Elias Sosa, baseball player, 1972-1983

Elias Sosa

Born: 6/10/1950 in La Vega, La Vega, D.R.

MLB Debut: 1972-09-08 | Final Game: 1983-09-18

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 186 lbs

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Biography

Elias Sosa, born in 1950, was a notable pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball between 1972 and 1983. With a career record of 59-51 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.32, Sosa established himself as a reliable arm in the bullpen and rotation. His prowess on the mound was highlighted by 538 strikeouts and 83 saves, showcasing his ability to not only prevent runs but also close out games effectively. Sosa played during a transitional period in baseball, navigating the evolution of pitching strategies that emphasized both starter and reliever roles. His versatility allowed him to adapt to the changing landscape of the game, where the emergence of specialized closers became increasingly important. As a member of several teams throughout his career, Sosa left his mark as a dependable pitcher who contributed to the competitive environment of the late 1970s and early 1980s baseball scene.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
59 51 601 3 0 0 83 918.0 873 339 64 334 538 3.32 0

Career ERA 3.32 vs. league average 3.74 across their career seasons — 11.1% 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
1972 SFG NL 0 1 8 0 0 0 3 15.7 10 4 12 10 2.30 3.26 (+30%) -
1973 SFG NL 10 4 71 1 0 0 18 107.0 95 39 41 70 3.28 3.75 (+12%) -
1974 SFG NL 9 7 68 0 0 0 6 101.0 94 39 45 48 3.48 3.63 (+4%) -
1975 STL NL 0 3 14 1 0 0 0 27.3 22 12 14 15 3.95 3.71 (-6%) -
1975 ATL NL 2 2 43 0 0 0 2 62.3 70 31 29 31 4.48 3.71 (-21%) -75.0
1976 ATL NL 4 4 21 0 0 0 3 35.3 41 21 13 32 5.35 3.51 (-52%) 356.3
1976 LAD NL 2 4 24 0 0 0 1 33.7 30 13 12 20 3.48 3.51 (+1%) -
1977 LAD NL 2 2 44 0 0 0 1 63.7 42 14 12 47 1.98 4.00 (+51%) -
1978 OAK AL 8 2 68 0 0 0 14 109.0 106 32 44 61 2.64 3.69 (+28%) 1076.9
1979 WSN NL 8 7 62 0 0 0 18 96.7 77 21 37 59 1.96 4.00 (+51%) -
1980 WSN NL 9 6 67 0 0 0 9 93.7 104 32 19 58 3.07 3.84 (+20%) -
1981 WSN NL 1 2 32 0 0 0 3 39.3 46 16 8 18 3.66 3.58 (-2%) -
1982 DET AL 3 3 38 0 0 0 4 61.0 64 30 18 24 4.43 3.86 (-15%) -2153.5
1983 SDP NL 1 4 41 1 0 0 1 72.3 72 35 30 45 4.35 3.87 (-12%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
602 92 2 12 1 0 0 6 0 3 35 0.130 0.158 0.141 0.299 0.0

Career AVG .130 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 49.6% below league average.

Career OBP .158 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 51.3% below league average.

Career SLG .141 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 62.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.299 vs. league average 0.704 across their career seasons — 57.5% 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
1972 SFG NL 8 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1973 SFG NL 71 14 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 0.071 — — — — 0.0
1974 SFG NL 68 15 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.067 — — — — 0.0
1975 STL NL 14 8 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1975 ATL NL 43 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1976 ATL NL 21 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1976 LAD NL 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 LAD NL 45 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1978 OAK AL 68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 WSN NL 62 13 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 6 0.154 — — — — 0.0
1980 WSN NL 67 11 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1981 WSN NL 32 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
1982 DET AL 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 SDP NL 41 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.143 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1981 NEDIV MON 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1981 NLCS MON 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1977 NLCS LAN 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1977 WS LAN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 7 0 0 8.3 13 7 2 2 7.56

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1981 NEDIV MON 0 0 2 0 0 3.0 4 1 0 1 3.00
1981 NLCS MON 0 0 1 0 0 0.3 1 0 1 0 0.00
1977 NLCS LAN 0 1 2 0 0 2.7 5 3 0 0 10.12
1977 WS LAN 0 0 2 0 0 2.3 3 3 1 1 11.57

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 601 3 52 123 10 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1972 SFN P 8 0 0 2 0 0
1973 SFN P 71 1 7 12 0 0
1974 SFN P 68 0 4 14 3 2
1975 SLN P 14 1 1 4 0 0
1975 ATL P 43 0 2 10 2 1
1976 ATL P 21 0 0 4 1 0
1976 LAN P 24 0 1 6 1 0
1977 LAN P 44 0 3 9 0 0
1978 OAK P 68 0 9 15 0 1
1979 MON P 62 0 8 8 2 0
1980 MON P 67 0 4 13 1 0
1981 MON P 32 0 3 8 0 0
1982 DET P 38 0 3 13 0 0
1983 SDN P 41 1 7 5 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 601

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1973 Rookie of the Year NL 3rd 2.0 24 2