Howard Ehmke, baseball player, 1915-1930

Howard Ehmke

Born: 4/24/1894 in Silver Creek, NY, USA

Died: 3/17/1959 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1915-04-12 | Final Game: 1930-05-22

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Howard John Ehmke

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Biography

Howard Ehmke, born in 1894, was a notable pitcher in Major League Baseball whose career spanned from 1915 until 1930. Ehmke played during an era that witnessed the transition from the deadball era to the more offensively driven decades that followed. Over the course of his career, he achieved a balanced win-loss record of 166-166, demonstrating his consistency on the mound. With a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.75, Ehmke showcased his ability to effectively navigate challenging lineups, earning a reputation as a reliable starter and occasional reliever. Ehmke recorded a total of 1,030 strikeouts and secured 14 saves throughout his tenure in the league. His strikeout total highlights his capability as a power pitcher, able to dominate hitters with his repertoire. Ehmke's contributions to the game were particularly significant as he played during a transformative time in baseball history; his performances were part of a broader evolution in pitching strategies that would influence future generations of players. His legacy endures, reflecting the resilience and adaptability required to succeed in the rapidly changing landscape of early 20th-century baseball.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
4.0 4.0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 0.500 0.500 1.000

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
3.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 12.0 11.0 0 3.0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1929 4.0 4.0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 0.500 0.500 1.000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1929 3.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 12.0 11.0 0 3.0 0 0 0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
166 166 427 339 199 20 14 2820.7 2873 1174 103 1042 1030 3.75 0

Career ERA 3.75 vs. league average 3.86 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
1915 BUF FL 0 2 18 2 0 0 0 53.7 69 33 25 18 5.53 2.90 (-91%) -1374.3
1916 DET AL 3 1 5 4 4 0 0 37.3 34 13 15 15 3.13 2.78 (-13%) 3.4
1917 DET AL 10 15 35 25 13 4 2 206.0 174 68 88 90 2.97 2.69 (-10%) -1410.5
1919 DET AL 17 10 33 31 20 2 0 248.7 255 88 107 79 3.18 3.09 (-3%) -2699.3
1920 DET AL 15 18 38 33 23 2 3 268.3 250 97 124 98 3.25 3.45 (+6%) -3811.5
1921 DET AL 13 14 30 22 13 1 0 196.3 220 99 81 68 4.54 4.02 (-13%) -4515.6
1922 DET AL 17 17 45 30 16 1 1 279.7 299 131 101 108 4.22 4.18 (-1%) -973.1
1923 BOS AL 20 17 43 39 28 2 3 316.7 318 133 119 121 3.78 4.03 (+6%) -392.3
1924 BOS AL 19 17 45 36 26 4 4 315.0 324 121 81 119 3.46 4.13 (+16%) 3608.2
1925 BOS AL 9 20 34 31 22 0 1 260.7 285 108 85 95 3.73 4.55 (+18%) 1203.3
1926 BOS AL 3 10 14 14 7 1 0 97.3 115 59 45 38 5.46 4.11 (-33%) -229.8
1926 PHA AL 12 4 20 18 10 1 0 147.3 125 46 50 55 2.81 4.11 (+32%) 2267.1
1927 PHA AL 12 10 30 27 10 1 0 189.7 200 89 60 68 4.22 4.08 (-3%) -1738.1
1928 PHA AL 9 8 23 18 5 1 0 139.3 135 56 44 34 3.62 4.13 (+12%) -235.1
1929 PHA AL 7 2 11 8 2 0 0 54.7 48 20 15 20 3.29 4.60 (+28%) 876.9
1930 PHA AL 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 10.0 22 13 2 4 11.70 4.80 (-144%) -1179.4

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
429 1009 71 210 38 6 0 73 5 26 111 0.208 0.228 0.258 0.486 -4395.3

Career AVG .208 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — 24.7% below league average.

Career OBP .228 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 32.7% below league average.

Career SLG .258 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 32.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.486 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 32.6% 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
1915 BUF FL 18 12 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1916 DET AL 5 14 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1917 DET AL 35 69 3 17 2 0 0 2 0 4 13 0.246 .248 (-1%) .312 (-8%) .323 (-15%) .635 (-11%) -121.5
1919 DET AL 33 91 6 23 3 1 0 5 0 3 12 0.253 .262 (-4%) .322 (-14%) .347 (-12%) .670 (-13%) -206.6
1920 DET AL 38 105 4 25 7 2 0 5 0 0 10 0.238 .271 (-12%) .331 (-28%) .363 (-6%) .694 (-16%) -340.8
1921 DET AL 30 74 9 21 3 1 0 9 0 1 7 0.284 .286 (-1%) .344 (-15%) .395 (-11%) .739 (-13%) -180.1
1922 DET AL 45 102 6 16 4 1 0 8 0 2 10 0.157 .285 (-45%) .345 (-50%) .397 (-46%) .743 (-48%) -889.0
1923 BOS AL 43 112 4 25 3 0 0 7 0 2 11 0.223 .282 (-21%) .344 (-31%) .390 (-36%) .734 (-34%) -670.7
1924 BOS AL 46 126 14 28 2 0 0 14 4 5 9 0.222 .283 (-22%) .345 (-27%) .389 (-39%) .734 (-33%) -737.4
1925 BOS AL 34 88 6 13 2 0 0 5 0 4 11 0.148 .288 (-49%) .349 (-47%) .407 (-58%) .756 (-53%) -830.9
1926 BOS AL 14 34 4 5 2 0 0 3 0 1 5 0.147 — — — — 0.0
1926 PHA AL 21 46 2 7 1 0 0 5 1 2 6 0.152 — — — — 0.0
1927 PHA AL 30 68 5 14 5 0 0 3 0 0 4 0.206 .282 (-27%) .344 (-40%) .392 (-29%) .736 (-34%) -418.3
1928 PHA AL 23 46 6 11 3 1 0 5 0 1 3 0.239 — — — — 0.0
1929 PHA AL 11 19 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.105 — — — — 0.0
1930 PHA AL 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.200

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1929 WS PHA 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.200

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 2 2 0 12.7 14 2 3 13 1.42

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1929 WS PHA 1 0 2 2 0 12.7 14 2 3 13 1.42

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 427 0 143 853 44 35

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1915 BUF P 18 0 2 25 3 2
1916 DET P 5 0 3 13 0 0
1917 DET P 35 0 14 68 4 1
1919 DET P 33 0 9 86 3 3
1920 DET P 38 0 20 93 4 2
1921 DET P 30 0 9 55 2 3
1922 DET P 45 0 11 75 2 2
1923 BOS P 43 0 18 101 3 8
1924 BOS P 45 0 15 78 3 1
1925 BOS P 34 0 6 88 6 4
1926 BOS P 14 0 3 29 4 3
1926 PHA P 20 0 7 37 3 2
1927 PHA P 30 0 13 57 4 1
1928 PHA P 23 0 6 35 2 2
1929 PHA P 11 0 7 10 1 0
1930 PHA P 3 0 0 3 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 427

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1923 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1925 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 2.0 64 0
1924 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 5.0 64 0
1923 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 7.0 64 0