Lon Warneke, baseball player, 1930-1945

Lon Warneke

Born: 3/28/1909 in Mount Ida, AR, USA

Died: 6/23/1976 in Hot Springs, AR, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-04-18 | Final Game: 1945-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Lonnie Warneke

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Biography

Lon Warneke was a prominent American pitcher whose career spanned from 1930 to 1945. Born in 1909, he established himself as a formidable presence on the mound during a period when Major League Baseball was beginning to emerge from the shadow of the deadball era. Warneke finished his career with a record of 192-121 and an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.18, showcasing his ability to consistently limit scoring by opposing teams. Over his 15 seasons in the big leagues, he recorded 1,140 strikeouts and contributed 13 saves, highlighting his versatility and effectiveness in various game situations. Warneke was selected as an All-Star five times, a testament to his skill and recognition among peers during his playing years. He was known for his durability and competitiveness, often taking the mound in critical games for his teams. His contributions to baseball continued to resonate long after his retirement on September 29, 1945, as he left an indelible mark on the game and inspired future generations of pitchers. Warneke's legacy is remembered not only for his statistical achievements but also for his role in the transition of baseball into a new era marked by greater offensive output and the integration of diverse talent into the sport.

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 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0.333 0.333 0.333 0.666

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1937 3.0 3.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0.333 0.333 0.333 0.666

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1937 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
192 121 445 343 192 30 13 2782.3 2726 984 175 739 1140 3.18 0

Career ERA 3.18 vs. league average 4.13 across their career seasons — 22.9% 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
1930 CHC NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.3 2 5 5 0 33.75 — -
1931 CHC NL 2 4 20 7 3 0 0 64.3 67 23 37 27 3.22 4.10 (+22%) -
1932 CHC NL 22 6 35 32 25 4 0 277.0 247 73 64 106 2.37 4.13 (+43%) -
1933 CHC NL 18 13 36 34 26 4 1 287.3 262 64 75 133 2.00 3.86 (+48%) -
1934 CHC NL 22 10 43 35 23 3 3 291.3 273 104 66 143 3.21 4.29 (+25%) -
1935 CHC NL 20 13 42 30 20 1 4 261.7 257 89 50 120 3.06 4.35 (+30%) -
1936 CHC NL 16 13 40 29 13 4 1 240.3 246 92 76 113 3.45 4.59 (+25%) -
1937 STL NL 18 11 36 33 18 2 0 238.7 280 120 69 87 4.53 4.34 (-4%) -
1938 STL NL 13 8 31 26 12 4 0 197.0 199 87 64 89 3.97 4.35 (+9%) -
1939 STL NL 13 7 34 21 6 2 2 162.0 160 68 49 59 3.78 4.28 (+12%) -
1940 STL NL 16 10 33 31 17 1 0 232.0 235 81 47 85 3.14 4.21 (+25%) -
1941 STL NL 17 9 37 30 12 4 0 246.0 227 86 82 83 3.15 3.94 (+20%) -
1942 STL NL 6 4 12 12 5 0 0 82.0 76 30 15 31 3.29 3.57 (+8%) -
1942 CHC NL 5 7 15 12 8 1 2 99.0 97 25 21 28 2.27 3.57 (+36%) -
1943 CHC NL 4 5 21 10 4 0 0 88.3 82 31 18 30 3.16 3.50 (+10%) -
1945 CHC NL 0 1 9 1 0 0 0 14.0 16 6 1 6 3.86 3.67 (-5%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
459 962 87 215 26 2 4 97 1 52 148 0.223 0.266 0.267 0.533 -4069.9

Career AVG .223 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — 17.9% below league average.

Career OBP .266 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 21.1% below league average.

Career SLG .267 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 30.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.533 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 26.2% 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
1930 CHC NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1931 CHC NL 20 19 3 5 2 0 0 2 0 0 5 0.263 — — — — 0.0
1932 CHC NL 35 99 8 19 1 1 0 9 0 3 20 0.192 .275 (-30%) .335 (-36%) .391 (-43%) .726 (-40%) -678.1
1933 CHC NL 39 100 9 30 6 1 2 13 0 3 13 0.300 .270 (+11%) .329 (-3%) .377 (+17%) .707 (+8%) 89.0
1934 CHC NL 52 113 12 22 3 0 0 8 0 3 9 0.195 .278 (-30%) .340 (-37%) .392 (-44%) .733 (-40%) -818.9
1935 CHC NL 44 91 9 20 1 0 0 15 0 3 9 0.220 .279 (-21%) .342 (-26%) .399 (-42%) .742 (-35%) -553.4
1936 CHC NL 40 84 9 17 1 0 1 5 0 2 9 0.202 .283 (-29%) .349 (-32%) .404 (-38%) .753 (-35%) -527.6
1937 STL NL 36 80 10 21 3 0 0 10 0 7 12 0.263 .276 (-5%) .342 (-6%) .398 (-25%) .740 (-16%) -209.1
1938 STL NL 31 71 5 23 3 0 0 6 0 2 7 0.324 .272 (+19%) .341 (avg) .392 (-7%) .734 (-4%) -47.6
1939 STL NL 34 52 4 10 3 0 0 8 0 4 7 0.192 .274 (-30%) .342 (-23%) .393 (-36%) .735 (-30%) -270.9
1940 STL NL 33 86 6 18 2 0 1 13 0 5 24 0.209 .267 (-22%) .335 (-25%) .387 (-31%) .722 (-28%) -412.9
1941 STL NL 37 77 6 9 0 0 0 4 0 11 18 0.117 .262 (-55%) .332 (-32%) .373 (-69%) .705 (-51%) -640.3
1942 STL NL 12 30 2 10 0 0 0 3 0 3 4 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1942 CHC NL 15 32 1 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0.188 — — — — 0.0
1943 CHC NL 21 26 2 5 1 0 0 0 1 5 6 0.192 — — — — 0.0
1945 CHC NL 9 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.111

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1935 WS CHN 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.200
1932 WS CHN 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 1 5 3 0 27.3 24 8 9 13 2.63

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1935 WS CHN 2 0 3 2 0 16.7 9 1 4 5 0.54
1932 WS CHN 0 1 2 1 0 10.7 15 7 5 8 5.91

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 445 0 126 538 8 31

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1930 CHN P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1931 CHN P 20 0 1 8 1 0
1932 CHN P 35 0 11 55 1 7
1933 CHN P 36 0 8 72 0 7
1934 CHN P 43 0 15 58 0 1
1935 CHN P 42 0 15 47 1 1
1936 CHN P 40 0 15 44 1 1
1937 SLN P 36 0 10 40 2 0
1938 SLN P 31 0 4 34 2 0
1939 SLN P 34 0 9 28 0 4
1940 SLN P 33 0 10 50 0 5
1941 SLN P 37 0 8 43 0 3
1942 SLN P 12 0 6 13 0 0
1942 CHN P 15 0 8 20 0 0
1943 CHN P 21 0 3 22 0 2
1945 CHN P 9 0 3 3 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 445

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1941 Baseball Magazine All-Star P5
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1933 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1932 TSN All-Star P

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 27th 7.0 336 0
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 30th 1.0 336 0
1937 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 6.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 9.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 10.0 80 0
1933 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 4.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 68.0 80 0