Ed Whitson, baseball player, 1977-1991

Ed Whitson

Born: 5/19/1955 in Johnson City, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1977-09-04 | Final Game: 1991-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Eddie Lee Whitson

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Biography

Ed Whitson, born in 1955, was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1977 until his retirement in 1991. Over his 14-year career, Whitson established himself as a reliable starter, finishing with a win-loss record of 126-123 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.79. His ability to strike batters out was evident, as he accumulated a total of 1,266 strikeouts. In addition to his impressive strikeout numbers, Whitson also recorded 8 saves, showcasing his versatility on the mound. He was recognized for his talents with an All-Star selection during his career, marking a high point in his professional journey. Whitson pitched during a transformative era in baseball, navigating the transition from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, a period marked by significant changes in player training, strategy, and the overall competitive landscape of the game. Known for his durability and competitive spirit, he contributed to multiple teams, demonstrating his ability to adapt and thrive in various pitching environments. Whitson's career remains a testament to the hard work and dedication required to succeed in Major League Baseball, leaving a lasting impact on the franchises he represented.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
126 123 452 333 35 12 8 2240.0 2240 944 211 698 1266 3.79 0

Career ERA 3.79 vs. league average 3.88 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
1977 PIT NL 1 0 5 2 0 0 0 15.7 11 6 9 10 3.45 4.00 (+14%) 319.7
1978 PIT NL 5 6 43 0 0 0 4 74.0 66 27 37 64 3.28 3.69 (+11%) 699.4
1979 PIT NL 2 3 19 7 0 0 1 57.7 53 28 36 31 4.37 4.00 (-9%) -1360.2
1979 SFG NL 5 8 18 17 2 0 0 100.3 98 44 39 62 3.95 4.00 (+1%) -
1980 SFG NL 11 13 34 34 6 2 0 211.7 222 73 56 90 3.10 3.84 (+19%) -
1981 SFG NL 6 9 22 22 2 1 0 123.0 130 55 47 65 4.02 3.58 (-12%) -
1982 CLE AL 4 2 40 9 1 1 2 107.7 91 39 58 61 3.26 3.86 (+16%) -168.0
1983 SDP NL 5 7 31 21 2 0 1 144.3 143 69 50 81 4.30 3.87 (-11%) -
1984 SDP NL 14 8 31 31 1 0 0 189.0 181 68 42 103 3.24 3.81 (+15%) -
1985 NYY AL 10 8 30 30 2 2 0 158.7 201 86 43 89 4.88 3.89 (-25%) -
1986 NYY AL 5 2 14 4 0 0 0 37.0 54 31 23 27 7.54 3.97 (-90%) -
1986 SDP NL 1 7 17 12 0 0 0 75.7 85 47 37 46 5.59 3.97 (-41%) -
1987 SDP NL 10 13 36 34 3 1 0 205.7 197 108 64 135 4.73 4.29 (-10%) -
1988 SDP NL 13 11 34 33 3 1 0 205.3 202 86 45 118 3.77 3.73 (-1%) -
1989 SDP NL 16 11 33 33 5 1 0 227.0 198 67 48 117 2.66 3.71 (+28%) -
1990 SDP NL 14 9 32 32 6 3 0 228.7 215 66 47 127 2.60 3.86 (+33%) -
1991 SDP NL 4 6 13 12 2 0 0 78.7 93 44 17 40 5.03 3.91 (-29%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
461 576 24 72 9 0 1 27 0 18 169 0.125 0.152 0.146 0.297 -3884.9

Career AVG .125 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 51.8% below league average.

Career OBP .152 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 53.3% below league average.

Career SLG .146 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 62.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.297 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — 58.3% 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
1977 PIT NL 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1978 PIT NL 43 11 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1979 PIT NL 19 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1979 SFG NL 18 32 1 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 10 0.156 — — — — 0.0
1980 SFG NL 34 66 2 6 0 0 0 4 0 1 21 0.091 .264 (-66%) .326 (-68%) .387 (-77%) .714 (-73%) -797.3
1981 SFG NL 22 33 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 13 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1982 CLE AL 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 SDP NL 31 44 1 8 0 0 0 3 0 2 11 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1984 SDP NL 36 61 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 12 0.049 .259 (-81%) .322 (-80%) .384 (-87%) .707 (-84%) -848.7
1985 NYY AL 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 NYY AL 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 SDP NL 17 18 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1987 SDP NL 36 65 1 8 1 0 0 4 0 1 17 0.123 .262 (-53%) .331 (-59%) .415 (-67%) .746 (-63%) -715.7
1988 SDP NL 34 66 4 11 3 0 0 3 0 1 23 0.167 .254 (-34%) .317 (-44%) .377 (-44%) .695 (-44%) -479.6
1989 SDP NL 36 72 4 10 4 0 0 4 0 5 19 0.139 .254 (-45%) .319 (-39%) .375 (-48%) .694 (-44%) -525.0
1990 SDP NL 33 67 6 10 1 0 1 4 0 2 16 0.149 .257 (-42%) .324 (-46%) .385 (-46%) .710 (-46%) -518.5
1991 SDP NL 13 24 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 0.125 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1984 NLCS SDN 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1984 WS SDN 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
1 0 2 2 0 8.7 10 4 2 6 4.15

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1984 NLCS SDN 1 0 1 1 0 8.0 5 1 2 6 1.12
1984 WS SDN 0 0 1 1 0 0.7 5 3 0 0 40.50

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 452 332 123 274 21 16

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1977 PIT P 5 1 0 2 0 0
1978 PIT P 43 0 3 8 1 0
1979 PIT P 19 7 2 6 0 1
1979 SFN P 18 17 2 15 2 1
1980 SFN P 34 34 8 27 3 0
1981 SFN P 22 22 10 11 3 1
1982 CLE P 40 9 4 8 0 0
1983 SDN P 31 21 4 6 0 0
1984 SDN P 31 31 11 35 0 3
1985 NYA P 30 30 8 16 3 3
1986 NYA P 14 4 1 5 0 0
1986 SDN P 17 12 6 13 2 1
1987 SDN P 36 34 14 19 1 0
1988 SDN P 34 33 10 30 4 2
1989 SDN P 33 33 17 22 2 1
1990 SDN P 32 32 18 42 0 3
1991 SDN P 13 12 5 9 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 452

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1981 Pitcher of the Month August

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1991 SDN NL $1,325,000
1990 SDN NL $1,125,000
1989 SDN NL $1,050,000
1988 SDN NL $1,000,000
1987 SDN NL $800,000
1986 NYA AL $800,000
1985 NYA AL $800,000
Total Career Earnings $6,900,000