Paul Splittorff, baseball player, 1970-1984

Paul Splittorff

Born: 10/8/1946 in Evansville, IN, USA

Died: 5/25/2011 in Blue Springs, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1970-09-23 | Final Game: 1984-06-26

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Paul William Splittorff

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Biography

Paul Splittorff, born in 1946, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals from 1970 until his retirement in 1984. Throughout his career, he established himself as a reliable starter, finishing with a record of 166 wins and 143 losses while maintaining an earned run average (ERA) of 3.81. Splittorff's durability on the mound was underscored by his ability to strike out 1,057 batters over his career, showcasing his skill in overpowering hitters during an era marked by the emergence of powerful offenses. Splittorff's contributions to the Royals were significant, especially as the franchise sought to establish itself in the American League. He played a crucial role in the team's success during the late 1970s and early 1980s, helping to guide the Royals to their first postseason appearances. His lone save in the majors highlighted his versatility, as he was not only a starter but also capable of closing games when needed. Paul Splittorff remains a notable figure in Royals history and is remembered for his steady presence on the mound and his enduring legacy within the franchise.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
166 143 429 392 88 17 1 2554.7 2644 1082 192 780 1057 3.81 0

Career ERA 3.81 vs. league average 3.73 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
1970 KCR AL 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 8.7 16 7 5 10 7.27 — -
1971 KCR AL 8 9 22 22 6 3 0 144.3 129 43 35 80 2.68 3.47 (+23%) -
1972 KCR AL 12 12 35 33 12 2 0 216.0 189 75 67 140 3.12 3.26 (+4%) -
1973 KCR AL 20 11 38 38 12 3 0 262.0 279 116 78 110 3.98 3.75 (-6%) -
1974 KCR AL 13 19 36 36 8 1 0 226.0 252 103 75 90 4.10 3.63 (-13%) -
1975 KCR AL 9 10 35 23 6 3 1 159.0 156 56 56 76 3.17 3.71 (+15%) -
1976 KCR AL 11 8 26 23 5 1 0 158.7 169 70 59 59 3.97 3.51 (-13%) -
1977 KCR AL 16 6 37 37 6 2 0 229.0 243 94 83 99 3.69 4.00 (+8%) -
1978 KCR AL 19 13 39 38 13 2 0 262.0 244 99 60 76 3.40 3.69 (+8%) -
1979 KCR AL 15 17 36 35 11 0 0 240.0 248 113 77 77 4.24 4.00 (-6%) -
1980 KCR AL 14 11 34 33 4 0 0 204.0 236 94 43 53 4.15 3.84 (-8%) -
1981 KCR AL 5 5 21 15 1 0 0 99.0 111 48 23 48 4.36 3.58 (-22%) -
1982 KCR AL 10 10 29 28 0 0 0 162.0 166 77 57 74 4.28 3.86 (-11%) -
1983 KCR AL 13 8 27 27 4 0 0 156.0 159 63 52 61 3.63 3.87 (+6%) -
1984 KCR AL 1 3 12 3 0 0 0 28.0 47 24 10 4 7.71 3.81 (-102%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
430 121 12 22 1 1 0 4 0 7 16 0.182 0.233 0.207 0.439 -662.8

Career AVG .182 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 29.5% below league average.

Career OBP .233 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 28.1% below league average.

Career SLG .207 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 45.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.439 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — 37.6% 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
1970 KCR AL 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1971 KCR AL 22 48 3 5 1 0 0 1 0 3 8 0.104 — — — — -444.0
1972 KCR AL 35 71 9 16 0 1 0 3 0 4 8 0.225 .243 (-8%) .310 (-11%) .353 (-28%) .664 (-20%) -218.8
1973 KCR AL 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 KCR AL 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 KCR AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 KCR AL 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 KCR AL 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1978 KCR AL 39 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 KCR AL 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 KCR AL 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1981 KCR AL 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1982 KCR AL 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 KCR AL 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1984 KCR AL 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 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
1980 ALCS KCA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1980 WS KCA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1978 ALCS KCA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1977 ALCS KCA 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1976 ALCS KCA 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
2 0 7 4 0 38.7 39 12 10 11 2.79

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1980 ALCS KCA 0 0 1 1 0 5.3 5 1 2 3 1.69
1980 WS KCA 0 0 1 0 0 1.7 4 1 0 0 5.40
1978 ALCS KCA 0 0 1 1 0 7.3 9 4 0 2 4.91
1977 ALCS KCA 1 0 2 2 0 15.0 14 4 3 4 2.40
1976 ALCS KCA 1 0 2 0 0 9.3 7 2 5 2 1.93

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 429 392 125 450 15 49

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1970 KCA P 2 1 0 1 0 1
1971 KCA P 22 22 7 32 2 3
1972 KCA P 35 33 6 51 0 5
1973 KCA P 38 38 9 46 1 7
1974 KCA P 36 36 8 39 2 2
1975 KCA P 35 23 10 33 1 4
1976 KCA P 26 23 9 30 0 5
1977 KCA P 37 37 9 38 2 3
1978 KCA P 39 38 18 45 2 4
1979 KCA P 36 35 15 27 3 3
1980 KCA P 34 33 14 30 0 4
1981 KCA P 21 15 2 22 0 2
1982 KCA P 29 28 7 24 1 4
1983 KCA P 27 27 9 23 1 2
1984 KCA P 12 3 2 9 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 429

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Morningside College Sioux City IA 1966, 1967, 1968

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1978 Cy Young Award AL 7th 1.0 140 0
1971 Rookie of the Year AL 5th 1.0 24 1