Art Lopatka

Born: 5/28/1919 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 3/10/2007 in Elk Grove Village, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1945-09-12 | Final Game: 1946-07-01

Bats: B | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Arthur Joseph Lopatka

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Biography

Art Lopatka was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1946. Born in 1919, Lopatka's career unfolded during a transitional period in baseball, just after World War II, when the sport was beginning to recover from the challenges of the war years. He made his Major League debut and contributed to the game during a time when many veterans were returning, reshaping the competitive landscape of baseball. Throughout his brief career, Lopatka compiled a record of 1-1 with a 6.35 ERA, striking out 9 batters over his time on the mound. Though he did not achieve the level of success that some of his contemporaries enjoyed, his presence in the major leagues during this era highlights the breadth of talent that existed in the league during a time of player shortages and adjustments. Lopatka's role as a pitcher, albeit for a short duration, adds to the rich tapestry of baseball history, encapsulating the spirit and determination of players from that era.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
1	1	8	2	1	0	0	17.0	20	12	1	7	9	6.35	0

Career ERA 6.35 vs. league average 3.63 across their career seasons — 75.1% 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
1945	STL	NL	1	0	4	1	1	0	0	11.7	7	2	3	5	1.54	3.67 (+58%)	-
1946	PHI	NL	0	1	4	1	0	0	0	5.3	13	10	4	4	16.88	—	0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
8	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.250	0.250	0.250	0.500	0.0

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .250 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 24.0% below league average.

Career SLG .250 vs. league average .357 across their career seasons — 29.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.500 vs. league average 0.686 across their career seasons — 27.1% 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
1945	STL	NL	4	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	PHI	NL	4	0	0	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	8	0	1	1	0	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1945	SLN	P	4	0	1	0	0	0
1946	PHI	P	4	0	0	1	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Pitcher	8

College History

School Name	City	State	Years Attended
University of Chicago	Chicago	IL	1939, 1940, 1941