Johnny Vander Meer, baseball player, 1937-1951

Johnny Vander Meer

Born: 11/2/1914 in Prospect Park, NJ, USA

Died: 10/6/1997 in Tampa, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1937-04-22 | Final Game: 1951-05-07

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

Full name: John Samuel Vander Meer

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Biography

Johnny Vander Meer, born in 1914, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1937 until 1951. He was known for his exceptional left-handed pitching and remarkable durability on the mound. Vander Meer finished his career with a record of 119 wins and 121 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.44, and a total of 1,294 strikeouts. He also recorded 2 saves, highlighting his versatility as a pitcher. Vander Meer's impressive performance earned him four All-Star selections, a testament to his talent and consistency during an era that featured many legendary players. Vander Meer is perhaps best remembered for his historic achievement of throwing back-to-back no-hitters in 1938, a feat that remains unparalleled in baseball history. This remarkable accomplishment not only cemented his place in the annals of the game but also showcased his ability to dominate hitters during the late 1930s, a time when the sport was evolving and becoming more competitive. His contributions to the game extended beyond the numbers, as he became a beloved figure in the baseball community, celebrated for his skill and determination on the mound. Vander Meer's legacy continues to resonate in the world of baseball, where he is remembered as one of the great pitchers of his time.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
3.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
4.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 1.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1946 3.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1946 4.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 1.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
119 121 346 285 131 29 2 2104.7 1799 805 100 1132 1294 3.44 0

Career ERA 3.44 vs. league average 4.02 across their career seasons — 14.4% 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
1937 CIN NL 3 5 19 9 4 0 0 84.3 63 36 69 52 3.84 4.34 (+11%) -336.2
1938 CIN NL 15 10 32 29 16 3 0 225.3 177 78 103 125 3.12 4.35 (+28%) 1539.5
1939 CIN NL 5 9 30 21 8 0 0 129.0 128 67 95 102 4.67 4.28 (-9%) -544.5
1940 CIN NL 3 1 10 7 2 0 1 48.0 38 20 41 41 3.75 4.21 (+11%) -629.6
1941 CIN NL 16 13 33 32 18 6 0 226.3 172 71 126 202 2.82 3.94 (+28%) 4591.6
1942 CIN NL 18 12 33 33 21 4 0 244.0 188 66 102 186 2.43 3.57 (+32%) 5972.8
1943 CIN NL 15 16 36 36 21 3 0 289.0 228 92 162 174 2.87 3.50 (+18%) 905.0
1946 CIN NL 10 12 29 25 11 4 0 204.3 175 72 78 94 3.17 3.59 (+12%) 424.4
1947 CIN NL 9 14 30 29 9 3 0 186.0 186 91 87 79 4.40 3.97 (-11%) -461.3
1948 CIN NL 17 14 33 33 14 3 0 232.0 204 88 124 120 3.41 4.10 (+17%) -564.8
1949 CIN NL 5 10 28 24 7 3 0 159.7 172 87 85 76 4.90 4.12 (-19%) -218.1
1950 CHC NL 3 4 32 6 0 0 1 73.7 60 31 59 41 3.79 4.36 (+13%) -
1951 CLE AL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3.0 8 6 1 2 18.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
382 685 58 104 12 2 1 26 1 41 201 0.152 0.200 0.180 0.379 -4773.5

Career AVG .152 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 42.5% below league average.

Career OBP .200 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 40.6% below league average.

Career SLG .180 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 52.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.379 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — 46.9% 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
1937 CIN NL 21 23 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 7 0.217 — — — — 0.0
1938 CIN NL 33 83 6 15 0 0 0 2 0 0 23 0.181 .272 (-34%) .341 (-47%) .392 (-54%) .734 (-51%) -725.4
1939 CIN NL 30 36 1 4 1 0 0 1 0 3 10 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1940 CIN NL 12 20 6 6 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.300 — — — — 0.0
1941 CIN NL 35 76 6 10 1 0 0 4 0 2 18 0.132 .262 (-50%) .332 (-54%) .373 (-61%) .705 (-58%) -736.8
1942 CIN NL 37 75 7 11 1 0 0 3 0 6 26 0.147 .253 (-42%) .323 (-35%) .349 (-54%) .672 (-45%) -539.0
1943 CIN NL 40 95 9 13 1 0 0 5 1 9 28 0.137 .255 (-47%) .324 (-35%) .346 (-57%) .671 (-47%) -703.6
1946 CIN NL 33 73 6 18 2 0 0 2 0 1 21 0.247 .256 (-4%) .328 (-22%) .358 (-24%) .687 (-23%) -284.4
1947 CIN NL 31 57 3 5 2 0 0 2 0 3 18 0.088 .262 (-67%) .336 (-60%) .376 (-67%) .712 (-64%) -622.7
1948 CIN NL 41 78 6 11 2 0 1 2 0 7 21 0.141 .263 (-46%) .340 (-38%) .379 (-46%) .719 (-42%) -574.3
1949 CIN NL 33 52 5 4 0 0 0 5 0 6 17 0.077 .262 (-71%) .343 (-50%) .384 (-80%) .727 (-66%) -587.4
1950 CHC NL 35 16 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 9 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1951 CLE AL 1 1 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
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
1940 WS CIN 1 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 0 1 0 0 3.0 2 0 3 2 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1940 WS CIN 0 0 1 0 0 3.0 2 0 3 2 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 346 0 82 404 29 30

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 CIN P 19 0 7 23 0 1
1938 CIN P 32 0 8 38 3 0
1939 CIN P 30 0 5 16 3 5
1940 CIN P 10 0 0 9 0 0
1941 CIN P 33 0 10 47 2 3
1942 CIN P 33 0 6 51 2 4
1943 CIN P 36 0 11 67 4 7
1946 CIN P 29 0 6 33 3 2
1947 CIN P 30 0 8 31 2 1
1948 CIN P 33 0 11 39 5 3
1949 CIN P 28 0 6 33 2 4
1950 CHN P 32 0 4 14 3 0
1951 CLE P 1 0 0 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 346

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star P5
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1938 TSN All-Star P
1938 TSN Major League Player of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 19th 13.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 7.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 11.0 336 0
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 6.0 336 0