Johnny Lanning

Born: 9/6/1910 in Asheville, NC, USA

Died: 11/8/1989 in Asheville, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1936-04-17 | Final Game: 1947-05-12

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: John Young Lanning

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Biography

Johnny Lanning, born in 1910, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1936 until 1947. Lanning made a name for himself in the Major Leagues during a time of significant change in baseball, navigating the transition from the pre-World War II era into the post-war period. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 58 wins and 60 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.58, demonstrating his ability to compete on the mound against some of the era's toughest hitters. Throughout his time in the league, Lanning recorded a total of 295 strikeouts and notched 13 saves, showcasing his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. His pitching style was characterized by a mix of strategic control and resilience, allowing him to hold his own in a challenging environment. While Lanning may not have been among the most celebrated stars of his time, his contributions to the game and his steady performance helped lay the groundwork for future generations of pitchers. His career remains a testament to the dedication and skill required to succeed in the ever-evolving landscape of Major League Baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
58	60	278	104	30	4	13	1071.0	1078	426	55	358	295	3.58	0

Career ERA 3.58 vs. league average 4.00 across their career seasons — 10.4% 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
1936	BSN	NL	7	11	28	20	3	1	0	153.0	154	62	55	33	3.65	4.59 (+20%)	-721.8
1937	BSN	NL	5	7	32	11	4	1	2	116.7	107	51	40	37	3.93	4.34 (+9%)	-1191.3
1938	BSN	NL	8	7	32	18	4	1	0	138.0	146	57	52	39	3.72	4.35 (+14%)	698.8
1939	BSN	NL	5	6	37	6	3	0	4	129.0	120	49	53	45	3.42	4.28 (+20%)	97.9
1940	PIT	NL	8	4	38	7	2	0	2	115.7	119	52	39	42	4.05	4.21 (+4%)	75.5
1941	PIT	NL	11	11	34	23	9	0	1	175.7	175	61	47	41	3.13	3.94 (+21%)	1602.7
1942	PIT	NL	6	8	34	8	2	1	1	119.3	125	44	26	31	3.32	3.57 (+7%)	213.4
1943	PIT	NL	4	1	12	2	0	0	2	27.0	23	7	9	11	2.33	3.50 (+33%)	452.4
1945	PIT	NL	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2.0	8	8	0	0	36.00	—	0.0
1946	PIT	NL	4	5	27	9	3	0	1	91.0	97	31	31	16	3.07	3.59 (+15%)	-295.4
1947	BSN	NL	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	3.7	4	4	6	0	9.82	—	0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
278	322	17	47	11	0	1	17	0	11	67	0.146	0.177	0.189	0.366	-1010.7

Career AVG .146 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 45.1% below league average.

Career OBP .177 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 47.3% below league average.

Career SLG .189 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 49.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.366 vs. league average 0.711 across their career seasons — 48.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1936	BSN	NL	28	52	1	7	0	1	2	1	11	0.135	.283 (-53%)	.349 (-57%)	.404 (-52%)	.753 (-54%)	-500.6
1937	BSN	NL	32	33	2	4	0	0	0	3	12	0.121	—	—	—	—	0.0
1938	BSN	NL	32	48	6	9	0	0	3	0	10	0.188	—	—	—	—	0.0
1939	BSN	NL	37	42	1	6	2	0	4	0	7	0.143	—	—	—	—	0.0
1940	PIT	NL	38	35	2	7	2	0	3	2	8	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0
1941	PIT	NL	34	56	5	6	3	0	4	3	8	0.107	.262 (-59%)	.332 (-50%)	.373 (-57%)	.705 (-54%)	-510.2
1942	PIT	NL	34	29	0	4	3	0	1	1	7	0.138	—	—	—	—	0.0
1943	PIT	NL	12	6	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.167	—	—	—	—	0.0
1945	PIT	NL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	PIT	NL	27	21	0	3	1	0	0	1	4	0.143	—	—	—	—	0.0
1947	BSN	NL	3	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	278	0	73	212	15	19

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1936	BSN	P	28	8	28	3	1
1937	BSN	P	32	7	23	0	3
1938	BSN	P	32	7	24	3	3
1939	BSN	P	37	12	25	3	3
1940	PIT	P	38	8	22	3	2
1941	PIT	P	34	12	41	0	2
1942	PIT	P	34	13	20	1	4
1943	PIT	P	12	1	3	2	0
1945	PIT	P	1	0	1	0	0
1946	PIT	P	27	5	22	0	1
1947	BSN	P	3	0	3	0	0