Mike Paul, baseball player, 1968-1974

Mike Paul

Born: 4/18/1945 in Detroit, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1968-05-27 | Final Game: 1974-04-16

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Michael George Paul

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Mike Paul, born in 1945, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1968 to 1974. Known for his competitive spirit and versatility on the mound, Paul played during a transformative period in Major League Baseball, navigating the evolution of pitching styles and the increasing emphasis on specialization. He recorded a career win-loss record of 27-48, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.91, showcasing his ability to manage games effectively despite a challenging overall record. Over the course of his career, Paul accumulated a total of 452 strikeouts and registered 8 saves, demonstrating his capacity as both a starter and a reliever. His contributions were particularly valuable to the teams he played for, as he provided a reliable option out of the bullpen and in starting rotations. Paul's playing style reflected the shifting dynamics of the game during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven approach in baseball. His legacy remains as a testament to the players who shaped the modern game, even as the sport continued to evolve 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
27 48 228 77 5 1 8 627.7 619 273 60 246 452 3.91 0

Career ERA 3.91 vs. league average 3.53 across their career seasons — 11.0% 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
1968 CLE AL 5 8 36 7 0 0 3 91.7 72 40 35 87 3.93 2.98 (-32%) -873.2
1969 CLE AL 5 10 47 12 0 0 2 117.3 104 47 54 98 3.61 3.61 (avg) 40.1
1970 CLE AL 2 8 30 15 1 0 0 88.0 91 47 45 70 4.81 3.89 (-24%) -1380.1
1971 CLE AL 2 7 17 12 1 0 0 62.0 78 41 14 33 5.95 3.47 (-72%) -807.9
1972 TEX AL 8 9 49 20 2 1 1 161.7 149 39 52 108 2.17 3.26 (+33%) 3663.9
1973 TEX AL 5 4 36 10 1 0 2 87.3 104 48 36 49 4.95 3.75 (-32%) -990.4
1973 CHC NL 0 1 11 1 0 0 0 18.3 17 7 9 6 3.44 3.75 (+8%) -
1974 CHC NL 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1.3 4 4 1 1 27.00 — -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
229 148 8 17 3 0 0 1 0 5 56 0.115 0.144 0.135 0.279 0.0

Career AVG .115 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 54.0% below league average.

Career OBP .144 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 54.8% below league average.

Career SLG .135 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 63.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.279 vs. league average 0.685 across their career seasons — 59.3% 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
1968 CLE AL 36 24 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 13 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1969 CLE AL 47 27 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1970 CLE AL 30 26 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.154 — — — — 0.0
1971 CLE AL 17 19 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0.053 — — — — 0.0
1972 TEX AL 49 48 2 8 3 0 0 1 0 1 19 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1973 TEX AL 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1973 CHC NL 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1974 CHC NL 2 0 0 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
1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 228 77 19 76 4 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1968 CLE 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1968 CLE P 36 7 3 9 1 0
1969 CLE P 47 12 1 14 1 1
1970 CLE P 30 15 2 6 1 1
1971 CLE P 17 12 2 6 0 0
1972 TEX P 49 20 7 19 0 3
1973 TEX P 36 10 3 19 1 2
1973 CHN P 11 1 1 3 0 0
1974 CHN P 2 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 228
First Base 1

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Arizona Tucson AZ 1966
Cerritos College Norwalk CA 1964, 1965