Mel Harder, baseball player, 1928-1947

Mel Harder

Born: 10/15/1909 in Beemer, NE, USA

Died: 10/20/2002 in Chardon, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1928-04-24 | Final Game: 1947-09-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Melvin Leroy Harder

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Biography

Mel Harder was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1928 to 1947. Born in 1909, Harder made a significant impact on the game as a member of the Cleveland Indians, where he showcased his skills during an era marked by intense competition and the gradual transition away from the deadball era. Over his 19-year career, he compiled a record of 223 wins and 186 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.8. Harder struck out a total of 1,160 batters and recorded 23 saves, demonstrating his versatility and effectiveness on the mound. A four-time All-Star, Harder was known for his reliable pitching and competitive spirit. He played a crucial role in the Indians' pitching staff, contributing to the team's success during the 1930s and into the 1940s. His ability to perform in high-pressure situations cemented his reputation as a key player of his era. After retiring, Harder left a lasting legacy in baseball, remembered not only for his accomplishments on the field but also for his contributions to the game as a mentor to younger players.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
2.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 4.50

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1946 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1946 2.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 4.50

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
223 186 582 433 181 25 23 3426.3 3706 1447 161 1118 1160 3.80 0

Career ERA 3.80 vs. league average 4.10 across their career seasons — 7.2% 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
1928 CLE AL 0 2 23 1 0 0 1 49.0 64 36 32 15 6.61 4.13 (-60%) -1694.1
1929 CLE AL 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 17.7 24 11 5 4 5.60 4.60 (-22%) -497.1
1930 CLE AL 11 10 36 19 7 0 2 175.3 205 82 68 44 4.21 4.80 (+12%) -931.2
1931 CLE AL 13 14 40 24 9 0 1 194.0 229 94 72 63 4.36 4.10 (-6%) -666.8
1932 CLE AL 15 13 39 32 17 1 0 254.7 277 106 68 90 3.75 4.13 (+9%) 2758.3
1933 CLE AL 15 17 43 31 14 2 4 253.0 254 83 67 81 2.95 3.86 (+23%) 1610.4
1934 CLE AL 20 12 44 29 17 6 4 255.3 246 74 81 91 2.61 4.29 (+39%) 2992.4
1935 CLE AL 22 11 42 35 17 4 2 287.3 313 105 53 95 3.29 4.35 (+24%) 7578.5
1936 CLE AL 15 15 36 30 13 0 1 224.7 294 129 71 84 5.17 4.59 (-13%) 1157.2
1937 CLE AL 15 12 38 30 13 0 2 233.7 269 111 86 95 4.28 4.34 (+1%) 1797.0
1938 CLE AL 17 10 38 29 15 2 4 240.0 257 102 62 102 3.83 4.35 (+12%) 2527.8
1939 CLE AL 15 9 29 26 12 1 1 208.0 213 81 64 67 3.50 4.28 (+18%) -239.3
1940 CLE AL 12 11 31 25 5 0 0 186.3 200 84 59 76 4.06 4.21 (+4%) -586.6
1941 CLE AL 5 4 15 10 1 0 1 68.7 76 40 37 21 5.24 3.94 (-33%) -2570.3
1942 CLE AL 13 14 29 29 13 4 0 198.7 179 76 82 74 3.44 3.57 (+4%) -365.6
1943 CLE AL 8 7 19 18 6 1 0 135.3 126 46 61 40 3.06 3.50 (+13%) -2104.1
1944 CLE AL 12 10 30 27 12 2 0 196.3 211 81 69 64 3.71 3.57 (-4%) 599.4
1945 CLE AL 3 7 11 11 2 0 0 76.0 93 31 23 16 3.67 3.67 (avg) -97.1
1946 CLE AL 5 4 13 12 4 1 0 92.3 85 35 31 21 3.41 3.59 (+5%) -261.3
1947 CLE AL 6 4 15 15 4 1 0 80.0 91 40 27 17 4.50 3.97 (-13%) 331.8

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
584 1203 89 199 38 5 4 93 2 39 369 0.165 0.194 0.215 0.409 -7590.1

Career AVG .165 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — 39.2% below league average.

