Denny Lemaster, baseball player, 1962-1972

Denny Lemaster

Born: 2/25/1939 in Corona, CA, USA

Died: 7/24/2024 in Loganville, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1962-07-15 | Final Game: 1972-06-21

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 182 lbs

Full name: Denver Clayton Lemaster

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Biography

Denny Lemaster was a talented pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1962 until 1972. Born in 1939, he made his debut in an era characterized by the transition from the deadball style to a more power-oriented game. Over the course of his career, Lemaster compiled a record of 90 wins and 105 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.58. He was known for his ability to strike out batters, totaling 1,305 strikeouts, and he recorded eight saves during his time on the mound. Lemaster's performance earned him a spot in the All-Star Game, highlighting his status among the league's elite pitchers at that time. Lemaster's playing style was marked by his competitiveness and durability, which allowed him to be a reliable presence in the rotation for several teams, including the Milwaukee Braves and the Houston Astros. Though he had a losing record, his contributions to his teams went beyond just statistics, as he often provided valuable innings and leadership on the field. His career spanned a transformative period in baseball, and his achievements remain a testament to his skill and perseverance in a challenging era for pitchers.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
90 105 357 249 66 14 8 1787.7 1703 712 184 600 1305 3.58 0

Career ERA 3.58 vs. league average 3.51 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
1962 ATL NL 3 4 17 12 4 1 0 86.7 75 29 32 69 3.01 3.96 (+24%) -
1963 ATL NL 11 14 46 31 10 1 1 237.0 199 80 85 190 3.04 3.46 (+12%) -
1964 ATL NL 17 11 39 35 9 3 1 221.0 216 102 75 185 4.15 3.58 (-16%) -
1965 ATL NL 7 13 32 23 4 1 0 146.3 140 72 58 111 4.43 3.50 (-27%) -
1966 ATL NL 11 8 27 27 10 3 0 171.0 170 71 41 139 3.74 3.52 (-6%) -202.3
1967 ATL NL 9 9 31 31 8 2 0 215.3 184 80 72 148 3.34 3.30 (-1%) -636.9
1968 HOU NL 10 15 33 32 7 2 0 224.0 231 70 72 146 2.81 2.98 (+6%) 1430.9
1969 HOU NL 13 17 38 37 11 1 1 244.7 232 86 72 173 3.16 3.61 (+12%) 3602.0
1970 HOU NL 7 12 39 21 3 0 3 162.0 169 82 65 103 4.56 3.89 (-17%) -2038.5
1971 HOU NL 0 2 42 0 0 0 2 60.0 59 23 22 28 3.45 3.47 (+1%) -99.9
1972 WSN NL 2 0 13 0 0 0 0 19.7 28 17 6 13 7.78 3.26 (-138%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
357 552 25 72 7 1 4 36 0 32 192 0.130 0.178 0.168 0.346 -3590.9

Career AVG .130 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 47.3% below league average.

Career OBP .178 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 43.4% below league average.

Career SLG .168 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 54.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.346 vs. league average 0.683 across their career seasons — 49.3% 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
1962 ATL NL 17 33 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 1 20 0.121 — — — — 0.0
1963 ATL NL 46 74 5 14 1 0 2 3 0 0 19 0.189 .246 (-23%) .308 (-39%) .371 (-24%) .680 (-31%) -383.7
1964 ATL NL 39 67 2 9 1 0 0 6 0 4 25 0.134 .250 (-46%) .312 (-41%) .377 (-61%) .690 (-52%) -605.3
1965 ATL NL 32 45 3 4 1 0 0 2 0 2 19 0.089 — — — — 0.0
1966 ATL NL 27 59 5 7 1 1 0 5 0 3 21 0.119 .248 (-52%) .309 (-48%) .376 (-55%) .685 (-52%) -493.5
1967 ATL NL 31 67 2 7 0 0 0 3 0 4 24 0.104 .242 (-57%) .306 (-50%) .357 (-71%) .663 (-61%) -643.7
1968 HOU NL 33 65 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 6 20 0.031 .236 (-87%) .298 (-62%) .340 (-91%) .638 (-78%) -753.0
1969 HOU NL 38 88 3 15 3 0 1 7 0 6 26 0.170 .248 (-31%) .320 (-30%) .369 (-35%) .689 (-33%) -482.6
1970 HOU NL 39 45 3 8 0 0 1 7 0 5 13 0.178 — — — — -229.1
1971 HOU NL 42 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1972 WSN NL 13 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 357 249 78 232 13 9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1962 ML1 P 17 12 3 7 3 0
1963 ML1 P 46 31 12 26 2 1
1964 ML1 P 39 35 11 35 0 3
1965 ML1 P 32 23 10 23 3 1
1966 ATL P 27 27 7 18 0 0
1967 ATL P 31 31 7 35 0 0
1968 HOU P 33 32 7 27 4 1
1969 HOU P 38 37 12 33 0 1
1970 HOU P 39 21 8 17 1 1
1971 HOU P 42 0 1 10 0 1
1972 MON P 13 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 357