Johnny Kucks, baseball player, 1955-1960

Johnny Kucks

Born: 7/27/1932 in Hoboken, NJ, USA

Died: 10/31/2013 in Saddle River, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1955-04-17 | Final Game: 1960-09-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: John Charles Kucks

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Biography

Johnny Kucks, born in 1932, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 until 1960. His career included a notable stint with the New York Yankees, where he contributed to the team's success during a highly competitive period in baseball history. Kucks finished his career with a record of 54-56 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.1, showcasing his ability to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Over his six-season career, he struck out 338 batters and recorded 7 saves, demonstrating his versatility as both a starter and a relief pitcher. Kucks was selected as an All-Star during his career, an achievement that highlighted his talent and promise on the mound. He played during an era that was characterized by the dominance of the Yankees, who were perennial contenders in the late 1950s. Although he faced challenges in maintaining consistent success, Kucks remained a reliable option for his teams, contributing to their efforts in one of baseball's most storied franchises. His career is remembered for his contributions to the game and the impact he had during a dynamic time in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
54 56 207 123 30 7 7 938.3 970 427 91 308 338 4.10 0

Career ERA 4.10 vs. league average 3.90 across their career seasons — 5.1% 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
1955 NYY AL 8 7 29 13 3 1 0 126.7 122 48 44 49 3.41 4.00 (+15%) -
1956 NYY AL 18 9 34 31 12 3 0 224.3 223 96 72 67 3.85 3.96 (+3%) -
1957 NYY AL 8 10 37 23 4 1 2 179.3 169 71 59 78 3.56 3.83 (+7%) -
1958 NYY AL 8 8 34 15 4 1 4 126.0 132 55 39 46 3.93 3.86 (-2%) -
1959 NYY AL 0 1 9 1 0 0 0 16.7 21 16 9 9 8.64 3.90 (-121%) -
1959 KC1 AL 8 11 33 23 6 1 1 151.3 163 65 42 51 3.87 3.90 (+1%) 412.1
1960 KC1 AL 4 10 31 17 1 0 0 114.0 140 76 43 38 6.00 3.82 (-57%) -4993.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
207 291 21 32 5 0 0 6 0 19 95 0.110 0.167 0.127 0.294 -1678.1

Career AVG .110 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 57.3% below league average.

Career OBP .167 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 48.8% below league average.

Career SLG .127 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 67.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.294 vs. league average 0.719 across their career seasons — 59.1% 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
1955 NYY AL 29 40 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.050 — — — — 0.0
1956 NYY AL 34 77 7 11 1 0 0 1 0 7 25 0.143 .258 (-45%) .331 (-33%) .397 (-61%) .728 (-48%) -618.2
1957 NYY AL 37 55 4 6 0 0 0 2 0 5 18 0.109 .257 (-58%) .323 (-43%) .391 (-72%) .715 (-59%) -540.8
1958 NYY AL 34 40 2 5 2 0 0 2 0 3 9 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1959 NYY AL 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1959 KC1 AL 33 47 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 3 22 0.085 — — — — 0.0
1960 KC1 AL 31 30 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 1 9 0.133 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.250

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1958 WS NYA 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1957 WS NYA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1956 WS NYA 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1955 WS NYA 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
1 0 8 1 0 19.0 15 4 6 4 1.89

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1958 WS NYA 0 0 2 0 0 4.3 4 1 1 0 2.08
1957 WS NYA 0 0 1 0 0 0.7 1 0 1 1 0.00
1956 WS NYA 1 0 3 1 0 11.0 6 1 3 2 0.82
1955 WS NYA 0 0 2 0 0 3.0 4 2 1 1 6.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 207 123 45 194 14 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1955 NYA P 29 13 3 24 3 0
1956 NYA P 34 31 13 40 5 5
1957 NYA P 37 23 9 47 1 5
1958 NYA P 34 15 6 25 1 2
1959 NYA P 9 1 1 5 0 0
1959 KC1 P 33 23 10 31 1 4
1960 KC1 P 31 17 3 22 3 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 207

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1956 Most Valuable Player AL 30th 2.0 336 0