Fred Gladding, baseball player, 1961-1973

Fred Gladding

Born: 6/28/1936 in Flat Rock, MI, USA

Died: 5/21/2015 in Columbia, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1961-07-01 | Final Game: 1973-06-02

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 220 lbs

Full name: Fred Earl Gladding

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Fred Gladding was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned over a decade from 1961 to 1973. Born in 1936, Gladding made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by a shift towards more specialized roles in pitching, notably the emergence of relief pitchers. Throughout his career, he compiled a record of 48 wins and 34 losses, showcasing his effectiveness on the mound with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 3.13. His ability to secure games was underscored by his impressive tally of 109 saves, a significant statistic that highlighted his role as a reliable closer during the latter part of his career. Gladding was known for his competitive spirit and versatility, which allowed him to adapt to the evolving game of baseball during the 1960s and early 1970s. His contributions as a pitcher were marked by his capacity to strike out batters, finishing his career with a total of 394 strikeouts. As a player who navigated through the changing landscape of baseball, Fred Gladding remains a notable figure in the history of the sport, celebrated for his achievements and his impact on the role of pitchers in the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
48 34 450 1 0 0 109 601.0 566 209 38 223 394 3.13 0

Career ERA 3.13 vs. league average 3.56 across their career seasons — 12.1% 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
1961 DET AL 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 16.3 18 6 11 11 3.31 4.03 (+18%) -157.5
1962 DET AL 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 5.0 3 0 2 4 0.00 — 0.0
1963 DET AL 1 1 22 0 0 0 7 27.3 19 6 14 24 1.98 3.46 (+43%) 497.4
1964 DET AL 7 4 42 0 0 0 7 67.3 57 23 27 59 3.07 3.58 (+14%) 144.2
1965 DET AL 6 2 46 0 0 0 5 70.0 63 22 29 43 2.83 3.50 (+19%) -565.2
1966 DET AL 5 0 51 0 0 0 2 74.0 62 27 29 57 3.28 3.52 (+7%) 443.7
1967 DET AL 6 4 42 1 0 0 12 77.0 62 17 19 64 1.99 3.30 (+40%) 1012.3
1968 HOU NL 0 0 7 0 0 0 2 4.3 8 7 3 2 14.54 — 0.0
1969 HOU NL 4 8 57 0 0 0 29 72.7 83 34 27 40 4.21 3.61 (-17%) 1274.8
1970 HOU NL 7 4 63 0 0 0 18 71.0 84 32 24 46 4.06 3.89 (-4%) 1206.6
1971 HOU NL 4 5 48 0 0 0 12 51.3 51 12 22 17 2.10 3.47 (+39%) -19.3
1972 HOU NL 5 6 42 0 0 0 14 48.7 38 15 12 18 2.77 3.26 (+15%) 583.2
1973 HOU NL 2 0 16 0 0 0 1 16.0 18 8 4 9 4.50 3.75 (-20%) -680.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
450 63 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 40 0.016 0.016 0.016 0.031 0.0

Career AVG .016 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 93.6% below league average.

Career OBP .016 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 95.1% below league average.

Career SLG .016 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — 95.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.031 vs. league average 0.688 across their career seasons — 95.4% 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
1961 DET AL 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1962 DET AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1963 DET AL 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1964 DET AL 42 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1965 DET AL 46 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1966 DET AL 51 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1967 DET AL 42 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1968 HOU NL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1969 HOU NL 57 10 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 8 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1970 HOU NL 63 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1971 HOU NL 48 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1972 HOU NL 42 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1973 HOU NL 16 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 450 1 33 87 9 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1961 DET P 8 0 1 1 1 0
1962 DET P 6 0 0 2 0 0
1963 DET P 22 0 1 6 0 0
1964 DET P 42 0 5 12 0 0
1965 DET P 46 0 2 9 1 0
1966 DET P 51 0 1 11 2 0
1967 DET P 42 1 5 9 1 1
1968 HOU P 7 0 1 0 0 0
1969 HOU P 57 0 5 12 0 0
1970 HOU P 63 0 7 15 1 1
1971 HOU P 48 0 3 3 2 0
1972 HOU P 42 0 1 4 1 0
1973 HOU P 16 0 1 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 450