Ken Holcombe, baseball player, 1945-1953

Ken Holcombe

Born: 8/23/1918 in Burnsville, NC, USA

Died: 3/15/2010 in Weaverville, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1945-04-27 | Final Game: 1953-05-10

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 169 lbs

Full name: Kenneth Edward Holcombe

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Biography

Ken Holcombe was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1953. Born in 1918, Holcombe made his debut during a transformative period in baseball, shortly after World War II, when many veterans returned to the game and the sport began to evolve. Over the course of his career, he compiled a win-loss record of 18-32 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.98, showcasing his ability to compete on the mound during an era marked by the emergence of power hitters and the gradual transition towards a more offense-oriented game. Holcombe recorded a total of 118 strikeouts and registered 2 saves throughout his tenure in the majors. While his career numbers may not place him among the game's all-time greats, his contributions to his teams reflected the grit and determination of a pitcher navigating the challenges of post-war baseball. Holcombe's playing style emphasized control and strategic pitching, traits that were essential for success during a time when many teams relied on their pitching staff to keep games close in order to capitalize on scoring opportunities. His legacy continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
18 32 99 48 18 2 2 375.0 377 166 25 170 118 3.98 0

Career ERA 3.98 vs. league average 3.99 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
1945 NYY AL 3 3 23 2 0 0 0 55.3 43 11 27 20 1.79 3.67 (+51%) -
1948 CIN NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.3 3 2 0 2 7.71 — 0.0
1950 CHW AL 3 10 24 15 5 0 1 96.0 122 49 45 37 4.59 4.36 (-5%) -
1951 CHW AL 11 12 28 23 12 2 0 159.3 142 67 68 39 3.78 4.04 (+6%) -
1952 CHW AL 0 5 7 7 1 0 0 35.0 38 24 18 12 6.17 3.70 (-67%) -
1952 SLA AL 0 2 12 1 0 0 0 21.0 20 9 9 7 3.86 3.70 (-4%) 39.0
1953 BOS AL 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 6.0 9 4 3 1 6.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
99 106 7 19 2 0 0 3 0 3 36 0.179 0.202 0.198 0.400 0.0

Career AVG .179 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 31.4% below league average.

Career OBP .202 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 39.9% below league average.

Career SLG .198 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 48.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.400 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 44.2% 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
1945 NYY AL 23 15 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.133 — — — — 0.0
1948 CIN NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1950 CHW AL 24 32 2 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.156 — — — — 0.0
1951 CHW AL 28 44 5 11 1 0 0 3 0 3 16 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1952 CHW AL 7 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1952 SLA AL 12 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1953 BOS AL 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 99 0 19 84 8 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1945 NYA P 23 0 2 10 1 1
1948 CIN P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1950 CHA P 24 0 6 16 2 1
1951 CHA P 28 0 8 42 3 5
1952 CHA P 7 0 1 10 2 0
1952 SLA P 12 0 1 5 0 0
1953 BOS P 3 0 1 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 99