Rob Gardner, baseball player, 1965-1973

Rob Gardner

Born: 12/19/1944 in Binghamton, NY, USA

Died: 10/21/2023 in Binghamton, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1965-09-01 | Final Game: 1973-07-13

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 176 lbs

Full name: Richard Frank Gardner

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Biography

Rob Gardner, born in 1944, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1965 to 1973. He made his mark in a competitive era of Major League Baseball, transitioning from the tail end of the deadball era into a time when offensive production began to rise. Gardner played for several teams, showcasing his skills primarily as a starting pitcher, and he concluded his career with a record of 14 wins and 18 losses. Over his time in the league, he posted an earned run average (ERA) of 4.35 and recorded 193 strikeouts, along with 2 saves, reflecting his versatility on the mound. Gardner was known for his competitive spirit and resilience, characteristics that resonated with fans and teammates alike during his tenure. Though he may not have achieved superstar status, his contributions to the teams he played for during the late 1960s and early 1970s were significant in the development of pitching depth in the rotation. His career unfolded during a period of significant changes in baseball, as the sport began to embrace a more analytical approach to player performance and strategy. Gardner's journey through the league left an indelible mark on the franchises he represented and on the game itself.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
14 18 109 42 4 0 2 331.0 345 160 35 133 193 4.35 0

Career ERA 4.35 vs. league average 3.47 across their career seasons — 25.3% worse 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
1965 NYN NL 0 2 5 4 0 0 0 28.0 23 10 7 19 3.21 3.50 (+8%) -188.9
1966 NYN NL 4 8 41 17 3 0 1 133.7 147 76 64 74 5.12 3.52 (-45%) -3053.8
1967 CHC NL 0 2 18 5 0 0 0 31.7 33 14 6 16 3.98 3.30 (-20%) -
1968 CLE AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2.7 5 2 2 6 6.75 — 0.0
1970 NYY AL 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 7.3 8 4 4 6 4.91 — -
1971 OAK AL 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 7.7 8 2 3 5 2.35 — 0.0
1971 NYY AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 1 2 2 3.00 — -
1972 NYY AL 8 5 20 14 1 0 0 97.0 91 33 28 58 3.06 3.26 (+6%) -
1973 OAK AL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 7.3 10 4 4 2 4.91 — 0.0
1973 ATL AL 1 1 10 0 0 0 1 12.7 17 14 13 5 9.95 3.75 (-166%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
111 87 2 12 2 0 0 2 0 1 37 0.138 0.148 0.161 0.309 0.0

Career AVG .138 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 44.3% below league average.

Career OBP .148 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 52.9% below league average.

Career SLG .161 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 56.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.309 vs. league average 0.680 across their career seasons — 54.6% 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
1965 NYN NL 5 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1966 NYN NL 43 41 1 7 1 0 0 1 0 0 12 0.171 — — — — 0.0
1967 CHC NL 18 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1968 CLE AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1970 NYY AL 1 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1971 OAK AL 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1971 NYY AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1972 NYY AL 20 28 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 16 0.107 — — — — 0.0
1973 OAK AL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1973 ATL AL 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 109 42 11 54 1 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1965 NYN P 5 4 2 5 0 1
1966 NYN P 41 17 4 24 1 1
1967 CHN P 18 5 1 6 0 0
1968 CLE P 5 0 0 0 0 0
1970 NYA P 1 1 0 1 0 0
1971 OAK P 4 1 1 2 0 0
1971 NYA P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1972 NYA P 20 14 2 13 0 1
1973 OAK P 3 0 0 0 0 0
1973 ML4 P 10 0 1 3 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 109