Marty Marion, baseball player, 1940-1953

Marty Marion

Born: 12/1/1916 in Richburg, SC, USA

Died: 3/15/2011 in Ladue, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1940-04-16 | Final Game: 1953-07-06

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Martin Whiteford Marion

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Biography

Marty Marion, born in 1916, was a prominent American professional baseball player who enjoyed a successful career from 1940 to 1953. Known for his exceptional defensive skills as a shortstop, Marion was a pivotal figure in the National League during the post-World War II era, a time characterized by the return of veterans and the evolution of the game towards a more aggressive offensive style. Over his 13-year career, he played in 1,572 games, accumulating 1,448 hits, 36 home runs, and 624 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .263. His ability to impact games both offensively and defensively earned him a reputation as a well-rounded player. Marion's contributions to the game were recognized through multiple accolades, including eight All-Star selections and the TSN Guide MVP award. He was celebrated not only for his consistent performance at the plate but also for his leadership and tenacity on the field. Marion's legacy is particularly notable as he helped to solidify the shortstop position during a transformative period in baseball, bridging the gap between the game's earlier foundational years and the more modern approaches that followed. His career continues to be remembered by fans and historians alike for its significance in shaping the landscape of Major League Baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1572 5506 602 1448 272 37 36 624 35 470 537 0.263 0.323 0.345 0.668 -5517.0

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .323 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .345 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 6.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.668 vs. league average 0.704 across their career seasons — 5.1% 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
1940 STL NL 125 435 44 121 18 1 3 46 9 21 34 0.278 .267 (+4%) .335 (-7%) .387 (-11%) .722 (-9%) -835.3
1941 STL NL 155 547 50 138 22 3 3 58 8 42 48 0.252 .262 (-4%) .332 (-7%) .373 (-14%) .705 (-11%) -1232.8
1942 STL NL 147 485 66 134 38 5 0 54 8 48 50 0.276 .253 (+9%) .323 (+6%) .349 (+7%) .672 (+7%) 583.1
1943 STL NL 129 418 38 117 15 3 1 52 1 32 37 0.280 .255 (+9%) .324 (+3%) .346 (-3%) .671 (avg) 6.9
1944 STL NL 144 506 50 135 26 2 6 63 1 43 50 0.267 .261 (+2%) .325 (-1%) .357 (+1%) .683 (avg) 10.4
1945 STL NL 123 430 63 119 27 5 1 59 2 39 39 0.277 .260 (+6%) .328 (+3%) .354 (+4%) .683 (+4%) 273.2
1946 STL NL 146 498 51 116 29 4 3 46 1 59 53 0.233 .256 (-9%) .328 (-3%) .358 (-9%) .687 (-6%) -595.3
1947 STL NL 149 540 57 147 19 6 4 74 3 49 58 0.272 .262 (+4%) .336 (-1%) .376 (-6%) .712 (-4%) -425.1
1948 STL NL 144 567 70 143 26 4 4 43 1 37 54 0.252 .263 (-4%) .340 (-12%) .379 (-12%) .719 (-12%) -1541.6
1949 STL NL 134 515 61 140 31 2 5 70 0 37 42 0.272 .262 (+3%) .343 (-6%) .384 (-4%) .727 (-5%) -624.6
1950 STL NL 106 372 36 92 10 2 4 40 1 44 55 0.247 .265 (-7%) .346 (-6%) .401 (-21%) .747 (-14%) -971.5
1952 SLA AL 67 186 16 46 11 0 2 19 0 19 17 0.247 .252 (-2%) .326 (-2%) .369 (-8%) .696 (-5%) -164.5
1953 SLA AL 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
23 78 5 18 7 1 1 11 7 7 0.231

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 WS SLN 7 24 1 6 2 0 0 4 1 1 0.250
1944 WS SLN 6 22 1 5 3 0 0 2 2 3 0.227
1943 WS SLN 5 14 1 5 2 0 1 2 3 1 0.357
1942 WS SLN 5 18 2 2 0 1 0 3 1 2 0.111

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 2 0 1 0 0 0
SS 1547 0 2986 4829 252 978

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1940 SLN SS 125 0 245 366 33 76
1941 SLN SS 155 0 299 489 38 85
1942 SLN SS 147 0 296 448 31 87
1943 SLN SS 128 0 232 424 20 93
1944 SLN SS 144 0 268 461 21 90
1945 SLN SS 122 0 237 372 21 70
1946 SLN SS 145 0 290 480 21 105
1947 SLN SS 141 0 329 452 15 104
1948 SLN SS 142 0 263 445 19 80
1949 SLN SS 134 0 242 441 17 74
1950 SLN SS 101 0 180 313 11 73
1952 SLA SS 63 0 105 138 5 41
1953 SLA 3B 2 0 1 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Third Base 2
Shortstop 1555

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1945 TSN All-Star SS
1944 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1944 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1944 Most Valuable Player
1944 TSN All-Star SS
1944 TSN Guide MVP
1944 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1944 TSN Player of the Year
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1949 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 3.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 28th 4.0 336 0
1945 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 69.0 336 0
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 190.0 336 7
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 20.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 81.0 336 1
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 8.0 336 0