Don Demeter

Born: 6/25/1935 in Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Died: 11/29/2021 in Oklahoma City, OK, USA

MLB Debut: 1956-09-18 | Final Game: 1967-08-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Donald Lee Demeter

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Biography

Don Demeter was a professional baseball player who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball from 1956 until his retirement in 1967. Born in 1935, Demeter played primarily as an outfielder and was known for his solid hitting and power at the plate. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,109 games, accumulating 912 hits, 163 home runs, and 563 RBIs, while finishing with a batting average of .265. His ability to drive in runs made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for during an era that began to see a shift in offensive strategies, paving the way for more power hitters in the game. Demeter's career unfolded during a dynamic period in baseball history, characterized by the emergence of new talent and evolving playing styles. He was known for his strong arm in the outfield and his ability to steal bases, finishing his career with 22 stolen bases. Playing for teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Demeter left a lasting impact on the franchises he represented. His blend of power and consistent hitting left a mark in the league, ensuring his place in the annals of baseball history as a reliable position player during a transformative time in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1109	3443	467	912	147	17	163	563	22	180	658	0.265	0.307	0.459	0.766	5029.2

Career AVG .265 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — +5.1% above league average.

Career OBP .307 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .459 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +20.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.766 vs. league average 0.701 across their career seasons — +9.4% 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
1956	BRO	NL	3	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0
1958	LAD	NL	43	106	11	20	2	0	5	8	2	5	32	0.189	.257 (-27%)	.324 (-31%)	.394 (-11%)	.719 (-20%)	-391.3
1959	LAD	NL	139	371	55	95	11	1	18	70	5	16	87	0.256	.256 (avg)	.323 (-9%)	.392 (+11%)	.715 (+2%)	11.7
1960	LAD	NL	64	168	23	46	7	1	9	29	0	8	34	0.274	.255 (+7%)	.323 (-6%)	.387 (+26%)	.711 (+12%)	251.9
1961	LAD	NL	15	29	3	5	0	0	1	2	0	3	6	0.172	—	—	—	—	0.0
1961	PHI	NL	106	382	54	98	18	4	20	68	2	19	74	0.257	.258 (-1%)	.328 (-8%)	.399 (+21%)	.727 (+8%)	0.0
1962	PHI	NL	153	550	85	169	24	3	29	107	2	41	93	0.307	.257 (+19%)	.326 (+10%)	.393 (+32%)	.719 (+22%)	2340.6
1963	PHI	NL	154	515	63	133	20	2	22	83	1	31	93	0.258	.246 (+5%)	.308 (-1%)	.371 (+16%)	.680 (+9%)	743.6
1964	DET	AL	134	441	57	113	22	1	22	80	4	17	85	0.256	.250 (+2%)	.312 (-7%)	.377 (+22%)	.690 (+9%)	526.5
1965	DET	AL	122	389	50	108	16	4	16	58	4	23	65	0.278	.245 (+13%)	.310 (+5%)	.371 (+24%)	.682 (+15%)	1006.4
1966	DET	AL	32	99	12	21	5	0	5	12	1	3	19	0.212	.248 (-15%)	.309 (-24%)	.376 (+10%)	.685 (-5%)	-125.3
1966	BOS	AL	73	226	31	66	13	1	9	29	1	5	42	0.292	.248 (+18%)	.309 (-1%)	.376 (+27%)	.685 (+14%)	-125.3
1967	BOS	AL	20	43	7	12	5	0	1	4	0	3	11	0.279	—	—	—	—	0.0
1967	CLE	AL	51	121	15	25	4	0	5	12	0	6	16	0.207	.242 (-15%)	.306 (-17%)	.357 (+2%)	.663 (-7%)	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
6	12	2	3	0	0	0	0	1	3	0.250

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1959	WS	LAN	6	12	2	3	0	0	0	0	1	3	0.250

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	112	94	781	61	14	67
3B	150	132	121	241	25	22
OF	802	610	1424	35	14	12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1956	BRO	OF	1	0	1	0	0	0
1958	LAN	OF	39	27	70	0	0	0
1959	LAN	OF	124	81	223	5	4	1
1960	LAN	OF	62	37	92	2	1	1
1961	LAN	OF	14	6	18	1	1	1
1961	PHI	1B	22	18	148	15	2	22
1961	PHI	OF	79	74	173	9	1	3
1962	PHI	1B	1	0	2	0	1	1
1962	PHI	3B	105	95	91	177	18	18
1962	PHI	OF	63	50	107	0	1	0
1963	PHI	1B	26	21	181	19	7	11
1963	PHI	3B	43	36	28	61	7	3
1963	PHI	OF	119	72	166	6	0	1
1964	DET	1B	23	23	202	12	2	12
1964	DET	OF	88	81	164	3	0	1
1965	DET	1B	34	29	219	10	2	19
1965	DET	OF	82	68	158	1	2	1
1966	DET	1B	4	1	16	4	0	1
1966	DET	OF	27	22	65	2	1	2
1966	BOS	1B	2	2	13	1	0	1
1966	BOS	OF	57	54	109	3	2	0
1967	BOS	3B	1	0	0	1	0	0
1967	BOS	OF	12	9	15	1	0	1
1967	CLE	3B	1	1	2	2	0	1
1967	CLE	OF	35	29	63	2	1	0