Gary Peters, baseball player, 1959-1972

Gary Peters

Born: 4/21/1937 in Grove City, PA, USA

Died: 1/26/2023 in Sarasota, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1959-09-10 | Final Game: 1972-09-23

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Gary Charles Peters

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Biography

Gary Peters was a talented pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1972. Born in 1937, Peters made a name for himself during an era marked by the transition from the deadball period to a more offensive style of play. He was known for his accuracy and consistency on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 124-103 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.25. Over his career, Peters struck out 1,420 batters and recorded five saves, showcasing his ability to both start and close games effectively. Peters' impressive performance earned him recognition as a two-time All-Star and led to his accolades as the Rookie of the Year and TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year. His contributions to the game were significant during a period that saw the rise of power hitting and the evolution of pitching strategies. Peters' legacy lives on as a skilled left-handed pitcher who consistently challenged hitters and played a vital role in his teams' successes throughout his career.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
124 103 359 286 79 23 5 2081.0 1894 751 157 706 1420 3.25 0

Career ERA 3.25 vs. league average 3.58 across their career seasons — 9.2% 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
1959 CHW AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1.0 2 0 2 1 0.00 — -
1960 CHW AL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3.3 4 1 1 4 2.70 — -
1961 CHW AL 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 10.3 10 2 2 6 1.74 4.03 (+57%) -
1962 CHW AL 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 6.3 8 4 1 4 5.68 — -
1963 CHW AL 19 8 41 30 13 4 1 243.0 192 63 68 189 2.33 3.46 (+33%) -
1964 CHW AL 20 8 37 36 11 3 0 273.7 217 76 104 205 2.50 3.58 (+30%) -
1965 CHW AL 10 12 33 30 1 0 0 176.3 181 71 63 95 3.62 3.50 (-4%) -
1966 CHW AL 12 10 30 27 11 4 0 204.7 156 45 45 129 1.98 3.52 (+44%) -
1967 CHW AL 16 11 38 36 11 3 0 260.0 187 66 91 215 2.28 3.30 (+31%) -
1968 CHW AL 4 13 31 25 6 1 1 162.7 146 68 60 110 3.76 2.98 (-26%) -
1969 CHW AL 10 15 36 32 7 3 0 218.7 238 110 78 140 4.53 3.61 (-25%) -
1970 BOS AL 16 11 34 34 10 4 0 221.7 221 100 83 155 4.06 3.89 (-4%) 1477.5
1971 BOS AL 14 11 34 32 9 1 1 214.0 241 104 70 100 4.37 3.47 (-26%) -3529.8
1972 BOS AL 3 3 33 4 0 0 1 85.3 91 41 38 67 4.32 3.26 (-32%) -1149.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
450 807 86 179 31 7 19 102 0 29 172 0.222 0.253 0.348 0.601 -1664.8

Career AVG .222 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 11.0% below league average.

Career OBP .253 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 19.9% below league average.

Career SLG .348 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.601 vs. league average 0.689 across their career seasons — 12.8% 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
1959 CHW AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1960 CHW AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1961 CHW AL 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1962 CHW AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1963 CHW AL 50 81 12 21 4 1 3 12 0 3 19 0.259 .246 (+5%) .308 (-7%) .371 (+20%) .680 (+7%) 51.7
1964 CHW AL 54 120 9 25 7 0 4 19 0 2 29 0.208 .250 (-17%) .312 (-27%) .377 (-3%) .690 (-14%) -323.7
1965 CHW AL 42 72 2 13 1 0 1 6 0 2 15 0.181 .245 (-26%) .310 (-36%) .371 (-36%) .682 (-36%) -439.4
1966 CHW AL 38 81 12 19 3 2 1 9 0 0 19 0.235 .248 (-6%) .309 (-24%) .376 (-5%) .685 (-14%) -215.8
1967 CHW AL 48 99 10 21 0 2 2 13 0 2 23 0.212 .242 (-12%) .306 (-21%) .357 (-12%) .663 (-16%) -278.7
1968 CHW AL 46 72 10 15 3 1 2 8 0 6 13 0.208 .236 (-12%) .298 (-7%) .340 (+6%) .638 (avg) -7.4
1969 CHW AL 37 71 9 12 4 0 2 4 0 2 15 0.169 .248 (-32%) .320 (-38%) .369 (-16%) .689 (-26%) -339.2
1970 BOS AL 37 82 12 20 3 1 1 11 0 8 11 0.244 .253 (-4%) .325 (-4%) .385 (-11%) .711 (-8%) -111.6
1971 BOS AL 53 96 7 26 4 0 3 19 0 3 20 0.271 .249 (+9%) .316 (-7%) .365 (+11%) .682 (+3%) -0.8
1972 BOS AL 33 30 2 6 2 0 0 1 0 1 7 0.200 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 359 286 111 312 15 27

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1959 CHA P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1960 CHA P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1961 CHA P 3 0 3 6 0 1
1962 CHA P 5 0 0 2 0 0
1963 CHA P 41 30 17 30 2 4
1964 CHA P 37 36 16 41 3 4
1965 CHA P 33 30 12 32 1 0
1966 CHA P 30 27 7 41 1 4
1967 CHA P 38 36 15 50 2 5
1968 CHA P 31 25 12 21 0 3
1969 CHA P 36 32 6 25 1 1
1970 BOS P 34 34 7 27 3 3
1971 BOS P 34 32 13 27 2 2
1972 BOS P 33 4 3 10 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 359

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1964 TSN All-Star P
1963 Rookie of the Year
1963 TSN All-Star P
1963 TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1967 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 37.0 280 0
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 44.0 280 0
1963 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 55.0 280 0
1963 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 10.0 20 10