David Palmer

Born: 10/19/1957 in Glens Falls, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1978-09-09 | Final Game: 1989-06-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: David William Palmer

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Biography

David Palmer was a professional baseball pitcher, born in 1957, who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 until his retirement in 1989. Known for his competitive spirit and strong pitching mechanics, Palmer became a reliable presence on the mound over his 11-year career. He achieved a win-loss record of 64-59 and maintained a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.78, showcasing his ability to keep runs to a minimum during an era characterized by significant offensive production in the league. Throughout his career, Palmer accumulated a total of 748 strikeouts, demonstrating his skill in overpowering batters with his fastball and breaking pitches. Though he secured only 2 saves, his contributions were often pivotal in games, reflecting his role as a starting pitcher rather than a closer. Palmer's playing style and effectiveness made him a respected figure among his peers during the late 1970s and 1980s, an era that saw the transition away from the traditional deadball approach towards a more power-hitting game. His legacy remains a testament to the artistry of pitching in a time when the game was evolving rapidly.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
64	59	212	176	10	4	2	1085.0	1036	456	78	434	748	3.78	0

Career ERA 3.78 vs. league average 3.88 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
1978	WSN	NL	0	1	5	1	0	0	0	9.7	9	3	2	7	2.79	3.69 (+24%)	-
1979	WSN	NL	10	2	36	11	2	1	2	122.7	110	36	30	72	2.64	4.00 (+34%)	-
1980	WSN	NL	8	6	24	19	3	1	0	129.7	124	43	30	73	2.98	3.84 (+22%)	-
1982	WSN	NL	6	4	13	13	1	0	0	73.7	60	26	36	46	3.18	3.86 (+18%)	-
1984	WSN	NL	7	3	20	19	1	1	0	105.3	101	45	44	66	3.84	3.81 (-1%)	-
1985	WSN	NL	7	10	24	23	0	0	0	135.7	128	56	67	106	3.71	3.89 (+5%)	-
1986	ATL	NL	11	10	35	35	2	0	0	209.7	181	85	102	170	3.65	3.97 (+8%)	1301.6
1987	ATL	NL	8	11	28	28	0	0	0	152.3	169	83	64	111	4.90	4.29 (-14%)	120.9
1988	PHI	NL	7	9	22	22	1	1	0	129.0	129	64	48	85	4.47	3.73 (-20%)	1191.8
1989	DET	AL	0	3	5	5	0	0	0	17.3	25	15	11	12	7.79	3.71 (-110%)	-139.9

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
213	323	22	48	12	0	5	23	0	5	95	0.149	0.162	0.232	0.394	-407.1

Career AVG .149 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 42.7% below league average.

Career OBP .162 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 50.2% below league average.

Career SLG .232 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 40.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.394 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — 44.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1978	WSN	NL	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1979	WSN	NL	36	31	1	1	0	0	0	1	15	0.032	—	—	—	—	0.0
1980	WSN	NL	25	45	3	9	2	0	3	2	15	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0
1982	WSN	NL	13	24	2	1	0	0	0	0	7	0.042	—	—	—	—	0.0
1984	WSN	NL	20	33	2	5	1	1	3	0	12	0.152	—	—	—	—	0.0
1985	WSN	NL	24	36	1	4	1	0	0	0	10	0.111	—	—	—	—	0.0
1986	ATL	NL	35	66	3	12	3	1	6	1	17	0.182	.257 (-29%)	.325 (-40%)	.395 (-31%)	.720 (-35%)	-407.1
1987	ATL	NL	28	48	4	6	1	1	5	1	15	0.125	—	—	—	—	0.0
1988	PHI	NL	22	39	6	10	4	2	6	0	4	0.256	—	—	—	—	0.0
1989	DET	AL	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	212	176	103	163	10	12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1978	MON	P	5	1	0	5	1	0
1979	MON	P	36	11	7	17	1	0
1980	MON	P	24	19	9	26	2	0
1982	MON	P	13	13	7	10	1	1
1984	MON	P	20	19	20	13	1	1
1985	MON	P	24	23	17	21	1	3
1986	ATL	P	35	35	18	33	0	3
1987	ATL	P	28	28	9	25	1	2
1988	PHI	P	22	22	14	12	1	2
1989	DET	P	5	5	2	1	1	0