Les Lancaster, baseball player, 1987-1993

Les Lancaster

Born: 4/21/1962 in Dallas, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1987-04-07 | Final Game: 1993-10-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Lester Wayne Lancaster

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Biography

Les Lancaster was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1993. Born in 1962, Lancaster established himself as a reliable arm during the late 1980s and early 1990s, a period marked by a transition in the game as teams began to emphasize both power hitting and strong bullpen performances. Over the course of his career, he posted a record of 41-28, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.05. Lancaster's ability to strike out batters was evident in his 408 career strikeouts, and he also contributed to his teams' successes with 22 saves. Lancaster's pitching style was characterized by a solid mix of off-speed pitches that kept hitters off balance, making him a valuable asset in both starting and relief roles. Throughout his career, he played for several teams, showcasing his adaptability and competence on the mound. His contributions during an era of offensive prowess in baseball underscored the importance of effective pitching, and he remains a significant figure in the annals of the game for his accomplishments during a competitive period in Major League Baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
41 28 323 39 3 1 22 703.7 715 317 60 261 408 4.05 0

Career ERA 4.05 vs. league average 3.92 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
1987 CHC NL 8 3 27 18 0 0 0 132.3 138 72 51 78 4.90 4.29 (-14%) -
1988 CHC NL 4 6 44 3 1 0 5 85.7 89 36 34 36 3.78 3.73 (-1%) -
1989 CHC NL 4 2 42 0 0 0 8 72.7 60 11 15 56 1.36 3.71 (+63%) -
1990 CHC NL 9 5 55 6 1 1 6 109.0 121 56 40 65 4.62 3.86 (-20%) -
1991 CHC NL 9 7 64 11 1 0 3 156.0 150 61 49 102 3.52 3.91 (+10%) -
1992 DET AL 3 4 41 1 0 0 0 86.7 101 61 51 35 6.33 3.75 (-69%) -3857.6
1993 STL NL 4 1 50 0 0 0 0 61.3 56 20 21 36 2.93 4.19 (+30%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
323 132 6 13 4 0 0 5 0 5 64 0.098 0.131 0.129 0.260 -615.6

Career AVG .098 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 61.8% below league average.

Career OBP .131 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 59.5% below league average.

Career SLG .129 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 66.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.260 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 63.5% 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
1987 CHC NL 27 49 2 4 1 0 0 2 0 1 19 0.082 — — — — -615.6
1988 CHC NL 44 20 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0.050 — — — — 0.0
1989 CHC NL 42 11 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 7 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1990 CHC NL 55 20 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 0.050 — — — — 0.0
1991 CHC NL 64 28 2 5 2 0 0 2 0 0 13 0.179 — — — — 0.0
1992 DET AL 41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1993 STL NL 50 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1989 NLCS CHN 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 1 3 0 0 6.0 6 4 1 3 6.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1989 NLCS CHN 1 1 3 0 0 6.0 6 4 1 3 6.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 323 39 54 84 1 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1987 CHN P 27 18 12 14 0 0
1988 CHN P 44 3 6 17 0 0
1989 CHN P 42 0 8 5 0 1
1990 CHN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1990 CHN P 55 6 9 19 0 1
1991 CHN P 64 11 13 14 0 1
1992 DET P 41 1 3 9 1 4
1993 SLN P 50 0 3 6 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 323
Left Field 1

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1993 SLN NL $350,000
1991 CHN NL $550,000
1990 CHN NL $300,000
1989 CHN NL $120,000
1988 CHN NL $90,000
1987 CHN NL $62,500
Total Career Earnings $1,472,500

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR 1982, 1983, 1984
Dallas Baptist University Dallas TX 1985

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1987 Rookie of the Year NL 6th 1.0 120 0