%) -
1928 SLA AL 4 5 29 7 3 0 1 85.7 122 58 37 25 6.09 4.13 (-47%) -1678.8
1929 SLA AL 1 1 27 3 1 1 1 52.7 61 35 14 11 5.98 4.60 (-30%) -46.6
1930 SLA AL 8 18 38 30 12 1 1 196.0 250 112 69 54 5.14 4.80 (-7%) -1622.0
1931 SLA AL 9 13 32 17 11 2 1 169.3 159 73 51 39 3.88 4.10 (+5%) -1251.7
1932 SLA AL 5 3 9 6 3 0 0 61.0 66 21 21 14 3.10 4.13 (+25%) -481.9
1932 WSN AL 1 6 22 9 2 1 0 76.3 92 41 31 17 4.83 4.13 (-17%) -
1933 SLA AL 3 7 21 13 3 1 1 81.0 114 53 39 19 5.89 3.86 (-53%) -3191.5
1934 SLA AL 9 10 40 21 6 1 3 173.0 212 87 59 55 4.53 4.29 (-5%) -719.5
1935 SLA AL 5 11 41 18 5 0 2 143.7 206 98 46 34 6.14 4.35 (-41%) -2366.5
1936 NY1 NL 7 5 42 2 0 0 7 101.7 119 44 23 26 3.90 4.59 (+15%) 280.0
1937 NY1 NL 8 3 42 1 0 0 3 80.0 93 27 31 30 3.04 4.34 (+30%) -155.9
1938 NY1 NL 8 4 51 3 1 1 12 111.3 116 43 21 21 3.48 4.35 (+20%) 1809.7
1939 NY1 NL 1 2 28 0 0 0 3 38.0 50 13 6 9 3.08 4.28 (+28%) 609.8
1940 BSN NL 1 5 31 0 0 0 3 48.3 63 29 11 11 5.40 4.21 (-28%) -265.8
1945 PHI NL 2 1 14 0 0 0 0 26.3 39 15 2 2 5.13 3.67 (-40%) 578.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
472 400 21 51 11 1 0 16 0 22 151 0.128 0.173 0.160 0.333 -1634.8

Career AVG .128 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 54.1% below league average.

Career OBP .173 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 49.4% below league average.

Career SLG .160 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 59.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.333 vs. league average 0.736 across their career seasons — 54.8% 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
1927 WSN AL 5 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1928 SLA AL 29 23 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 7 0.043 — — — — 0.0
1929 SLA AL 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1930 SLA AL 38 66 4 9 3 0 0 2 0 2 18 0.136 .293 (-54%) .354 (-54%) .429 (-58%) .784 (-56%) -690.6
1931 SLA AL 32 51 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 20 0.078 .276 (-72%) .338 (-67%) .388 (-75%) .726 (-71%) -619.4
1932 SLA AL 9 22 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0.045 — — — — 0.0
1932 WSN AL 22 22 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 7 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1933 SLA AL 21 27 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 2 14 0.037 — — — — 0.0
1934 SLA AL 40 51 3 11 1 0 0 5 0 1 23 0.216 .278 (-22%) .340 (-32%) .392 (-40%) .733 (-36%) -324.9
1935 SLA AL 41 41 4 6 2 0 0 2 0 6 13 0.146 — — — — 0.0
1936 NY1 NL 42 20 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1937 NY1 NL 42 19 1 7 2 0 0 2 0 0 8 0.368 — — — — 0.0
1938 NY1 NL 51 28 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0.071 — — — — 0.0
1939 NY1 NL 28 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1940 BSN NL 31 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.083 — — — — 0.0
1945 PHI NL 14 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1937 WS NY1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1936 WS NY1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 4 0 0 6.0 7 8 6 2 12.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1937 WS NY1 0 0 2 0 0 4.3 2 2 5 1 4.15
1936 WS NY1 0 0 2 0 0 1.7 5 6 1 1 32.40

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 472 0 82 293 19 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1927 WS1 P 5 0 3 4 0 0
1928 SLA P 29 0 4 21 1 1
1929 SLA P 27 0 3 12 0 0
1930 SLA P 38 0 6 43 0 0
1931 SLA P 32 0 15 24 1 1
1932 SLA P 9 0 7 7 0 0
1932 WS1 P 22 0 4 12 0 1
1933 SLA P 21 0 5 19 1 0
1934 SLA P 40 0 7 36 4 1
1935 SLA P 41 0 5 27 5 0
1936 NY1 P 42 0 11 26 1 1
1937 NY1 P 42 0 2 20 1 2
1938 NY1 P 51 0 3 18 3 1
1939 NY1 P 28 0 3 6 2 0
1940 BSN P 31 0 4 7 0 0
1945 PHI P 14 0 0 11 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 472

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 6.0 336 0