Bob Shawkey, baseball player, 1913-1927

Bob Shawkey

Born: 12/4/1890 in Sigel, PA, USA

Died: 12/31/1980 in Syracuse, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1913-07-16 | Final Game: 1927-09-29

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

Full name: James Robert Shawkey

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Biography

Bob Shawkey was a prominent American baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1913 to 1927. Born in 1890, Shawkey established himself as a key figure in Major League Baseball during the early 20th century, a time marked by the transition from the deadball era to the more offense-oriented styles of play that would define the following decades. Over the course of his career, he compiled a solid win-loss record of 196-150 and maintained an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.09. His contributions to the game were significant, as he not only excelled in preventing runs but also showcased his ability to strike out batters, finishing his career with 1,360 strikeouts. Shawkey's pitching prowess was complemented by his durability, as he was known for his ability to handle a heavy workload on the mound. In addition to his striking strikeout totals, he recorded 28 saves, a statistic that highlighted his effectiveness in critical game situations. Shawkey's career spanned a transformative period in baseball, and he left an enduring legacy as a skilled pitcher who contributed to the game’s evolution. His achievements on the field continue to be recognized by baseball historians and fans alike.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
196 150 488 334 197 33 28 2937.0 2722 1008 114 1018 1360 3.09 0

Career ERA 3.09 vs. league average 3.56 across their career seasons — 13.2% 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
1913 PHA AL 6 5 18 15 8 1 0 111.3 92 29 50 52 2.34 3.07 (+24%) -719.9
1914 PHA AL 16 8 38 31 18 5 2 237.0 223 72 75 89 2.73 2.93 (+7%) 145.1
1915 PHA AL 6 6 17 13 7 1 0 100.0 103 45 38 56 4.05 2.90 (-40%) 100.5
1915 NYY AL 4 7 16 9 5 1 0 85.7 78 31 35 31 3.26 2.90 (-12%) -
1916 NYY AL 24 14 53 27 21 4 8 276.7 204 68 81 122 2.21 2.78 (+20%) -
1917 NYY AL 13 15 32 26 16 2 0 236.3 207 64 72 97 2.44 2.69 (+9%) -
1918 NYY AL 1 1 3 2 1 1 0 16.0 7 2 10 3 1.12 2.83 (+60%) -
1919 NYY AL 20 11 41 27 22 3 5 261.3 218 79 92 122 2.72 3.09 (+12%) -
1920 NYY AL 20 13 38 31 20 5 2 267.7 246 73 85 126 2.45 3.45 (+29%) -
1921 NYY AL 18 12 38 31 18 3 2 245.0 245 111 86 126 4.08 4.02 (-1%) -
1922 NYY AL 20 12 39 34 22 3 1 299.7 286 97 98 130 2.91 4.18 (+30%) -
1923 NYY AL 16 11 36 31 17 1 1 258.7 232 101 102 125 3.51 4.03 (+13%) -
1924 NYY AL 16 11 38 25 10 1 0 207.7 226 95 74 114 4.12 4.13 (avg) -
1925 NYY AL 6 14 33 20 9 1 0 186.0 209 85 67 81 4.11 4.55 (+10%) -
1926 NYY AL 8 7 29 10 3 1 3 104.3 102 42 37 63 3.62 4.11 (+12%) -
1927 NYY AL 2 3 19 2 0 0 4 43.7 44 14 16 23 2.89 4.08 (+29%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
488 1049 90 225 26 6 3 94 0 34 181 0.214 0.241 0.259 0.501 -4336.1

Career AVG .214 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — 20.7% below league average.

Career OBP .241 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 27.7% below league average.

Career SLG .259 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 29.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.501 vs. league average 0.700 across their career seasons — 28.5% 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
1913 PHA AL 18 44 3 6 1 0 0 5 0 1 10 0.136 — — — — 0.0
1914 PHA AL 38 83 6 17 2 0 0 5 0 4 22 0.205 .255 (-20%) .322 (-25%) .339 (-33%) .661 (-29%) -387.6
1915 PHA AL 17 31 0 4 2 0 0 2 0 3 11 0.129 — — — — 0.0
1915 NYY AL 16 29 3 7 3 1 0 1 0 0 10 0.241 — — — — 0.0
1916 NYY AL 53 93 5 17 1 0 0 4 0 3 21 0.183 .248 (-26%) .314 (-34%) .326 (-41%) .640 (-37%) -558.8
1917 NYY AL 32 84 3 16 4 0 0 8 0 3 15 0.190 .248 (-23%) .312 (-30%) .323 (-26%) .635 (-28%) -378.3
1918 NYY AL 3 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.750 — — — — 0.0
1919 NYY AL 41 94 5 22 1 0 0 6 0 1 15 0.234 .262 (-11%) .322 (-25%) .347 (-30%) .670 (-27%) -425.2
1920 NYY AL 38 100 13 23 1 0 0 10 0 4 13 0.230 .271 (-15%) .331 (-20%) .363 (-34%) .694 (-27%) -437.4
1921 NYY AL 38 90 13 27 2 1 1 11 0 2 13 0.300 .286 (+5%) .344 (-8%) .395 (-4%) .739 (-6%) -113.3
1922 NYY AL 39 115 12 21 2 0 1 12 0 2 18 0.183 .285 (-36%) .345 (-41%) .397 (-43%) .743 (-42%) -860.5
1923 NYY AL 36 99 8 20 1 1 0 10 0 0 15 0.202 .282 (-29%) .344 (-41%) .390 (-40%) .734 (-41%) -714.3
1924 NYY AL 38 69 12 22 4 1 1 15 0 7 5 0.319 .283 (+12%) .345 (+13%) .389 (+15%) .734 (+14%) 179.4
1925 NYY AL 33 68 1 10 1 2 0 2 0 0 4 0.147 .288 (-49%) .349 (-58%) .407 (-46%) .756 (-51%) -640.0
1926 NYY AL 29 35 4 9 1 0 0 3 0 3 6 0.257 — — — — 0.0
1927 NYY AL 19 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.091 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 15 2 4 1 0 0 2 0 4 0.267

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1926 WS NYA 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1923 WS NYA 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.333
1922 WS NYA 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1921 WS NYA 2 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500
1914 WS PHA 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0.500

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 3 8 5 0 41.7 45 21 16 18 4.54

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1926 WS NYA 0 1 3 1 0 10.0 8 6 2 7 5.40
1923 WS NYA 1 0 1 1 0 7.7 12 3 4 2 3.52
1922 WS NYA 0 0 1 1 0 10.0 8 3 2 4 2.70
1921 WS NYA 0 1 2 1 0 9.0 13 7 6 5 7.00
1914 WS PHA 0 1 1 1 0 5.0 4 2 2 0 3.60

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 488 0 146 697 41 22

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1913 PHA P 18 0 3 40 4 0
1914 PHA P 38 0 6 63 5 1
1915 PHA P 17 0 3 26 1 3
1915 NYA P 16 0 2 23 2 0
1916 NYA P 53 0 12 79 3 2
1917 NYA P 32 0 18 79 4 5
1918 NYA P 3 0 6 4 0 0
1919 NYA P 41 0 22 59 4 1
1920 NYA P 38 0 15 48 1 0
1921 NYA P 38 0 14 35 3 1
1922 NYA P 39 0 13 70 4 4
1923 NYA P 36 0 9 61 2 3
1924 NYA P 38 0 11 39 6 1
1925 NYA P 33 0 7 37 0 1
1926 NYA P 29 0 2 23 1 0
1927 NYA P 19 0 3 11 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 488

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock PA 1910