Walt Masterson, baseball player, 1939-1956

Walt Masterson

Born: 6/22/1920 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Died: 4/5/2008 in Durham, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-05-08 | Final Game: 1956-09-24

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 189 lbs

Full name: Walter Edward Masterson

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Biography

Walt Masterson was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1939 to 1956. Born in 1920, Masterson made his Major League debut during an era marked by both the challenges of World War II and the evolution of the game. Over his career, he compiled a record of 78 wins and 100 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.15. He struck out 815 batters and recorded 20 saves, showcasing his versatility and effectiveness on the mound. Masterson was selected as an All-Star twice, highlighting his status as one of the prominent pitchers of his time. His playing style was characterized by a competitive spirit and a deep understanding of the game, which allowed him to navigate the challenges presented by his contemporaries. Although he did not achieve a winning record, his contributions to several teams and his ability to perform under pressure solidified his legacy in baseball history. Walt Masterson's career remains a testament to the perseverance of athletes during a transformative period in Major League Baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
78 100 399 184 70 15 20 1649.7 1613 760 101 886 815 4.15 0

Career ERA 4.15 vs. league average 3.97 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
1939 WSN AL 2 2 24 5 1 0 0 58.3 66 36 48 12 5.55 4.28 (-30%) -
1940 WSN AL 3 13 31 19 3 0 2 130.3 128 71 88 68 4.90 4.21 (-16%) -
1941 WSN AL 4 3 34 6 1 0 3 78.3 101 52 53 40 5.97 3.94 (-52%) -
1942 WSN AL 5 9 25 15 8 4 2 142.7 138 53 54 63 3.34 3.57 (+6%) -
1945 WSN AL 1 2 4 2 1 1 0 25.0 21 3 10 14 1.08 3.67 (+71%) -
1946 WSN AL 5 6 29 9 2 0 1 91.3 105 61 67 61 6.01 3.59 (-67%) -
1947 WSN AL 12 16 35 31 14 4 1 253.0 215 88 97 135 3.13 3.97 (+21%) -
1948 WSN AL 8 15 33 27 9 2 2 188.0 171 80 122 72 3.83 4.10 (+7%) -
1949 WSN AL 3 2 10 7 3 0 0 53.0 42 19 21 17 3.23 4.12 (+22%) -
1949 BOS AL 3 4 18 5 1 0 4 55.0 58 26 35 19 4.25 4.12 (-3%) -116.9
1950 BOS AL 8 6 33 15 6 0 1 129.3 145 81 82 60 5.64 4.36 (-29%) -2427.9
1951 BOS AL 3 0 30 1 0 0 2 59.3 53 22 32 39 3.34 4.04 (+17%) 1559.6
1952 BOS AL 1 1 5 1 0 0 0 9.3 18 12 11 3 11.57 3.70 (-213%) 0.0
1952 WSN AL 9 8 24 21 11 0 2 160.7 153 66 72 89 3.70 3.70 (avg) -
1953 WSN AL 10 12 29 20 10 4 0 166.3 145 67 62 95 3.63 4.14 (+12%) -
1956 DET AL 1 1 35 0 0 0 0 49.7 54 23 32 28 4.17 3.96 (-5%) 258.4

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
402 486 37 68 9 2 0 26 1 34 221 0.140 0.196 0.167 0.363 -1906.7

Career AVG .140 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 46.6% below league average.

Career OBP .196 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 41.4% below league average.

Career SLG .167 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 56.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.363 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 49.1% 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
1939 WSN AL 24 13 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 7 0.154 — — — — 0.0
1940 WSN AL 31 38 6 7 1 0 0 1 0 4 17 0.184 — — — — 0.0
1941 WSN AL 34 19 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 10 0.105 — — — — 0.0
1942 WSN AL 26 45 2 7 0 0 0 3 0 4 19 0.156 — — — — 0.0
1945 WSN AL 4 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1946 WSN AL 29 25 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 14 0.080 — — — — 0.0
1947 WSN AL 36 83 4 11 2 1 0 4 0 4 43 0.133 .262 (-49%) .336 (-49%) .376 (-52%) .712 (-50%) -728.6
1948 WSN AL 33 57 8 11 2 1 0 4 0 2 22 0.193 .263 (-27%) .340 (-35%) .379 (-31%) .719 (-33%) -336.7
1949 WSN AL 11 18 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 11 0.056 — — — — 0.0
1949 BOS AL 18 17 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 0.118 — — — — 0.0
1950 BOS AL 33 44 2 6 1 0 0 1 1 2 18 0.136 — — — — 0.0
1951 BOS AL 30 11 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1952 BOS AL 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1952 WSN AL 24 50 5 6 1 0 0 4 0 4 21 0.120 .252 (-53%) .326 (-43%) .369 (-62%) .696 (-53%) 0.0
1953 WSN AL 29 51 2 7 1 0 0 5 0 6 21 0.137 .264 (-48%) .335 (-32%) .397 (-61%) .733 (-47%) -408.8
1956 DET AL 35 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 399 0 92 281 32 19

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 WS1 P 24 0 2 9 2 0
1940 WS1 P 31 0 5 16 1 0
1941 WS1 P 34 0 4 17 1 2
1942 WS1 P 25 0 8 22 7 0
1945 WS1 P 4 0 2 4 0 0
1946 WS1 P 29 0 5 15 1 0
1947 WS1 P 35 0 14 51 6 4
1948 WS1 P 33 0 10 24 3 1
1949 WS1 P 10 0 3 14 0 0
1949 BOS P 18 0 1 7 1 1
1950 BOS P 33 0 8 26 2 6
1951 BOS P 30 0 1 12 1 0
1952 BOS P 5 0 2 3 0 0
1952 WS1 P 24 0 14 28 1 3
1953 WS1 P 29 0 10 27 4 1
1956 DET P 35 0 3 6 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 399