Paul Derringer, baseball player, 1931-1945

Paul Derringer

Born: 10/17/1906 in Springfield, KY, USA

Died: 11/17/1987 in Sarasota, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1931-04-16 | Final Game: 1945-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Samuel Paul Derringer

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Biography

Paul Derringer was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1931 to 1945. Born in 1906, Derringer established himself as a formidable presence on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 223 wins and 212 losses. His earned run average (ERA) of 3.46 reflected his ability to effectively manage opposing hitters, while his 1,507 strikeouts and 29 saves underscored his versatility and effectiveness in high-pressure situations. Over the course of his career, he earned six All-Star selections, a testament to his skill and recognition among his peers during a highly competitive era in baseball. Derringer’s playing style was characterized by his strong pitching acumen and durability, contributing to his longevity in the game. He played during a time when baseball was undergoing significant changes, transitioning from the pre-war era into the post-war period, which brought new challenges and opportunities for players. His contributions to the game during this transformative time solidified his legacy as one of the notable pitchers of his generation. Paul Derringer's career remains an important chapter in the history of baseball, reflecting both his individual achievements and the broader evolution of the sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
223 212 579 445 251 32 29 3645.0 3912 1401 158 761 1507 3.46 0

Career ERA 3.46 vs. league average 4.05 across their career seasons — 14.5% better 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
1931 STL NL 18 8 35 23 15 4 2 211.7 225 79 65 134 3.36 4.10 (+18%) -
1932 STL NL 11 14 39 30 14 1 0 233.3 296 105 67 78 4.05 4.13 (+2%) -
1933 STL NL 0 2 3 2 1 0 0 17.0 24 8 9 3 4.24 3.86 (-10%) -
1933 CIN NL 7 25 33 31 16 2 1 231.0 240 83 51 86 3.23 3.86 (+16%) 4469.9
1934 CIN NL 15 21 47 31 18 1 4 261.0 297 104 59 122 3.59 4.29 (+16%) 6087.9
1935 CIN NL 22 13 45 33 20 3 2 276.7 295 108 49 120 3.51 4.35 (+19%) 6148.7
1936 CIN NL 19 19 51 37 13 2 5 282.3 331 126 42 121 4.02 4.59 (+12%) 8171.1
1937 CIN NL 10 14 43 26 12 1 1 222.7 240 100 55 94 4.04 4.34 (+7%) 4846.0
1938 CIN NL 21 14 41 37 26 4 3 307.0 315 100 49 132 2.93 4.35 (+33%) 6456.8
1939 CIN NL 25 7 38 35 28 5 0 301.0 321 98 35 128 2.93 4.28 (+32%) 8331.9
1940 CIN NL 20 12 37 37 26 3 0 296.7 280 101 48 115 3.06 4.21 (+27%) 5957.9
1941 CIN NL 12 14 29 28 17 2 1 228.3 233 84 54 76 3.31 3.94 (+16%) 1058.5
1942 CIN NL 10 11 29 27 13 1 0 208.7 203 71 49 68 3.06 3.57 (+14%) 3446.3
1943 CHC NL 10 14 32 22 10 2 3 174.0 184 69 39 75 3.57 3.50 (-2%) -
1944 CHC NL 7 13 42 16 7 0 3 180.0 205 83 39 69 4.15 3.57 (-16%) -
1945 CHC NL 16 11 35 30 15 1 4 213.7 223 82 51 86 3.45 3.67 (+6%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
579 1260 70 220 30 3 2 102 0 16 219 0.175 0.186 0.208 0.394 -9807.6

Career AVG .175 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — 35.3% below league average.

Career OBP .186 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 44.5% below league average.

