Jim Kern, baseball player, 1974-1986

Jim Kern

Born: 3/15/1949 in Gladwin, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1974-09-06 | Final Game: 1986-05-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: James Lester Kern

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Biography

Jim Kern, born in 1949, was a prominent pitcher who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball from 1974 until his retirement in 1986. Known for his effective pitching style and competitive spirit, Kern compiled a career record of 53-57, showcasing his resilience on the mound. He maintained an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.32 over his career, which spanned more than a decade, and struck out 651 batters. His ability to close games was highlighted by his 88 saves, establishing him as a reliable option in critical situations. Kern's career was marked by three All-Star selections, a testament to his skill and recognition among peers during an era characterized by both the rise of power hitters and the evolution of pitching strategies. His contributions to the game were particularly notable in the context of the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period that saw a blend of traditional baseball fundamentals and the early influences of a more analytical approach to the sport. Jim Kern remains a respected figure in baseball history, celebrated for his performances and his role in the game during a transformative time.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
53 57 416 14 1 0 88 793.3 670 293 35 444 651 3.32 0

Career ERA 3.32 vs. league average 3.81 across their career seasons — 12.7% 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
1974 CLE AL 0 1 4 3 1 0 0 15.3 16 8 14 11 4.70 3.63 (-29%) -424.2
1975 CLE AL 1 2 13 7 0 0 0 71.7 60 30 45 55 3.77 3.71 (-2%) -620.9
1976 CLE AL 10 7 50 2 0 0 15 117.7 91 31 50 111 2.37 3.51 (+33%) 3449.9
1977 CLE AL 8 10 60 0 0 0 18 92.0 85 35 47 91 3.42 4.00 (+14%) 2546.4
1978 CLE AL 10 10 58 0 0 0 13 99.3 77 34 58 95 3.08 3.69 (+16%) 1644.9
1979 TEX AL 13 5 71 0 0 0 29 143.0 99 25 62 136 1.57 4.00 (+61%) 5059.3
1980 TEX AL 3 11 38 1 0 0 2 63.3 65 34 45 40 4.83 3.84 (-26%) -1114.4
1981 TEX AL 1 2 23 0 0 0 6 30.0 21 9 22 20 2.70 3.58 (+25%) 12.5
1982 CIN NL 3 5 50 0 0 0 2 76.0 61 24 48 43 2.84 3.86 (+26%) -403.1
1982 CHW AL 2 1 13 1 0 0 3 28.0 20 16 12 23 5.14 3.86 (-33%) -
1983 CHW AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.7 1 0 0 0 0.00 — -
1984 PHI NL 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 13.3 20 15 10 8 10.12 3.81 (-166%) -980.1
1984 ATL AL 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 4.7 6 0 3 4 0.00 — -
1985 ATL AL 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 11.0 14 8 5 3 6.55 3.89 (-68%) -
1986 CLE AL 1 1 16 0 0 0 0 27.3 34 24 23 11 7.90 3.97 (-99%) -909.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
416 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.000 0.100 0.000 0.100 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .100 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 69.2% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.100 vs. league average 0.709 across their career seasons — 85.9% 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
1974 CLE AL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 CLE AL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 CLE AL 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 CLE AL 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1978 CLE AL 58 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1979 TEX AL 71 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 TEX AL 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1981 TEX AL 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 CIN NL 50 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1982 CHW AL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 CHW AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1984 PHI NL 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1984 ATL AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1985 ATL AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 CLE AL 16 0 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 416 14 43 115 16 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1974 CLE P 4 3 0 1 0 0
1975 CLE P 13 7 4 11 2 0
1976 CLE P 50 2 7 14 3 2
1977 CLE P 60 0 5 13 3 2
1978 CLE P 58 0 4 16 0 0
1979 TEX P 71 0 9 16 7 1
1980 TEX P 38 1 0 12 0 1
1981 TEX P 23 0 3 3 1 0
1982 CIN P 50 0 3 15 0 0
1982 CHA P 13 1 3 3 0 0
1983 CHA P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1984 PHI P 8 0 0 2 0 0
1984 ML4 P 6 0 1 0 0 0
1985 ML4 P 5 0 2 3 0 1
1986 CLE P 16 0 2 6 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 416

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1979 Pitcher of the Month May
1979 Reliever of the Year Award
1979 TSN All-Star RHP
1979 TSN Fireman of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1986 CLE AL $90,000
Total Career Earnings $90,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1979 Cy Young Award AL 4th 25.0 140 0
1979 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 25.0 392 0