Ken Sanders, baseball player, 1964-1976

Ken Sanders

Born: 7/8/1941 in St. Louis, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1964-08-06 | Final Game: 1976-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 168 lbs

Full name: Kenneth George Sanders

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Biography

Ken Sanders, born in 1941, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1964 until 1976. Known for his effective pitching style, Sanders made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during a time when many teams relied heavily on strong bullpens. He finished his career with a record of 29-45, an earned run average (ERA) of 2.97, and accumulated 360 strikeouts along with 86 saves. His ability to close games made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, particularly in an era that increasingly emphasized the role of the relief pitcher. Throughout his career, Sanders showcased a reliable arm and a competitive spirit, contributing to various teams including the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox. His performance on the mound helped shift the dynamics of pitching during the 1970s, as teams began to recognize the importance of specialized roles within the bullpen. Despite not having a winning record, his overall effectiveness and ability to maintain a low ERA in a league that was becoming increasingly offensive-oriented highlight his skill and importance in the game. Ken Sanders remains a respected figure among baseball historians for his contributions to the sport during a transformative period in its history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
29 45 409 1 0 0 86 656.7 564 217 49 258 360 2.97 0

Career ERA 2.97 vs. league average 3.54 across their career seasons — 16.0% 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
1964 KC1 AL 0 2 21 0 0 0 1 27.0 23 11 17 18 3.67 3.58 (-2%) -443.9
1966 BOS AL 3 6 24 0 0 0 2 47.3 36 20 28 33 3.80 3.52 (-8%) -108.0
1966 KC1 AL 3 4 38 1 0 0 1 65.3 59 27 48 41 3.72 3.52 (-6%) -2353.4
1968 OAK AL 0 1 7 0 0 0 0 10.7 8 4 8 6 3.38 2.98 (-13%) -466.8
1970 ATL AL 5 2 50 0 0 0 13 92.3 64 18 25 64 1.75 3.89 (+55%) -
1971 ATL AL 7 12 83 0 0 0 31 136.3 111 29 34 80 1.91 3.47 (+45%) -
1972 ATL AL 2 9 62 0 0 0 17 92.3 88 32 31 51 3.12 3.26 (+4%) -
1973 MIN AL 2 4 27 0 0 0 8 44.3 53 30 21 19 6.09 3.75 (-63%) -773.8
1973 CLE AL 5 1 15 0 0 0 5 27.3 18 5 9 14 1.65 3.75 (+56%) 182.6
1974 CLE AL 0 1 9 0 0 0 1 11.0 21 12 5 4 9.82 3.63 (-171%) -1514.9
1974 LAA AL 0 0 9 0 0 0 1 9.7 10 3 3 4 2.79 3.63 (+23%) -
1975 NYN NL 1 1 30 0 0 0 5 43.0 31 11 14 8 2.30 3.71 (+38%) -92.9
1976 NYN NL 1 2 31 0 0 0 1 47.0 39 15 12 16 2.87 3.51 (+18%) -443.4
1976 KCR AL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 0 3 2 0.00 — -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
409 52 6 6 0 0 0 2 0 5 13 0.115 0.220 0.115 0.336 0.0

Career AVG .115 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 54.1% below league average.

Career OBP .220 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 30.7% below league average.

Career SLG .115 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — 68.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.336 vs. league average 0.686 across their career seasons — 51.1% 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
1964 KC1 AL 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1966 BOS AL 24 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1966 KC1 AL 38 8 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1968 OAK AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1970 ATL AL 50 13 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0.231 — — — — 0.0
1971 ATL AL 83 14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1972 ATL AL 62 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1973 MIN AL 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1973 CLE AL 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 CLE AL 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 LAA AL 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 NYN NL 30 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1976 NYN NL 31 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1976 KCR AL 3 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
P 409 1 54 129 8 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1964 KC1 P 21 0 2 7 1 2
1966 BOS P 24 0 2 8 2 0
1966 KC1 P 38 1 6 12 1 2
1968 OAK P 7 0 0 2 0 0
1970 ML4 P 50 0 5 19 1 1
1971 ML4 P 83 0 12 30 1 1
1972 ML4 P 62 0 7 18 1 1
1973 MIN P 27 0 2 9 0 1
1973 CLE P 15 0 3 4 1 0
1974 CLE P 9 0 0 2 0 0
1974 CAL P 9 0 0 5 0 0
1975 NYN P 30 0 7 5 0 0
1976 NYN P 31 0 8 8 0 0
1976 KCA P 3 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 409

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1971 TSN Fireman of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1971 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 13.0 336 0