Career SLG .208 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 45.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.394 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 44.9% 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
1931 STL NL 35 72 2 7 0 0 0 1 0 1 18 0.097 .276 (-65%) .338 (-68%) .388 (-75%) .726 (-72%) -878.9
1932 STL NL 39 73 8 13 4 0 0 4 0 2 11 0.178 .275 (-35%) .335 (-37%) .391 (-41%) .726 (-39%) -497.9
1933 STL NL 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1933 CIN NL 33 76 5 14 0 0 0 4 0 1 14 0.184 .270 (-32%) .329 (-38%) .377 (-51%) .707 (-45%) 0.0
1934 CIN NL 47 92 6 18 2 2 0 4 0 3 21 0.196 .278 (-30%) .340 (-35%) .392 (-34%) .733 (-34%) -579.9
1935 CIN NL 45 93 3 13 1 0 0 7 0 0 14 0.140 .279 (-50%) .342 (-59%) .399 (-62%) .742 (-61%) -1005.7
1936 CIN NL 51 90 7 18 2 0 0 7 0 2 15 0.200 .283 (-30%) .349 (-38%) .404 (-45%) .753 (-42%) -687.8
1937 CIN NL 43 80 2 16 3 1 0 11 0 0 20 0.200 .276 (-28%) .342 (-42%) .398 (-34%) .740 (-38%) -551.7
1938 CIN NL 41 119 8 21 1 0 2 15 0 2 24 0.176 .272 (-35%) .341 (-44%) .392 (-40%) .734 (-42%) -890.6
1939 CIN NL 38 110 10 23 3 0 0 17 0 1 11 0.209 .274 (-24%) .342 (-37%) .393 (-40%) .735 (-38%) -746.5
1940 CIN NL 37 108 4 18 4 0 0 8 0 0 19 0.167 .267 (-38%) .335 (-50%) .387 (-47%) .722 (-49%) -916.7
1941 CIN NL 29 84 2 13 1 0 0 6 0 0 15 0.155 .262 (-41%) .332 (-53%) .373 (-55%) .705 (-54%) -761.0
1942 CIN NL 29 68 4 9 2 0 0 4 0 3 9 0.132 .253 (-48%) .323 (-48%) .349 (-54%) .672 (-51%) -556.4
1943 CHC NL 32 58 4 13 3 0 0 2 0 0 6 0.224 .255 (-12%) .324 (-31%) .346 (-20%) .671 (-26%) -255.2
1944 CHC NL 42 57 2 9 1 0 0 4 0 1 9 0.158 .261 (-40%) .325 (-47%) .357 (-51%) .683 (-49%) -464.7
1945 CHC NL 35 75 3 15 3 0 0 8 0 0 12 0.200 .260 (-23%) .328 (-39%) .354 (-32%) .683 (-36%) -453.3

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
11 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.071

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1945 WS CHN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1940 WS CIN 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1939 WS CIN 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.200
1931 WS SLN 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 4 11 7 0 52.7 45 20 27 30 3.42

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1945 WS CHN 0 0 3 0 0 5.3 5 4 7 1 6.75
1940 WS CIN 2 1 3 3 0 19.3 17 6 10 6 2.79
1939 WS CIN 0 1 2 2 0 15.3 9 4 3 9 2.35
1931 WS SLN 0 2 3 2 0 12.7 14 6 7 14 4.26

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 579 0 153 656 26 30

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1931 SLN P 35 0 9 38 2 3
1932 SLN P 39 0 9 43 3 0
1933 SLN P 3 0 1 4 0 0
1933 CIN P 33 0 3 57 1 1
1934 CIN P 47 0 11 44 1 2
1935 CIN P 45 0 9 69 1 5
1936 CIN P 51 0 19 53 2 5
1937 CIN P 43 0 17 50 4 3
1938 CIN P 41 0 13 51 1 3
1939 CIN P 38 0 11 48 3 1
1940 CIN P 37 0 8 47 3 1
1941 CIN P 29 0 16 42 1 2
1942 CIN P 29 0 8 28 1 1
1943 CHN P 32 0 3 20 1 0
1944 CHN P 42 0 7 30 1 3
1945 CHN P 35 0 9 32 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 579

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1940 TSN All-Star P
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1931 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 121.0 336 1
1939 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 174.0 336 2
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 70.0 336 0
1936 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 6.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 4.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 3.0 80 0