Johnny Lindell, baseball player, 1941-1954

Johnny Lindell

Born: 8/30/1916 in Greeley, CO, USA

Died: 8/27/1985 in Newport Beach, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-04-18 | Final Game: 1954-05-09

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 217 lbs

Full name: John Harlan Lindell

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Biography

Johnny Lindell, born in 1916, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1941 to 1954. He made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era marked by the transition from the pre-war years into the post-war boom, where players were returning from military service and the game was evolving in terms of talent and competition. Lindell was known for his versatility on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 8-18 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.47. His ability to handle pressure was highlighted by his 146 strikeouts and a single save throughout his time in the league. Lindell's career included an All-Star selection, showcasing his skill and recognition among peers, despite a challenging win-loss record. His contributions to the game were significant, as he navigated the complexities of a changing baseball landscape, including the integration of players and the evolving strategies of pitching. Although his statistics might not place him among the all-time greats, Lindell's journey through the game reflects the broader narrative of baseball during the mid-20th century, making him a notable figure in the sport's rich history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
14.0 14.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.071 0.071 0.071 0.142

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 3.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1943 4.0 4.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.500
1947 10.0 10.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1947 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 3.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
8 18 55 28 15 1 1 251.7 247 125 20 161 146 4.47 0

Career ERA 4.47 vs. league average 3.83 across their career seasons — 16.8% 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
1942 NYY AL 2 1 23 2 0 0 1 52.7 52 22 22 28 3.76 3.57 (-5%) -
1953 PIT NL 5 16 27 23 13 1 0 175.7 173 92 116 102 4.71 4.14 (-14%) -2890.7
1953 PHI NL 1 1 5 3 2 0 0 23.3 22 11 23 16 4.24 4.14 (-3%) -23.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
854 2795 401 762 124 48 72 404 17 289 366 0.273 0.344 0.429 0.773 5206.1

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .344 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .429 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — +15.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.773 vs. league average 0.704 across their career seasons — +9.7% above 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
1941 NYY AL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1942 NYY AL 27 24 1 6 1 0 0 4 0 0 5 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1943 NYY AL 122 441 53 108 17 12 4 51 2 51 55 0.245 .255 (-4%) .324 (+1%) .346 (+5%) .671 (+3%) 249.9
1944 NYY AL 149 594 91 178 33 16 18 103 5 44 56 0.300 .261 (+15%) .325 (+8%) .357 (+40%) .683 (+25%) 2544.2
1945 NYY AL 41 159 26 45 6 3 1 20 2 17 10 0.283 .260 (+8%) .328 (+10%) .354 (+6%) .683 (+8%) 245.7
1946 NYY AL 102 332 41 86 10 5 10 40 4 32 47 0.259 .256 (+1%) .328 (avg) .358 (+14%) .687 (+7%) 386.7
1947 NYY AL 127 476 66 131 18 7 11 67 1 32 70 0.275 .262 (+5%) .336 (-4%) .376 (+9%) .712 (+3%) 117.5
1948 NYY AL 88 309 58 98 17 2 13 55 0 35 50 0.317 .263 (+20%) .340 (+14%) .379 (+35%) .719 (+25%) 1401.8
1949 NYY AL 78 211 33 51 10 0 6 27 3 35 27 0.242 .262 (-8%) .343 (+2%) .384 (-3%) .727 (-1%) 30.3
1950 NYY AL 7 21 2 4 0 0 0 2 0 4 2 0.190 — — — — 0.0
1950 STL NL 36 113 16 21 5 2 5 16 0 15 24 0.186 .265 (-30%) .346 (-17%) .401 (-1%) .747 (-8%) 0.0
1953 PIT NL 58 91 11 26 6 1 4 15 0 16 15 0.286 .264 (+8%) .335 (+20%) .397 (+27%) .733 (+24%) 434.9
1953 PHI NL 11 18 3 7 1 0 0 2 0 6 2 0.389 — — — — 434.9
1954 PHI NL 7 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 0.200 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
12 34 4 11 3 1 0 7 6 8 0.324

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1949 WS NYA 2 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.143
1947 WS NYA 6 18 3 9 3 1 0 7 5 2 0.500
1943 WS NYA 4 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.111

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 16 0 128 4 4 15
OF 689 0 1660 48 35 11
P 55 0 13 52 3 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1942 NYA P 23 0 5 7 1 2
1943 NYA OF 122 0 269 11 10 1
1944 NYA OF 149 0 468 9 7 3
1945 NYA OF 41 0 108 2 2 0
1946 NYA 1B 14 0 116 4 3 15
1946 NYA OF 74 0 159 8 3 3
1947 NYA OF 118 0 308 6 7 1
1948 NYA OF 79 0 165 7 1 1
1949 NYA OF 65 0 114 4 2 1
1950 NYA OF 6 0 6 0 1 0
1950 SLN OF 33 0 61 1 1 1
1953 PIT 1B 2 0 12 0 1 0
1953 PIT P 27 0 8 42 2 2
1953 PHI OF 2 0 2 0 1 0
1953 PHI P 5 0 0 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 55
First Base 16
Left Field 275
Center Field 299
Right Field 127

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1944 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 8.0 336 0