Wayne Granger, baseball player, 1968-1976

Wayne Granger

Born: 3/15/1944 in Springfield, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1968-06-05 | Final Game: 1976-06-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Wayne Allan Granger

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Biography

Wayne Granger, born in 1944, was a notable pitcher in Major League Baseball whose career spanned from 1968 to June 5, 1976. He established himself as a reliable relief pitcher during a transformative period in baseball, known for his effectiveness in high-pressure situations. Over the course of his career, Granger recorded a balanced win-loss record of 35-35 and maintained an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.14. His ability to secure games was highlighted by his total of 108 saves, showcasing his talent for closing out contests and preserving victories for his teams. Granger's playing style was characterized by his composure on the mound and his ability to generate strikeouts, finishing his career with 303 strikeouts. He contributed significantly to the teams he played for, which included the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals, and his performance in the bullpen was vital during an era when the role of the relief pitcher was becoming increasingly essential in the game. Granger's legacy as a dependable arm in relief remains a testament to his skill and professionalism in a rapidly evolving landscape of Major League Baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
35 35 451 0 0 0 108 638.7 632 223 47 201 303 3.14 0

Career ERA 3.14 vs. league average 3.55 across their career seasons — 11.4% 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
1968 STL NL 4 2 34 0 0 0 4 44.0 40 11 12 27 2.25 2.98 (+25%) -
1969 CIN NL 9 6 90 0 0 0 27 144.7 143 45 40 68 2.80 3.61 (+23%) 637.1
1970 CIN NL 6 5 67 0 0 0 35 84.7 79 25 27 38 2.66 3.89 (+32%) 829.7
1971 CIN NL 7 6 70 0 0 0 11 100.0 94 37 28 51 3.33 3.47 (+4%) 325.5
1972 MIN AL 4 6 63 0 0 0 19 89.7 83 30 28 45 3.01 3.26 (+8%) -342.2
1973 STL NL 2 4 33 0 0 0 5 46.7 50 22 21 14 4.24 3.75 (-13%) -
1973 NYY AL 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 15.3 19 3 3 10 1.76 3.75 (+53%) -
1974 CHW AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 7.7 16 7 3 4 8.22 — -
1975 HOU NL 2 5 55 0 0 0 5 74.0 76 30 23 30 3.65 3.71 (+2%) -732.3
1976 WSN NL 1 0 27 0 0 0 2 32.0 32 13 16 16 3.66 3.51 (-4%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
451 68 1 7 1 0 1 1 0 6 32 0.103 0.176 0.162 0.337 0.0

Career AVG .103 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 59.0% below league average.

Career OBP .176 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 45.0% below league average.

Career SLG .162 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 55.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.337 vs. league average 0.686 across their career seasons — 50.8% 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
1968 STL NL 34 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1969 CIN NL 90 21 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 12 0.095 — — — — 0.0
1970 CIN NL 67 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1971 CIN NL 70 7 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1972 MIN AL 63 10 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1973 STL NL 33 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1973 NYY AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 CHW AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 HOU NL 55 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1976 WSN NL 27 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 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
1970 NLCS CIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1970 WS CIN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1968 WS SLN 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 4 0 0 4.0 8 5 2 2 11.25

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1970 NLCS CIN 0 0 1 0 0 0.7 1 0 0 0 0.00
1970 WS CIN 0 0 2 0 0 1.3 7 5 1 1 33.75
1968 WS SLN 0 0 1 0 0 2.0 0 0 1 1 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 451 0 50 141 17 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1968 SLN P 34 0 6 14 2 1
1969 CIN P 90 0 14 29 2 3
1970 CIN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1970 CIN P 67 0 8 22 4 4
1971 CIN P 70 0 9 29 0 1
1972 MIN P 63 0 5 14 2 0
1973 SLN P 33 0 4 8 3 0
1973 NYA P 7 0 0 0 0 0
1974 CHA P 5 0 1 2 0 1
1975 HOU P 55 0 2 18 3 1
1976 MON P 27 0 1 5 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 451
Left Field 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1970 TSN Fireman of the Year
1969 TSN Fireman of the Year

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Springfield College Springfield MA 1964

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1970 Cy Young Award NL 8th 3.0 120 0
1970 Most Valuable Player NL 30th 1.0 336 0
1969 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 8.0 336 0