Dan Spillner, baseball player, 1974-1985

Dan Spillner

Born: 11/27/1951 in Casper, WY, USA

MLB Debut: 1974-05-21 | Final Game: 1985-10-05

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Daniel Ray Spillner

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Biography

Dan Spillner, born in 1951, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1974 until 1985. Known for his competitive spirit and versatility on the mound, Spillner played during a transformative era in baseball that saw the game evolve with the introduction of more specialized pitching roles. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 75 wins and 89 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.21. His ability to strike out batters was notable, as he recorded a total of 878 strikeouts, and he also contributed significantly to his teams' bullpen efforts, finishing his career with 50 saves. Spillner's playing style was characterized by his capacity to adapt to various pitching roles, whether starting games or coming in late as a reliever. His contributions were felt across multiple teams, where he earned respect for his work ethic and determination on the field. As a player who navigated through the late 1970s and early 1980s, Spillner's career reflected the shifting dynamics of Major League Baseball during a time when pitching strategies were becoming increasingly specialized. His legacy is marked by his resilience and the impactful moments he provided throughout his tenure in the league.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
75 89 556 123 19 3 50 1492.7 1585 699 134 605 878 4.21 0

Career ERA 4.21 vs. league average 3.79 across their career seasons — 11.1% worse 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
1974 SDP NL 9 11 30 25 5 2 0 148.0 153 66 70 95 4.01 3.63 (-11%) -
1975 SDP NL 5 13 37 25 3 0 1 166.7 194 79 63 104 4.27 3.71 (-15%) -
1976 SDP NL 2 11 32 14 0 0 0 106.7 120 60 55 57 5.06 3.51 (-44%) -
1977 SDP NL 7 6 76 0 0 0 6 123.0 130 51 60 74 3.73 4.00 (+7%) -
1978 SDP NL 1 0 17 0 0 0 0 25.7 32 13 7 16 4.56 3.69 (-24%) -
1978 CLE AL 3 1 36 0 0 0 3 56.3 54 23 21 48 3.67 3.69 (avg) 1671.3
1979 CLE AL 9 5 49 13 3 0 1 157.7 153 81 64 97 4.62 4.00 (-16%) -381.6
1980 CLE AL 16 11 34 30 7 1 0 194.3 225 114 74 100 5.28 3.84 (-37%) -3075.3
1981 CLE AL 4 4 32 5 1 0 7 97.3 86 34 39 59 3.14 3.58 (+12%) 1471.5
1982 CLE AL 12 10 65 0 0 0 21 133.7 117 37 45 90 2.49 3.86 (+36%) 2086.6
1983 CLE AL 2 9 60 0 0 0 8 92.3 117 52 38 48 5.07 3.87 (-31%) -301.5
1984 CLE AL 0 5 14 8 0 0 1 51.0 70 32 22 23 5.65 3.81 (-48%) -147.0
1984 CHW AL 1 0 22 0 0 0 1 48.3 51 22 14 26 4.10 3.81 (-7%) -
1985 CHW AL 4 3 52 3 0 0 1 91.7 83 35 33 41 3.44 3.89 (+12%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
559 130 9 10 1 0 0 1 0 19 73 0.077 0.195 0.085 0.279 -279.8

Career AVG .077 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 70.4% below league average.

Career OBP .195 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 40.1% below league average.

Career SLG .085 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 77.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.279 vs. league average 0.708 across their career seasons — 60.6% 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
1974 SDP NL 30 43 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 28 0.023 — — — — 0.0
1975 SDP NL 37 45 4 6 1 0 0 0 0 8 25 0.133 — — — — -279.8
1976 SDP NL 33 25 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 0.040 — — — — 0.0
1977 SDP NL 76 17 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 12 0.118 — — — — 0.0
1978 SDP NL 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1978 CLE AL 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 CLE AL 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 CLE AL 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1981 CLE AL 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 CLE AL 65 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 CLE AL 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1984 CLE AL 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1984 CHW AL 23 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1985 CHW AL 53 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 556 123 81 157 11 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1974 SDN P 30 25 6 16 0 0
1975 SDN P 37 25 13 21 3 2
1976 SDN P 32 14 7 21 3 3
1977 SDN P 76 0 5 9 1 1
1978 SDN P 17 0 1 2 0 1
1978 CLE P 36 0 0 4 0 0
1979 CLE P 49 13 9 18 0 0
1980 CLE P 34 30 9 17 0 2
1981 CLE P 32 5 6 16 1 1
1982 CLE P 65 0 6 7 1 0
1983 CLE P 60 0 4 8 1 0
1984 CLE P 14 8 9 10 0 0
1984 CHA P 22 0 2 6 0 0
1985 CHA P 52 3 4 2 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 556

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1985 CHA AL $390,000
Total Career Earnings $390,000