Elmer Knetzer

Born: 7/22/1885 in Carrick, PA, USA

Died: 10/3/1975 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1909-09-11 | Final Game: 1917-06-18

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Elmer Ellsworth Knetzer

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Biography

Elmer Knetzer was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the early 20th century, primarily from 1909 to 1917. Born in 1885, Knetzer's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to the lively ball era. His playing style featured a strong emphasis on control and durability, as evidenced by his balanced career record of 69 wins and 69 losses. Knetzer finished his career with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.15, showcasing his ability to keep runs to a minimum in an era when offense was beginning to rise. Throughout his career, Knetzer accumulated a total of 535 strikeouts, reflecting his effectiveness as a strikeout pitcher and his capacity to dominate opposing hitters. Additionally, he recorded 6 saves, indicating his versatility and ability to close out games when needed. While Knetzer may not have achieved the fame of some of his contemporaries, his contributions on the mound during a foundational period of Major League Baseball remain a testament to his skill and competitiveness in the sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
69	69	220	134	82	13	6	1267.3	1206	444	30	484	535	3.15	0

Career ERA 3.15 vs. league average 2.92 across their career seasons — 8.1% worse 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
1909	BRO	NL	1	3	5	4	3	0	0	35.7	33	12	22	7	3.03	2.55 (-19%)	-1692.1
1910	BRO	NL	7	5	20	15	10	3	0	132.7	122	47	60	56	3.19	2.79 (-14%)	-672.7
1911	BRO	NL	11	12	35	20	11	3	0	204.0	202	79	93	66	3.49	3.37 (-3%)	-1211.9
1912	BRO	NL	7	9	33	16	4	1	0	140.3	135	71	70	61	4.55	3.36 (-35%)	-2806.3
1914	PTF	FL	20	12	37	30	20	3	1	272.0	257	87	88	146	2.88	2.93 (+2%)	846.8
1915	PTF	FL	18	14	41	33	22	3	3	279.0	256	80	89	120	2.58	2.90 (+11%)	1032.0
1916	BSN	NL	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	5.0	11	4	2	2	7.20	—	0.0
1916	CIN	NL	5	12	36	16	12	0	1	171.3	161	55	48	70	2.89	2.78 (-4%)	-560.8
1917	CIN	NL	0	0	11	0	0	0	1	27.3	29	9	12	7	2.96	2.69 (-10%)	-423.4

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
221	386	23	42	2	2	0	10	1	12	151	0.109	0.149	0.124	0.273	-2801.3

Career AVG .109 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 57.2% below league average.

Career OBP .149 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 53.7% below league average.

Career SLG .124 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 62.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.273 vs. league average 0.655 across their career seasons — 58.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1909	BRO	NL	5	12	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1910	BRO	NL	20	38	5	2	0	0	0	1	4	16	0.053	—	—	—	—	0.0
1911	BRO	NL	35	62	2	6	0	1	1	0	2	34	0.097	.266 (-64%)	.336 (-59%)	.356 (-64%)	.693 (-61%)	-641.5
1912	BRO	NL	33	37	2	5	0	0	2	0	4	14	0.135	—	—	—	—	0.0
1914	PTF	FL	37	91	6	9	1	0	3	0	1	35	0.099	.255 (-61%)	.322 (-66%)	.339 (-68%)	.661 (-67%)	-977.4
1915	PTF	FL	41	91	8	12	1	0	2	0	1	27	0.132	.250 (-47%)	.318 (-53%)	.332 (-57%)	.651 (-55%)	-797.4
1916	BSN	NL	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1916	CIN	NL	37	52	0	8	0	1	2	0	0	18	0.154	.248 (-38%)	.314 (-51%)	.326 (-41%)	.640 (-46%)	0.0
1917	CIN	NL	11	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0