Larry Jansen, baseball player, 1947-1956

Larry Jansen

Born: 7/16/1920 in Verboort, OR, USA

Died: 10/10/2009 in Verboort, OR, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-04-17 | Final Game: 1956-09-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Lawrence Joseph Jansen

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Biography

Larry Jansen, born in 1920, was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1947 until his retirement in 1956. Over the course of his career, he established himself as a formidable presence on the mound, finishing with a record of 122 wins and 89 losses, alongside an earned run average (ERA) of 3.58. Known for his competitive spirit and effective pitching style, Jansen recorded a total of 842 strikeouts and earned 10 saves during his time in Major League Baseball (MLB). His contributions to the game were recognized with two All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the top pitchers of his era. Jansen's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the integration of the sport and a shift in playing styles. He adeptly navigated the challenges of the post-World War II landscape, showcasing his skills in an increasingly competitive league. His ability to perform consistently in high-pressure situations made him a key asset to his teams and left a lasting impact on the franchises for which he played. Jansen's legacy endures as a testament to the caliber of talent that characterized baseball in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
122 89 291 237 107 17 10 1765.7 1751 703 191 410 842 3.58 0

Career ERA 3.58 vs. league average 4.03 across their career seasons — 11.1% 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
1947 NY1 NL 21 5 42 30 20 1 1 248.0 241 87 57 104 3.16 3.97 (+21%) 1352.6
1948 NY1 NL 18 12 42 36 15 4 2 277.0 283 111 54 126 3.61 4.10 (+12%) 3294.5
1949 NY1 NL 15 16 37 35 17 3 0 259.7 271 111 62 113 3.85 4.12 (+7%) -442.0
1950 NY1 NL 19 13 40 35 21 5 3 275.0 238 92 55 161 3.01 4.36 (+31%) 6331.8
1951 NY1 NL 23 11 39 34 18 3 0 278.7 254 94 56 145 3.04 4.04 (+25%) 5563.6
1952 NY1 NL 11 11 34 27 8 1 2 167.3 183 76 47 74 4.09 3.70 (-10%) 14.2
1953 NY1 NL 11 16 36 26 6 0 1 184.7 185 85 55 88 4.14 4.14 (avg) -558.4
1954 NY1 NL 2 2 13 7 0 0 0 40.7 57 27 15 15 5.98 3.90 (-53%) -555.6
1956 CIN NL 2 3 8 7 2 0 1 34.7 39 20 9 16 5.19 3.96 (-31%) -194.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
291 600 37 90 12 1 1 48 0 39 157 0.150 0.202 0.178 0.380 -4765.9

Career AVG .150 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 42.6% below league average.

Career OBP .202 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 40.0% below league average.

Career SLG .178 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 53.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.380 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 47.4% 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
1947 NY1 NL 42 86 6 16 2 0 0 7 0 3 13 0.186 .262 (-29%) .336 (-37%) .376 (-44%) .712 (-41%) -606.8
1948 NY1 NL 42 95 4 13 3 0 0 7 0 4 22 0.137 .263 (-48%) .340 (-50%) .379 (-56%) .719 (-53%) -878.6
1949 NY1 NL 37 97 2 16 3 1 0 4 0 4 18 0.165 .262 (-37%) .343 (-42%) .384 (-44%) .727 (-43%) -748.3
1950 NY1 NL 40 96 6 16 2 0 1 13 0 3 26 0.167 .265 (-37%) .346 (-45%) .401 (-46%) .747 (-45%) -785.6
1951 NY1 NL 39 96 5 9 0 0 0 5 0 7 33 0.094 .260 (-64%) .336 (-54%) .385 (-76%) .721 (-65%) -1082.5
1952 NY1 NL 34 45 7 8 1 0 0 9 0 11 13 0.178 — — — — -122.3
1953 NY1 NL 36 60 5 8 0 0 0 2 0 6 21 0.133 .264 (-50%) .335 (-37%) .397 (-66%) .733 (-53%) -541.7
1954 NY1 NL 13 14 1 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1956 CIN NL 8 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 2 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
1951 WS NY1 3 2 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 2 3 2 0 10.0 8 7 4 6 6.30

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1951 WS NY1 0 2 3 2 0 10.0 8 7 4 6 6.30

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 291 14 138 335 11 31

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 NY1 P 42 0 19 42 4 3
1948 NY1 P 42 0 20 56 1 7
1949 NY1 P 37 0 14 57 1 1
1950 NY1 P 40 0 30 45 1 7
1951 NY1 P 39 0 29 54 1 3
1952 NY1 P 34 0 9 38 3 5
1953 NY1 P 36 0 11 27 0 2
1954 NY1 P 13 7 3 12 0 3
1956 CIN P 8 7 3 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 291

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1951 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 26.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player NL 33th 2.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 28th 2.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 91.0 336 1
1947 Rookie of the Year ML 2nd 105.0 165 0