Lefty O'Doul, baseball player, 113 home runs, 1919-1934

Lefty O'Doul

Born: 3/4/1897 in San Francisco, CA, USA

Died: 12/7/1969 in San Francisco, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1919-04-29 | Final Game: 1934-09-30

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Francis Joseph O'Doul

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Biography

Lefty O'Doul, born in 1897, was a notable figure in baseball during the early 20th century, having played primarily as a pitcher from 1919 until his retirement in 1934. His professional career was marked by a brief but impactful tenure in Major League Baseball, where he achieved a record of 1-1 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 4.87 over his time on the mound. O'Doul registered 19 strikeouts during his career, and he was recognized for his contributions to the game with one All-Star selection. O'Doul's significance extended beyond his playing career, as he became a prominent figure in baseball history, particularly known for his later accomplishments as a hitting coach and manager. His journey through the game reflects the transition from the deadball era to a period where offensive play began to flourish. O'Doul's legacy is not merely defined by his pitching statistics but also by his impact on the development of future players and the evolution of baseball in the years following his retirement.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1 1 34 1 0 0 0 77.7 104 42 2 49 19 4.87 0

Career ERA 4.87 vs. league average 3.73 across their career seasons — 30.5% 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
1919 NYY AL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 5.0 7 2 4 2 3.60 — -
1920 NYY AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3.7 4 2 2 2 4.91 — -
1922 NYY AL 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 16.0 24 6 12 5 3.38 4.18 (+19%) -
1923 BOS AL 1 1 23 1 0 0 0 53.0 69 32 31 10 5.43 4.03 (-35%) -1468.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
970 3264 624 1140 175 41 113 542 36 333 122 0.349 0.413 0.532 0.945 19300.1

Career AVG .349 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — +25.0% above league average.

Career OBP .413 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — +21.3% above league average.

Career SLG .532 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — +35.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.945 vs. league average 0.732 across their career seasons — +29.1% 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
1919 NYY AL 19 16 2 4 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1920 NYY AL 13 12 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1922 NYY AL 8 9 0 3 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1923 BOS AL 36 35 2 5 0 0 0 4 0 2 3 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1928 NY1 NL 114 354 67 113 19 4 8 46 9 30 8 0.319 .280 (+14%) .342 (+9%) .395 (+17%) .737 (+13%) 912.0
1929 PHI NL 154 638 152 254 35 6 32 122 2 76 19 0.398 .289 (+38%) .353 (+32%) .415 (+50%) .769 (+41%) 5993.2
1930 PHI NL 140 528 122 202 37 7 22 97 3 63 21 0.383 .293 (+30%) .354 (+28%) .429 (+41%) .784 (+35%) 4175.6
1931 BRO NL 134 512 85 172 32 11 7 75 5 48 16 0.336 .276 (+22%) .338 (+17%) .388 (+24%) .726 (+21%) 2162.8
1932 BRO NL 148 595 120 219 32 8 21 90 11 50 20 0.368 .275 (+34%) .335 (+26%) .391 (+42%) .726 (+35%) 4283.8
1933 BRO NL 43 159 14 40 5 1 5 21 2 15 6 0.252 .270 (-7%) .329 (-3%) .377 (+3%) .707 (avg) 15.6
1933 NY1 NL 78 229 31 70 9 1 9 35 1 29 17 0.306 .270 (+13%) .329 (+18%) .377 (+25%) .707 (+22%) 15.6
1934 NY1 NL 83 177 27 56 4 3 9 46 2 18 7 0.316 .278 (+14%) .340 (+12%) .392 (+34%) .733 (+24%) 786.3

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1933 WS NY1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 804 0 1591 35 60 6
P 34 0 3 26 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1919 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1919 NYA P 3 0 0 1 1 0
1920 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1920 NYA P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1922 NYA P 6 0 1 4 0 0
1923 BOS OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1923 BOS P 23 0 2 21 1 0
1928 NY1 OF 94 0 149 4 6 0
1929 PHI OF 154 0 320 14 10 5
1930 PHI OF 131 0 262 3 13 1
1931 BRO OF 132 0 285 4 14 0
1932 BRO OF 148 0 317 4 7 0
1933 BRO OF 41 0 88 1 5 0
1933 NY1 OF 63 0 109 4 3 0
1934 NY1 OF 38 0 60 1 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 34
Left Field 742
Center Field 1
Right Field 60

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1932 TSN All-Star OF
1929 Baseball Magazine All-Star RF

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 58.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 1.0 80 0
1929 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 54.0 80 0