Don Wert

Born: 7/29/1938 in Strasburg, PA, USA

Died: 8/25/2024 in Strasburg, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1963-05-11 | Final Game: 1971-06-11

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 162 lbs

Full name: Donald Ralph Wert

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Biography

Don Wert was a professional baseball player who played as a position player in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971. Born in 1938, Wert made his mark primarily with the Detroit Tigers, where he became known for his solid defensive skills and versatility on the field. Over the course of his career, he participated in 1,110 games, accumulating 929 hits, 77 home runs, and 366 runs batted in, with a batting average of .242. His ability to contribute both at the plate and defensively earned him a spot on the All-Star team during his career, highlighting his significance in the league during the 1960s. Wert's playing style embodied the characteristics of the era, which was marked by a focus on pitching and defense. While he was not known for overwhelming power, his contributions were vital to his team's success, particularly in clutch situations. Throughout his tenure, he also showcased his speed on the bases, finishing with 22 stolen bases. After retiring in 1971, Wert left behind a legacy as a reliable player who exemplified the hard-nosed style of baseball that characterized the time. His contributions to the Tigers and the game of baseball are remembered by fans and historians alike.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1110	3840	417	929	129	15	77	366	22	389	529	0.242	0.314	0.343	0.658	-1139.8

Career AVG .242 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .314 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .343 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.658 vs. league average 0.682 across their career seasons — near 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
1963	DET	AL	78	251	31	65	6	2	7	25	3	24	51	0.259	.246 (+5%)	.308 (+6%)	.371 (+3%)	.680 (+4%)	206.1
1964	DET	AL	148	525	63	135	18	5	9	55	3	50	74	0.257	.250 (+3%)	.312 (+4%)	.377 (-4%)	.690 (-1%)	-2.2
1965	DET	AL	162	609	81	159	22	2	12	54	5	73	71	0.261	.245 (+6%)	.310 (+10%)	.371 (-2%)	.682 (+3%)	592.6
1966	DET	AL	150	559	56	150	20	2	11	70	6	64	69	0.268	.248 (+8%)	.309 (+11%)	.376 (-2%)	.685 (+4%)	596.6
1967	DET	AL	142	534	60	137	23	2	6	40	1	44	59	0.257	.242 (+6%)	.306 (+4%)	.357 (-5%)	.663 (avg)	32.7
1968	DET	AL	150	536	44	107	15	1	12	37	0	37	79	0.200	.236 (-16%)	.298 (-14%)	.340 (-12%)	.638 (-13%)	-1264.9
1969	DET	AL	132	423	46	95	11	1	14	50	3	49	60	0.225	.248 (-10%)	.320 (-5%)	.369 (-4%)	.689 (-5%)	-376.6
1970	DET	AL	128	363	34	79	13	0	6	33	1	44	56	0.218	.253 (-14%)	.325 (-6%)	.385 (-21%)	.711 (-14%)	-924.1
1971	WS2	AL	20	40	2	2	1	0	0	2	0	4	10	0.050	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
6	17	1	2	0	0	0	2	6	5	0.118

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1968	WS	DET	6	17	1	2	0	0	0	2	6	5	0.118

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	25	15	40	57	3	10
3B	1043	998	914	1987	97	173
SS	25	16	32	53	2	10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1963	DET	2B	21	15	36	54	3	10
1963	DET	3B	47	45	33	99	6	6
1963	DET	SS	8	6	16	20	1	4
1964	DET	3B	142	138	126	283	15	30
1964	DET	SS	4	4	8	10	1	3
1965	DET	2B	1	0	1	0	0	0
1965	DET	3B	161	161	163	331	12	33
1965	DET	SS	3	1	0	6	0	1
1966	DET	3B	150	148	128	253	11	20
1967	DET	3B	140	135	112	280	9	21
1967	DET	SS	1	0	1	2	0	1
1968	DET	3B	150	147	142	284	15	22
1968	DET	SS	2	0	2	0	0	0
1969	DET	3B	129	122	114	259	13	20
1970	DET	2B	2	0	1	2	0	0
1970	DET	3B	117	100	94	191	14	20
1971	WS2	2B	1	0	2	1	0	0
1971	WS2	3B	7	2	2	7	2	1
1971	WS2	SS	7	5	5	15	0	1