Career OBP .194 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 42.7% below league average.

Career SLG .215 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 44.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.409 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — 43.4% 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
1928 CLE AL 23 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1929 CLE AL 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1930 CLE AL 36 63 8 9 2 1 0 4 1 2 28 0.143 .293 (-51%) .354 (-52%) .429 (-52%) .784 (-52%) -616.1
1931 CLE AL 40 75 7 19 2 1 0 10 0 2 24 0.253 .276 (-8%) .338 (-19%) .388 (-21%) .726 (-20%) -273.9
1932 CLE AL 39 94 11 17 7 1 0 13 0 5 25 0.181 .275 (-34%) .335 (-34%) .391 (-29%) .726 (-31%) -535.9
1933 CLE AL 44 84 2 16 3 0 1 5 0 2 26 0.190 .270 (-29%) .329 (-37%) .377 (-31%) .707 (-33%) -489.9
1934 CLE AL 44 87 9 14 6 0 0 5 0 3 24 0.161 .278 (-42%) .340 (-45%) .392 (-41%) .733 (-43%) -676.0
1935 CLE AL 42 102 11 21 1 0 2 10 0 2 29 0.206 .279 (-26%) .342 (-35%) .399 (-31%) .742 (-33%) -608.9
1936 CLE AL 36 80 3 11 4 0 0 3 0 0 19 0.138 .283 (-52%) .349 (-58%) .404 (-54%) .753 (-55%) -801.1
1937 CLE AL 38 86 5 15 4 0 0 10 0 5 33 0.174 .276 (-37%) .342 (-36%) .398 (-45%) .740 (-40%) -618.0
1938 CLE AL 39 88 3 10 2 0 0 6 0 4 31 0.114 .272 (-58%) .341 (-55%) .392 (-65%) .734 (-61%) -939.4
1939 CLE AL 29 72 8 10 0 1 1 9 0 3 17 0.139 .274 (-49%) .342 (-43%) .393 (-47%) .735 (-45%) -566.4
1940 CLE AL 31 62 4 11 1 0 0 4 1 4 17 0.177 .267 (-34%) .335 (-32%) .387 (-50%) .722 (-42%) -435.3
1941 CLE AL 15 25 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.080 — — — — 0.0
1942 CLE AL 29 67 3 8 0 0 0 2 0 2 19 0.119 .253 (-53%) .323 (-55%) .349 (-66%) .672 (-61%) -645.8
1943 CLE AL 19 47 2 10 1 1 0 4 0 2 11 0.213 — — — — 0.0
1944 CLE AL 30 74 9 16 3 0 0 6 0 0 19 0.216 .261 (-17%) .325 (-34%) .357 (-28%) .683 (-31%) -383.5
1945 CLE AL 11 25 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.080 — — — — 0.0
1946 CLE AL 13 35 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 14 0.086 — — — — 0.0
1947 CLE AL 15 28 2 5 1 0 0 1 0 2 10 0.179 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 582 0 209 734 45 38

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1928 CLE P 23 0 0 8 2 0
1929 CLE P 11 0 0 3 1 0
1930 CLE P 36 0 9 32 7 3
1931 CLE P 40 0 14 38 4 4
1932 CLE P 39 0 18 65 2 0
1933 CLE P 43 0 22 87 3 4
1934 CLE P 44 0 10 61 7 2
1935 CLE P 42 0 18 81 4 0
1936 CLE P 36 0 13 38 3 3
1937 CLE P 38 0 12 48 1 3
1938 CLE P 38 0 21 49 1 2
1939 CLE P 29 0 14 26 1 1
1940 CLE P 31 0 9 38 2 4
1941 CLE P 15 0 7 16 1 0
1942 CLE P 29 0 14 44 3 5
1943 CLE P 19 0 6 27 0 2
1944 CLE P 30 0 11 34 2 3
1945 CLE P 11 0 6 19 0 1
1946 CLE P 13 0 5 9 0 1
1947 CLE P 15 0 0 11 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 582

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1938 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 14.0 336 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 2.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 4.0 80 0