Les Sweetland, baseball player, 1927-1931

Les Sweetland

Born: 8/15/1901 in Carp Lake Township Emmet County, MI, USA

Died: 3/4/1974 in Melbourne, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1927-07-04 | Final Game: 1931-09-21

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: Lester Leo Sweetland

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Biography

Les Sweetland was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1927 until 1931. Born in 1901, he made his debut during an era marked by the dominance of powerful hitters and the gradual transition away from the deadball style of play. Sweetland's career spanned a pivotal time in baseball history when the game was evolving, and pitchers faced increasingly formidable lineups. Throughout his career, Sweetland compiled a record of 33 wins and 58 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 6.1. He struck out 159 batters and recorded 4 saves, showcasing his ability to contribute both as a starter and in relief situations. While his statistics may not reflect the dominance seen in other pitchers of his time, Sweetland's presence on the mound provided teams with a competitive edge during his playing days. His contributions to the game remain a testament to the many players who shaped baseball in the early 20th century.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
33 58 161 95 38 3 4 740.7 992 502 68 358 159 6.10 0

Career ERA 6.10 vs. league average 4.34 across their career seasons — 40.5% 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
1927 PHI NL 2 10 21 13 6 0 0 103.7 147 71 53 21 6.16 4.08 (-51%) -1588.0
1928 PHI NL 3 15 37 18 5 0 2 135.3 163 99 97 23 6.58 4.13 (-59%) -8859.3
1929 PHI NL 13 11 43 25 10 2 2 204.3 255 116 87 47 5.11 4.60 (-11%) -6169.7
1930 PHI NL 7 15 34 25 8 1 0 167.0 271 143 60 36 7.71 4.80 (-61%) -6108.8
1931 CHC NL 8 7 26 14 9 0 0 130.3 156 73 61 32 5.04 4.10 (-23%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
183 287 38 78 15 2 0 34 0 29 55 0.272 0.341 0.338 0.679 -514.8

Career AVG .272 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .341 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .338 vs. league average .405 across their career seasons — 16.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.679 vs. league average 0.751 across their career seasons — 9.7% 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
1927 PHI NL 25 38 3 12 2 0 0 6 0 5 11 0.316 — — — — 0.0
1928 PHI NL 41 47 1 9 0 0 0 2 0 8 7 0.191 — — — — -236.2
1929 PHI NL 53 89 14 26 2 0 0 12 0 3 18 0.292 .289 (+1%) .353 (-9%) .415 (-24%) .769 (-17%) -271.3
1930 PHI NL 35 57 12 16 7 0 0 5 0 9 8 0.281 .293 (-4%) .354 (+7%) .429 (-6%) .784 (avg) 13.5
1931 CHC NL 29 56 8 15 4 2 0 9 0 4 11 0.268 .276 (-3%) .338 (-6%) .388 (+6%) .726 (avg) -20.9

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 161 0 44 219 15 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1927 PHI P 21 0 7 43 1 3
1928 PHI P 37 0 8 44 4 3
1929 PHI P 43 0 14 64 3 1
1930 PHI P 34 0 10 38 3 2
1931 CHN P 26 0 5 30 4 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 161