Ray Narleski, baseball player, 1954-1959

Ray Narleski

Born: 11/25/1928 in Camden, NJ, USA

Died: 3/29/2012 in Clementon, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1954-04-17 | Final Game: 1959-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Raymond Edmond Narleski

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Biography

Ray Narleski was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball during the mid-1950s, making a significant impact over his career from 1954 to 1959. Born in 1928, Narleski played primarily for the Cleveland Indians, where he established himself as a reliable arm in the bullpen and rotation. He finished his career with a record of 43-33 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.6. Over his tenure, he recorded 454 strikeouts and secured 58 saves, showcasing his effectiveness in high-leverage situations. His performance earned him two selections to the All-Star Game, affirming his status among the league's elite pitchers during his playing years. Narleski's playing style was characterized by his ability to control the game and his knack for getting outs in critical moments, which was particularly valuable during a period when the game was transitioning from the deadball era to one featuring more powerful hitters. His contributions were instrumental in several key matchups for the Indians, and he remains a notable figure for fans of the franchise. Despite the challenges of the era, including the increasing emphasis on offense, Narleski’s accomplishments on the mound helped define his legacy as a skilled pitcher in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
43 33 266 52 17 1 58 702.0 606 281 80 335 454 3.60 0

Career ERA 3.60 vs. league average 3.91 across their career seasons — 7.9% better 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
1954 CLE AL 3 3 42 2 1 0 13 89.0 59 22 44 52 2.22 3.90 (+43%) -116.4
1955 CLE AL 9 1 60 1 1 0 19 111.7 91 46 52 94 3.71 4.00 (+7%) 1819.5
1956 CLE AL 3 2 32 0 0 0 4 59.3 36 10 19 42 1.52 3.96 (+62%) 1358.4
1957 CLE AL 11 5 46 15 7 1 16 154.3 136 53 70 93 3.09 3.83 (+19%) -143.8
1958 CLE AL 13 10 44 24 7 0 1 183.3 179 83 91 102 4.07 3.86 (-6%) -2522.7
1959 DET AL 4 12 42 10 1 0 5 104.3 105 67 59 71 5.78 3.90 (-48%) -4320.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
266 166 7 26 1 1 1 8 0 7 57 0.157 0.191 0.193 0.384 -297.7

Career AVG .157 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 39.4% below league average.

Career OBP .191 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 41.9% below league average.

Career SLG .193 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 51.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.384 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 46.8% 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
1954 CLE AL 42 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1955 CLE AL 60 24 0 7 0 0 0 5 0 0 8 0.292 — — — — 0.0
1956 CLE AL 32 8 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1957 CLE AL 46 43 3 4 0 0 1 3 0 1 17 0.093 — — — — 0.0
1958 CLE AL 44 54 3 11 1 0 0 0 0 4 19 0.204 .257 (-21%) .324 (-20%) .394 (-44%) .719 (-33%) -297.7
1959 DET AL 42 21 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0.095 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1954 WS CLE 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 2 0 0 4.0 1 1 1 2 2.25

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1954 WS CLE 0 0 2 0 0 4.0 1 1 1 2 2.25

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 266 52 22 60 9 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 CLE P 42 2 5 10 2 2
1955 CLE P 60 1 1 11 2 0
1956 CLE P 32 0 2 5 0 1
1957 CLE P 46 15 4 10 2 0
1958 CLE P 44 24 6 16 1 0
1959 DET P 42 10 4 8 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 266

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 90.0 336 1