Milt Shoffner, baseball player, 1929-1940

Milt Shoffner

Born: 11/13/1905 in Sherman, TX, USA

Died: 1/19/1978 in Madison, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1929-07-20 | Final Game: 1940-09-22

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 184 lbs

Full name: Milburn James Shoffner

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Biography

Milt Shoffner, born in 1905, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1929 until 1940. He played in an era that was marked by the transition from the lively ball era to a more competitive landscape, which influenced both pitching styles and offensive strategies in Major League Baseball. Over his career, Shoffner compiled a win-loss record of 25-26 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.59, demonstrating his ability to compete at the Major League level despite the challenges of his time. Shoffner was known for his versatility on the mound, contributing not only with his strikeout capability, having recorded 180 strikeouts, but also with his ability to close games, achieving 3 saves throughout his career. Though he may not be a household name today, Shoffner's contributions to his teams reflected the spirit and resilience of pitchers in the late 1930s as they navigated the evolving dynamics of the game. His legacy remains a testament to the skilled yet often overlooked players who helped shape the foundation of modern baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
25 26 134 51 22 2 3 577.0 647 294 34 214 180 4.59 0

Career ERA 4.59 vs. league average 4.39 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
1929 CLE AL 2 3 11 3 1 0 0 44.7 46 25 22 15 5.04 4.60 (-10%) -1032.2
1930 CLE AL 3 4 24 10 1 0 0 84.7 129 75 50 17 7.97 4.80 (-66%) -3106.4
1931 CLE AL 2 3 12 4 1 0 0 41.0 55 33 26 12 7.24 4.10 (-77%) -1831.2
1937 BSN NL 3 1 6 5 3 1 1 42.7 38 12 9 13 2.53 4.34 (+42%) 793.9
1938 BSN NL 8 7 26 15 9 1 1 139.7 147 55 36 49 3.54 4.35 (+18%) 1757.4
1939 BSN NL 4 6 25 11 7 0 1 132.3 133 46 42 51 3.13 4.28 (+27%) 2105.2
1939 CIN NL 2 2 10 3 0 0 0 37.7 43 14 11 6 3.35 4.28 (+22%) -509.4
1940 CIN NL 1 0 20 0 0 0 0 54.3 56 34 18 17 5.63 4.21 (-34%) 170.4

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
135 205 18 32 6 2 2 14 0 14 76 0.156 0.210 0.234 0.444 -243.8

Career AVG .156 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — 44.1% below league average.

Career OBP .210 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 39.0% below league average.

Career SLG .234 vs. league average .401 across their career seasons — 41.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.444 vs. league average 0.746 across their career seasons — 40.4% 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
1929 CLE AL 11 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1930 CLE AL 24 33 5 7 3 1 1 2 0 2 14 0.212 — — — — 0.0
1931 CLE AL 12 13 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0.077 — — — — 0.0
1937 BSN NL 6 16 3 2 1 0 1 4 0 1 6 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1938 BSN NL 27 57 2 12 2 1 0 4 0 5 17 0.211 .272 (-23%) .341 (-20%) .392 (-29%) .734 (-24%) -243.8
1939 BSN NL 25 44 4 7 0 0 0 4 0 4 19 0.159 — — — — 0.0
1939 CIN NL 10 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1940 CIN NL 20 16 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.125 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 134 0 20 112 6 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1929 CLE P 11 0 1 10 0 1
1930 CLE P 24 0 3 17 2 2
1931 CLE P 12 0 3 7 0 0
1937 BSN P 6 0 2 12 0 1
1938 BSN P 26 0 8 19 2 0
1939 BSN P 25 0 2 30 2 3
1939 CIN P 10 0 1 7 0 0
1940 CIN P 20 0 0 10 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 134