Elmer Dessens, baseball player, 1996-2010

Elmer Dessens

Born: 1/13/1971 in Hermosillo, Sonora, México

MLB Debut: 1996-06-24 | Final Game: 2010-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 200 lbs

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Biography

Elmer Dessens was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1996 to 2010. Born in 1971, Dessens had a career that spanned over a decade, during which he showcased his skills on the mound with a record of 52-64 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.44. His career was marked by versatility, as he contributed both as a starter and a reliever, which allowed him to adapt to the evolving demands of the game during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Throughout his time in the major leagues, Dessens struck out 693 batters and recorded 5 saves, reflecting his ability to handle high-pressure situations and his effectiveness against opposing hitters. His career included stints with several teams, where he was known for his gritty competitiveness and ability to pitch in crucial moments. Dessens' contributions came during a period characterized by offensive power and the increasing significance of specialized relief pitching, allowing him to carve out a niche as a reliable option for his managers. His journey through the league exemplified the challenges faced by pitchers in a highly competitive environment, and he remains a notable figure in the history of baseball for his dedication to the craft.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
52 64 441 140 2 1 5 1174.3 1300 579 145 348 693 4.44 0

Career ERA 4.44 vs. league average 4.41 across their career seasons — near 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
1996 PIT NL 0 2 15 3 0 0 0 25.0 40 23 4 13 8.28 4.61 (-80%) 602.7
1997 PIT NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3.3 2 0 0 2 0.00 — 0.0
1998 PIT NL 2 6 43 5 0 0 0 74.7 90 47 25 43 5.67 4.43 (-28%) -571.0
2000 CIN NL 11 5 40 16 1 0 1 147.3 170 70 43 85 4.28 4.77 (+10%) 3682.0
2001 CIN NL 10 14 34 34 1 1 0 205.0 221 102 56 128 4.48 4.42 (-1%) -1315.2
2002 CIN NL 7 8 30 30 0 0 0 178.0 173 60 49 93 3.03 4.28 (+29%) -1548.5
2003 AZ NL 8 8 34 30 0 0 0 175.7 212 99 57 113 5.07 4.40 (-15%) -
2004 AZ NL 1 6 38 9 0 0 2 85.3 107 45 23 55 4.75 4.46 (-6%) -
2004 LAD NL 1 0 12 1 0 0 0 19.7 16 7 8 18 3.20 4.46 (+28%) -
2005 LAD NL 1 2 28 7 0 0 0 65.7 63 26 19 37 3.56 4.29 (+17%) -
2006 KCR AL 5 7 43 0 0 0 2 54.0 63 27 13 36 4.50 4.53 (+1%) -
2006 LAD NL 0 1 19 0 0 0 0 23.0 23 12 9 16 4.70 4.53 (-4%) -
2007 MIL NL 1 1 12 0 0 0 0 15.0 24 11 3 12 6.60 4.47 (-48%) -137.9
2007 COL NL 1 1 5 5 0 0 0 19.0 21 16 9 10 7.58 4.47 (-69%) -566.3
2008 ATL NL 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 4.0 10 10 4 2 22.50 — 0.0
2009 NYN NL 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 32.7 24 12 10 14 3.31 4.32 (+24%) -830.4
2010 NYN NL 4 2 53 0 0 0 0 47.0 41 12 16 16 2.30 4.08 (+44%) -756.4

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
445 240 14 39 4 1 0 16 0 22 65 0.163 0.233 0.188 0.420 -410.6

Career AVG .163 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 38.7% below league average.

Career OBP .233 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 30.4% below league average.

Career SLG .188 vs. league average .422 across their career seasons — 55.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.420 vs. league average 0.756 across their career seasons — 44.4% 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
1996 PIT NL 15 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.400 — — — — 0.0
1997 PIT NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1998 PIT NL 43 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2000 CIN NL 40 40 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 7 16 0.100 — — — — 0.0
2001 CIN NL 35 57 3 11 1 0 0 2 0 3 12 0.193 .263 (-27%) .332 (-30%) .426 (-51%) .758 (-42%) -410.6
2002 CIN NL 31 45 1 9 0 0 0 5 0 3 11 0.200 — — — — 0.0
2003 AZ NL 36 46 1 9 1 1 0 6 0 3 11 0.196 — — — — 0.0
2004 AZ NL 38 18 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.167 — — — — 0.0
2004 LAD NL 12 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0
2005 LAD NL 28 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2006 KCR AL 43 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 LAD NL 19 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2007 MIL NL 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 COL NL 5 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2008 ATL NL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2009 NYN NL 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2010 NYN NL 53 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2004 NLDS1 LAN 1 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 1 0 0 1.3 1 1 0 1 6.75

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2004 NLDS1 LAN 0 0 1 0 0 1.3 1 1 0 1 6.75

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 441 140 66 174 4 14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1996 PIT P 15 3 1 2 0 0
1997 PIT P 3 0 1 1 0 0
1998 PIT P 43 5 4 9 1 0
2000 CIN P 40 16 10 26 0 3
2001 CIN P 34 34 6 26 0 3
2002 CIN P 30 30 12 27 1 3
2003 ARI P 34 30 9 18 0 2
2004 ARI P 38 9 5 12 1 0
2004 LAN P 12 1 0 1 0 0
2005 LAN P 28 7 5 12 0 2
2006 KCA P 43 0 3 11 0 0
2006 LAN P 19 0 0 2 0 0
2007 MIL P 12 0 2 3 0 1
2007 COL P 5 5 0 5 0 0
2008 ATL P 4 0 0 1 0 0
2009 NYN P 28 0 4 6 0 0
2010 NYN P 53 0 4 12 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 441

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2007 MIL NL $1,700,000
2006 KCA AL $1,700,000
2005 LAN NL $1,300,000
2004 ARI NL $4,000,000
2003 ARI NL $3,000,000
2002 CIN NL $1,825,000
2001 CIN NL $475,000
1998 PIT NL $180,000
1996 PIT NL $109,000
Total Career Earnings $14,289,000