Larry Dierker, baseball player, 1964-1977

Larry Dierker

Born: 9/22/1946 in Hollywood, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1964-09-22 | Final Game: 1977-10-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 215 lbs

Full name: Lawrence Edward Dierker

📋 View Manager Career

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Larry Dierker was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1964 to 1977. Born in 1946, Dierker made his debut with the Houston Colt .45s, the franchise that would later become the Houston Astros, marking the beginning of a significant chapter in his life as he became one of the first homegrown stars in the team's history. Over his 14-season career, he compiled a record of 139-123 and maintained an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.31. Dierker was known for his durability on the mound, accumulating 1,493 strikeouts, a testament to his ability to dominate hitters during his era. Dierker's career was highlighted by two All-Star selections, showcasing his skills among the elite pitchers of his time. His playing style combined a sharp fastball and a keen understanding of hitters, which made him a formidable opponent. As a key figure during the transition of the Astros from a struggling franchise to a competitive team in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dierker's contributions were instrumental in laying the foundation for future success. After retiring, he remained involved in baseball as a commentator and manager, reflecting his enduring passion for the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
139 123 356 329 106 25 1 2333.7 2130 857 184 711 1493 3.31 0

Career ERA 3.31 vs. league average 3.57 across their career seasons — 7.3% 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
1964 HOU NL 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 9.0 7 2 3 5 2.00 3.58 (+44%) 0.0
1965 HOU NL 7 8 26 19 1 0 0 146.7 135 57 37 109 3.50 3.50 (avg) 874.9
1966 HOU NL 10 8 29 28 8 2 0 187.0 173 66 45 108 3.18 3.52 (+10%) 977.2
1967 HOU NL 6 5 15 15 4 0 0 99.0 95 37 25 68 3.36 3.30 (-2%) 2083.5
1968 HOU NL 12 15 32 32 10 1 0 233.7 206 86 89 161 3.31 2.98 (-11%) -301.8
1969 HOU NL 20 13 39 37 20 4 0 305.3 240 79 72 232 2.33 3.61 (+36%) 9251.0
1970 HOU NL 16 12 37 36 17 2 1 269.7 263 116 82 191 3.87 3.89 (avg) 1356.3
1971 HOU NL 12 6 24 23 6 2 0 159.0 150 48 33 91 2.72 3.47 (+22%) 3480.1
1972 HOU NL 15 8 31 31 12 5 0 214.7 209 81 51 115 3.40 3.26 (-4%) 1714.6
1973 HOU NL 1 1 14 3 0 0 0 27.0 27 13 13 18 4.33 3.75 (-16%) -405.5
1974 HOU NL 11 10 33 33 7 3 0 223.7 189 72 82 150 2.90 3.63 (+20%) 958.4
1975 HOU NL 14 16 34 34 14 2 0 232.0 225 103 91 127 4.00 3.71 (-8%) -2392.1
1976 HOU NL 13 14 28 28 7 4 0 187.7 171 77 72 112 3.69 3.51 (-5%) 998.2
1977 STL NL 2 6 11 9 0 0 0 39.3 40 20 16 6 4.58 4.00 (-14%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
357 789 38 107 14 0 4 46 0 12 272 0.136 0.149 0.169 0.317 -6555.2

Career AVG .136 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 46.0% below league average.

Career OBP .149 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 53.1% below league average.

Career SLG .169 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 54.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.317 vs. league average 0.688 across their career seasons — 53.9% 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
1964 HOU NL 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1965 HOU NL 26 50 3 5 0 0 1 2 0 1 15 0.100 .245 (-59%) .310 (-62%) .371 (-57%) .682 (-59%) -473.4
1966 HOU NL 29 67 6 10 2 0 1 4 0 2 21 0.149 .248 (-40%) .309 (-44%) .376 (-41%) .685 (-42%) -457.2
1967 HOU NL 15 31 2 7 3 0 0 4 0 1 11 0.226 — — — — 0.0
1968 HOU NL 33 73 2 5 1 0 0 3 0 2 35 0.068 .236 (-71%) .298 (-69%) .340 (-76%) .638 (-73%) -800.3
1969 HOU NL 39 118 7 17 2 0 1 7 0 2 38 0.144 .248 (-42%) .320 (-51%) .369 (-50%) .689 (-50%) -981.0
1970 HOU NL 37 92 7 16 2 0 0 4 0 1 37 0.174 .253 (-32%) .325 (-44%) .385 (-49%) .711 (-47%) -744.3
1971 HOU NL 24 54 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 1 16 0.074 .249 (-70%) .316 (-71%) .365 (-75%) .682 (-73%) -626.5
1972 HOU NL 31 78 2 13 0 0 0 4 0 1 24 0.167 .243 (-32%) .310 (-40%) .353 (-53%) .664 (-47%) -564.4
1973 HOU NL 14 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1974 HOU NL 33 71 2 14 3 0 0 7 0 1 27 0.197 .256 (-23%) .324 (-36%) .369 (-35%) .693 (-35%) -421.7
1975 HOU NL 34 76 0 7 0 0 0 5 0 0 21 0.092 .257 (-64%) .327 (-72%) .374 (-75%) .701 (-74%) -922.3
1976 HOU NL 28 64 3 9 0 0 1 4 0 0 20 0.141 .255 (-45%) .320 (-57%) .360 (-48%) .681 (-52%) -564.0
1977 STL NL 11 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 356 329 152 287 23 16

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1964 HOU P 3 1 0 0 1 0
1965 HOU P 26 19 10 17 4 0
1966 HOU P 29 28 13 26 2 1
1967 HOU P 15 15 7 10 2 0
1968 HOU P 32 32 13 28 1 2
1969 HOU P 39 37 14 42 3 5
1970 HOU P 37 36 19 31 3 3
1971 HOU P 24 23 16 23 1 0
1972 HOU P 31 31 16 19 0 1
1973 HOU P 14 3 0 3 0 0
1974 HOU P 33 33 10 34 1 1
1975 HOU P 34 34 15 31 3 1
1976 HOU P 28 28 17 18 2 2
1977 SLN P 11 9 2 5 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 356

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1969 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 6.0 336 0