Boots Poffenberger, baseball player, 1937-1939

Boots Poffenberger

Born: 7/1/1915 in Williamsport, MD, USA

Died: 9/1/1999 in Williamsport, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1937-06-11 | Final Game: 1939-05-21

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 178 lbs

Full name: Cletus Elwood Poffenberger

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Biography

Boots Poffenberger, born in 1915, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1937 until 1939. He made his debut on June 11, 1937, and concluded his career on May 21, 1939. Poffenberger was known for his competitive spirit on the mound and showcased a solid skill set during his brief tenure in the league. Over the course of his career, Poffenberger recorded a win-loss record of 16-12 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 4.75. He accumulated 65 strikeouts and secured 4 saves, contributing to his teams during the late 1930s, a period characterized by a transition in baseball as it moved away from the deadball era towards a more offensive-minded game. While his time in the majors was relatively short, Poffenberger's impact as a pitcher remains part of the rich tapestry of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
16 12 57 32 13 1 4 267.3 301 141 17 149 65 4.75 0

Career ERA 4.75 vs. league average 4.32 across their career seasons — 9.8% 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
1937 DET AL 10 5 29 16 5 0 3 137.3 147 71 79 35 4.65 4.34 (-7%) -3269.5
1938 DET AL 6 7 25 15 8 1 1 125.0 147 67 66 28 4.82 4.35 (-11%) -2443.6
1939 BRO NL 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 5.0 7 3 4 2 5.40 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
57 96 5 19 3 0 0 5 0 2 18 0.198 0.214 0.229 0.443 -307.9

Career AVG .198 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — 27.9% below league average.

Career OBP .214 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 37.4% below league average.

Career SLG .229 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 41.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.443 vs. league average 0.737 across their career seasons — 39.8% 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
1937 DET AL 29 51 5 11 3 0 0 3 0 0 8 0.216 .276 (-22%) .342 (-37%) .398 (-31%) .740 (-34%) -307.9
1938 DET AL 25 44 0 8 0 0 0 2 0 2 9 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1939 BRO NL 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 57 0 13 51 2 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 DET P 29 0 8 32 1 3
1938 DET P 25 0 5 17 1 1
1939 BRO P 3 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 57