Bob Purkey, baseball player, 1954-1966

Bob Purkey

Born: 7/14/1929 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Died: 3/16/2008 in Allegheny County, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1954-04-14 | Final Game: 1966-07-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Robert Thomas Purkey

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Biography

Bob Purkey was a talented pitcher whose career spanned from 1954 to 1966. Born in 1929, Purkey made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball period to a more offense-driven game. He played for several teams, most notably the Cincinnati Reds, where he established himself as a reliable starting pitcher. Over his career, he compiled a record of 129 wins and 115 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.79. His ability to strike out batters was evident as he recorded 793 strikeouts and contributed with 9 saves throughout his time in the league. Purkey's skill on the mound earned him recognition as a four-time All-Star, highlighting his prominence in the sport during the 1950s and early 1960s. Known for his competitive spirit and effective pitching style, he became a key figure in the Reds' rotation and played a significant role in their success during that era. His contributions to the game have left a lasting legacy, as he remains an important part of baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
129 115 386 276 92 13 9 2114.7 2170 891 195 510 793 3.79 0

Career ERA 3.79 vs. league average 3.78 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
1954 PIT NL 3 8 36 11 0 0 0 131.3 145 74 62 38 5.07 3.90 (-30%) 691.6
1955 PIT NL 2 7 14 10 2 0 1 67.7 77 40 25 24 5.32 4.00 (-33%) 312.6
1956 PIT NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4.0 2 1 0 1 2.25 — 0.0
1957 PIT NL 11 14 48 21 6 1 2 179.7 194 77 38 51 3.86 3.83 (-1%) 2189.5
1958 CIN NL 17 11 37 34 17 3 0 250.0 259 100 49 70 3.60 3.86 (+7%) 60.2
1959 CIN NL 13 18 38 33 9 1 1 218.0 241 103 43 78 4.25 3.90 (-9%) -505.5
1960 CIN NL 17 11 41 33 11 1 0 252.7 259 101 59 97 3.60 3.82 (+6%) 447.8
1961 CIN NL 16 12 36 34 13 1 1 246.3 245 102 51 116 3.73 4.03 (+7%) 1780.1
1962 CIN NL 23 5 37 37 18 2 0 288.3 260 90 64 141 2.81 3.96 (+29%) 1848.9
1963 CIN NL 6 10 21 21 4 1 0 137.0 143 54 33 55 3.55 3.46 (-3%) -430.6
1964 CIN NL 11 9 34 25 9 2 1 195.7 181 66 49 78 3.04 3.58 (+15%) -757.0
1965 STL NL 10 9 32 17 3 1 2 124.3 148 80 33 39 5.79 3.50 (-66%) -
1966 PIT NL 0 1 10 0 0 0 1 19.7 16 3 4 5 1.37 3.52 (+61%) 426.7

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
387 645 53 71 9 3 6 42 0 38 325 0.110 0.163 0.161 0.325 -4820.8

Career AVG .110 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 56.7% below league average.

Career OBP .163 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 49.2% below league average.

Career SLG .161 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 58.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.325 vs. league average 0.708 across their career seasons — 54.2% 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
1954 PIT NL 36 26 2 2 1 0 0 4 0 4 12 0.077 — — — — 0.0
1955 PIT NL 14 19 1 6 0 0 1 4 0 0 4 0.316 — — — — 0.0
1956 PIT NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1957 PIT NL 48 45 3 5 0 2 0 6 0 3 22 0.111 — — — — -389.9
1958 CIN NL 37 81 9 9 2 0 1 4 0 6 42 0.111 .257 (-57%) .324 (-48%) .394 (-56%) .719 (-52%) -737.6
1959 CIN NL 38 66 8 11 2 1 1 6 0 6 34 0.167 .256 (-35%) .323 (-24%) .392 (-30%) .715 (-27%) -310.9
1960 CIN NL 41 83 6 11 0 0 0 5 0 7 44 0.133 .255 (-48%) .323 (-38%) .387 (-66%) .711 (-53%) -734.9
1961 CIN NL 36 80 6 8 2 0 1 4 0 2 32 0.100 .258 (-61%) .328 (-60%) .399 (-59%) .727 (-59%) -821.6
1962 CIN NL 37 107 9 11 2 0 2 3 0 4 56 0.103 .257 (-60%) .326 (-59%) .393 (-55%) .719 (-57%) -1057.8
1963 CIN NL 21 41 3 4 0 0 0 2 0 4 22 0.098 — — — — 0.0
1964 CIN NL 34 58 3 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 33 0.052 .250 (-79%) .312 (-74%) .377 (-86%) .690 (-81%) -768.0
1965 STL NL 32 35 3 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 21 0.029 — — — — 0.0
1966 PIT NL 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1961 WS CIN 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 2 1 0 11.0 6 2 3 5 1.64

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1961 WS CIN 0 1 2 1 0 11.0 6 2 3 5 1.64

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 386 276 184 464 23 32

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 PIT P 36 11 16 40 0 6
1955 PIT P 14 10 2 16 1 0
1956 PIT P 2 0 0 1 0 0
1957 PIT P 48 21 13 30 3 3
1958 CIN P 37 34 10 56 1 2
1959 CIN P 38 33 19 35 2 1
1960 CIN P 41 33 30 47 1 5
1961 CIN P 36 34 29 69 2 2
1962 CIN P 37 37 25 59 4 7
1963 CIN P 21 21 15 29 3 0
1964 CIN P 34 25 17 44 4 4
1965 SLN P 32 17 8 28 1 1
1966 PIT P 10 0 0 10 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 386

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1962 TSN All-Star P

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1962 Cy Young Award ML 3rd 1.0 20 1
1962 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 33.0 280 0
1958 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 4.0 336 0