Orval Grove

Born: 8/29/1919 in Mineral, KS, USA

Died: 4/20/1992 in Carmichael, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1940-05-28 | Final Game: 1949-04-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 196 lbs

Full name: Orval Leroy Grove

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Biography

Orval Grove was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1949. Born in 1919, Grove's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the impacts of World War II and the subsequent integration of the sport. He was known for his competitive spirit and versatility on the mound, contributing to his teams with a record of 63 wins and 73 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.78, and a total of 374 strikeouts. Grove also recorded 4 saves throughout his career, highlighting his ability to close games when called upon. Grove earned recognition as an All-Star during his time in the league, showcasing his talent among the best players of his era. His contributions to the game were notable not just for his statistics, but also for the impact he had on the teams he played for, including the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics. As a pitcher, he exemplified the grit and determination that characterized many players of his time, navigating the challenges of playing professional baseball during a period of significant social and economic change.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
63	73	207	152	66	11	4	1176.7	1237	494	62	444	374	3.78	0

Career ERA 3.78 vs. league average 3.82 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
1940	CHW	AL	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	6.0	4	2	4	1	3.00	—	-
1941	CHW	AL	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	7.0	9	8	5	5	10.29	—	-
1942	CHW	AL	4	6	12	8	4	0	0	66.3	77	38	33	21	5.16	3.57 (-44%)	-
1943	CHW	AL	15	9	32	25	18	3	2	216.3	192	66	72	76	2.75	3.50 (+22%)	-
1944	CHW	AL	14	15	34	33	11	2	0	234.7	237	97	71	105	3.72	3.57 (-4%)	-
1945	CHW	AL	14	12	33	30	16	4	1	217.0	233	83	68	54	3.44	3.67 (+6%)	-
1946	CHW	AL	8	13	33	26	10	1	0	205.3	213	69	78	60	3.02	3.59 (+16%)	-
1947	CHW	AL	6	8	25	19	6	1	0	135.7	158	67	70	33	4.44	3.97 (-12%)	-
1948	CHW	AL	2	10	32	11	1	0	1	87.7	110	60	42	18	6.16	4.10 (-50%)	-
1949	CHW	AL	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0.7	4	4	1	1	54.00	—	-

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
207	373	23	48	4	2	1	19	0	31	128	0.129	0.201	0.158	0.360	-2542.7

Career AVG .129 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 50.6% below league average.

Career OBP .201 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 39.3% below league average.

Career SLG .158 vs. league average .366 across their career seasons — 56.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.360 vs. league average 0.698 across their career seasons — 48.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1940	CHW	AL	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1941	CHW	AL	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1942	CHW	AL	12	22	2	5	0	0	1	1	0	5	0.227	—	—	—	—	0.0
1943	CHW	AL	32	66	9	12	0	0	0	7	11	22	0.182	.255 (-29%)	.324 (-5%)	.346 (-48%)	.671 (-27%)	-235.2
1944	CHW	AL	34	77	4	8	1	1	0	4	5	25	0.104	.261 (-60%)	.325 (-51%)	.357 (-60%)	.683 (-56%)	-708.9
1945	CHW	AL	33	71	4	7	1	0	0	4	4	23	0.099	.260 (-62%)	.328 (-49%)	.354 (-68%)	.683 (-59%)	-673.4
1946	CHW	AL	33	65	2	7	0	1	0	2	5	27	0.108	.256 (-58%)	.328 (-48%)	.358 (-61%)	.687 (-55%)	-589.7
1947	CHW	AL	25	48	2	7	2	0	0	1	5	16	0.146	—	—	—	—	-335.4
1948	CHW	AL	32	21	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	9	0.095	—	—	—	—	0.0
1949	CHW	AL	1	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	207	0	72	275	18	14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1940	CHA	P	3	1	0	0	0
1941	CHA	P	2	0	3	0	0
1942	CHA	P	12	8	16	1	1
1943	CHA	P	32	21	43	1	0
1944	CHA	P	34	6	64	3	3
1945	CHA	P	33	12	55	5	3
1946	CHA	P	33	8	49	4	5
1947	CHA	P	25	11	19	1	1
1948	CHA	P	32	5	26	3	1
1949	CHA	P	1	0	0	0	0