Don Padgett, baseball player, 1937-1948

Don Padgett

Born: 12/5/1911 in Caroleen, NC, USA

Died: 12/2/1980 in High Point, NC, USA

MLB Debut: 1937-04-23 | Final Game: 1948-09-12

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Don Wilson Padgett

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Biography

Don Padgett was a professional baseball player born in 1911, who enjoyed a notable career in Major League Baseball from 1937 until his retirement in 1948. Primarily a position player, Padgett showcased his talents over 699 games, where he established himself as a reliable hitter with a career batting average of .288. His offensive contributions included 573 hits and 37 home runs, along with 338 runs batted in, demonstrating his ability to drive in runs during crucial moments of the game. Padgett's playing style was characterized by his solid contact hitting and an ability to get on base, which was particularly valuable during the era he played in. As a member of teams such as the St. Louis Browns and the New York Giants, he contributed to the competitive landscape of baseball in the late 1930s and 1940s, a time marked by the transition towards more powerful hitting in the post-war years. While his career was not without challenges, Padgett's contributions to his teams and the game of baseball as a whole remain a significant part of his legacy.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
699 1991 247 573 111 16 37 338 6 141 130 0.288 0.336 0.415 0.752 1188.2

Career AVG .288 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — +7.8% above league average.

Career OBP .336 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .415 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — +8.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.752 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — near 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
1937 STL NL 123 446 62 140 22 6 10 74 4 30 43 0.314 .276 (+14%) .342 (+4%) .398 (+15%) .740 (+10%) 810.4
1938 STL NL 110 388 59 105 26 5 8 65 0 18 28 0.271 .272 (-1%) .341 (-11%) .392 (+8%) .734 (-1%) -246.9
1939 STL NL 92 233 38 93 15 3 5 53 1 18 11 0.399 .274 (+46%) .342 (+30%) .393 (+41%) .735 (+36%) 1585.6
1940 STL NL 93 240 24 58 15 1 6 41 1 26 14 0.242 .267 (-10%) .335 (-4%) .387 (avg) .722 (-2%) -95.5
1941 STL NL 107 324 39 80 18 0 5 44 0 21 16 0.247 .262 (-6%) .332 (-12%) .373 (-7%) .705 (-9%) -620.3
1946 BRO NL 19 30 2 5 1 0 1 9 0 4 4 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1946 BSN NL 44 98 6 25 3 0 2 21 0 5 7 0.255 .256 (-1%) .328 (-11%) .358 (-3%) .687 (-7%) 0.0
1947 PHI NL 75 158 14 50 8 1 0 24 0 16 5 0.316 .262 (+21%) .336 (+14%) .376 (+1%) .712 (+7%) 234.5
1948 PHI NL 36 74 3 17 3 0 0 7 0 3 2 0.230 .263 (-13%) .340 (-24%) .379 (-29%) .719 (-26%) -342.9

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 26 0 178 12 1 14
C 251 0 835 92 37 13
OF 242 0 480 24 22 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 SLN OF 109 0 225 9 11 5
1938 SLN 1B 16 0 138 11 0 12
1938 SLN C 6 0 17 2 3 0
1938 SLN OF 71 0 140 14 6 3
1939 SLN 1B 6 0 27 0 1 1
1939 SLN C 61 0 249 18 6 5
1940 SLN 1B 2 0 1 0 0 0
1940 SLN C 72 0 243 34 11 5
1941 SLN 1B 2 0 12 1 0 1
1941 SLN C 18 0 62 5 4 0
1941 SLN OF 62 0 115 1 5 0
1946 BRO C 10 0 24 3 0 1
1946 BSN C 26 0 65 12 5 1
1947 PHI C 39 0 111 16 5 1
1948 PHI C 19 0 64 2 3 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 250
First Base 26
Left Field 67
Center Field 11
Right Field 164

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Lenoir-Rhyne College Hickory NC 1934