Oral Hildebrand, baseball player, 1931-1940

Oral Hildebrand

Born: 4/7/1907 in Indianapolis, IN, USA

Died: 9/8/1977 in Southport, IN, USA

MLB Debut: 1931-09-08 | Final Game: 1940-07-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Oral Clyde Hildebrand

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Biography

Oral Hildebrand was a talented pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1931 until 1940. Born in 1907, he made his debut during an era characterized by a transition in the game, moving from the deadball era into a time of greater offensive explosion. Over the course of his career, Hildebrand compiled a record of 83 wins and 78 losses, with a career earned run average (ERA) of 4.35. He struck out 527 batters and recorded 13 saves, demonstrating his effectiveness both as a starter and a reliever. Hildebrand was recognized for his skill on the mound, earning an All-Star selection during his career, which underscored his impact within the league. His pitching style, marked by a competitive spirit and a focus on strategic play, made him a key figure on his teams. As a player who navigated the challenges of the late 1930s, Hildebrand contributed to the evolving landscape of baseball during a time when the sport was growing in popularity and complexity. His legacy is remembered by fans and historians alike as a reflection of a significant period in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
83 78 258 182 80 9 13 1430.7 1490 692 99 623 527 4.35 0

Career ERA 4.35 vs. league average 4.25 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
1931 CLE AL 2 1 5 2 2 0 0 26.7 25 13 13 6 4.39 4.10 (-7%) -260.9
1932 CLE AL 8 6 27 15 7 0 0 129.3 124 53 62 49 3.69 4.13 (+11%) -1277.7
1933 CLE AL 16 11 36 31 15 6 0 220.3 205 92 88 90 3.76 3.86 (+3%) 450.6
1934 CLE AL 11 9 33 28 10 1 1 198.0 225 99 99 72 4.50 4.29 (-5%) -3440.6
1935 CLE AL 9 8 34 20 8 0 5 171.3 171 75 63 49 3.94 4.35 (+9%) -1498.6
1936 CLE AL 10 11 36 21 9 0 4 174.7 197 95 83 65 4.90 4.59 (-7%) -1201.6
1937 SLA AL 8 17 30 27 12 1 1 201.3 228 115 87 75 5.14 4.34 (-19%) -3269.2
1938 SLA AL 8 10 23 23 10 0 0 163.0 194 103 73 66 5.69 4.35 (-31%) -3248.0
1939 NYY AL 10 4 21 15 7 1 2 126.7 102 43 41 50 3.06 4.28 (+29%) -
1940 NYY AL 1 1 13 0 0 0 0 19.3 19 4 14 5 1.86 4.21 (+56%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
259 513 43 96 13 3 0 50 0 18 47 0.187 0.215 0.224 0.439 -2654.8

Career AVG .187 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — 32.0% below league average.

Career OBP .215 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 36.8% below league average.

Career SLG .224 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 42.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.439 vs. league average 0.732 across their career seasons — 40.1% 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
1931 CLE AL 5 11 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1932 CLE AL 27 48 1 7 1 0 0 3 0 1 5 0.146 — — — — 0.0
1933 CLE AL 36 84 4 16 0 2 0 10 0 1 7 0.190 .270 (-29%) .329 (-39%) .377 (-37%) .707 (-38%) -552.4
1934 CLE AL 33 76 5 13 3 0 0 8 0 3 5 0.171 .278 (-38%) .340 (-40%) .392 (-46%) .733 (-44%) -578.4
1935 CLE AL 34 55 9 9 1 1 0 4 0 2 7 0.164 .279 (-42%) .342 (-44%) .399 (-45%) .742 (-45%) -438.6
1936 CLE AL 36 63 7 12 2 0 0 8 0 6 7 0.190 .283 (-33%) .349 (-25%) .404 (-45%) .753 (-36%) -397.0
1937 SLA AL 30 70 9 14 3 0 0 7 0 2 2 0.200 .276 (-28%) .342 (-35%) .398 (-39%) .740 (-37%) -457.2
1938 SLA AL 24 59 3 15 2 0 0 5 0 2 6 0.254 .272 (-7%) .341 (-18%) .392 (-27%) .734 (-23%) -231.3
1939 NYY AL 21 44 5 8 1 0 0 5 0 1 5 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1940 NYY AL 13 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1939 WS NYA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 1 1 0 4.0 2 0 0 3 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1939 WS NYA 0 0 1 1 0 4.0 2 0 0 3 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 258 0 52 236 10 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1931 CLE P 5 0 1 4 0 0
1932 CLE P 27 0 9 13 1 2
1933 CLE P 36 0 11 43 2 4
1934 CLE P 33 0 5 44 0 1
1935 CLE P 34 0 6 35 2 1
1936 CLE P 36 0 4 26 0 1
1937 SLA P 30 0 5 36 2 1
1938 SLA P 23 0 5 14 1 0
1939 NYA P 21 0 5 18 1 1
1940 NYA P 13 0 1 3 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 258

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Butler University Indianapolis IN 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930