Dave Wickersham

Born: 9/27/1935 in Erie, PA, USA

Died: 6/18/2022 in Overland Park, KS, USA

MLB Debut: 1960-09-18 | Final Game: 1969-07-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 188 lbs

Full name: David Clifford Wickersham

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Biography

Dave Wickersham was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1935, who had an impactful career in Major League Baseball from 1960 until his retirement in 1969. Over his nine seasons in the league, Wickersham established himself with a record of 68 wins and 57 losses, complemented by an earned run average (ERA) of 3.66. He showcased his ability to strike out batters, notching a total of 638 strikeouts. Additionally, he contributed to his teams by securing 18 saves during his tenure. Wickersham played in an era characterized by a transition in baseball dynamics, as the game began to evolve with a focus on more specialized pitching roles. His versatility on the mound allowed him to be utilized both as a starter and a reliever, making him a valuable asset to the teams he represented. Throughout his career, he was known for his competitive spirit and ability to perform under pressure, traits that endeared him to fans and teammates alike. Wickersham's contributions to the game during the 1960s have solidified his place in baseball history as a reliable pitcher of his time.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
68	57	283	124	29	5	18	1123.0	1071	457	100	384	638	3.66	0

Career ERA 3.66 vs. league average 3.56 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
1960	KC1	AL	0	0	5	0	0	0	2	8.3	4	1	1	3	1.08	—	0.0
1961	KC1	AL	2	1	17	0	0	0	2	21.0	25	12	5	10	5.14	4.03 (-28%)	740.7
1962	KC1	AL	11	4	30	9	3	0	1	110.0	105	51	43	61	4.17	3.96 (-5%)	-1350.2
1963	KC1	AL	12	15	38	34	4	1	1	237.7	244	108	79	118	4.09	3.46 (-18%)	-1785.9
1964	DET	AL	19	12	40	36	11	1	1	254.0	224	97	81	164	3.44	3.58 (+4%)	-1767.8
1965	DET	AL	9	14	34	27	8	3	0	195.3	179	82	61	109	3.78	3.50 (-8%)	981.5
1966	DET	AL	8	3	38	14	3	0	1	140.7	139	50	54	93	3.20	3.52 (+9%)	-1186.3
1967	DET	AL	4	5	36	4	0	0	4	85.3	72	26	33	44	2.74	3.30 (+17%)	-910.0
1968	PIT	NL	1	0	11	0	0	0	1	20.7	21	8	13	9	3.48	2.98 (-17%)	-217.5
1969	KCR	AL	2	3	34	0	0	0	5	50.0	58	22	14	27	3.96	3.61 (-10%)	-

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
283	324	9	28	3	0	0	10	0	9	108	0.086	0.111	0.096	0.206	-2468.6

Career AVG .086 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 65.2% below league average.

Career OBP .111 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 64.8% below league average.

Career SLG .096 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 74.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.206 vs. league average 0.688 across their career seasons — 70.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1960	KC1	AL	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1961	KC1	AL	17	3	1	2	1	3	0	0	0.667	—	—	—	—	0.0
1962	KC1	AL	30	35	1	2	0	0	2	13	0.057	—	—	—	—	0.0
1963	KC1	AL	38	80	3	11	0	2	1	25	0.138	.246 (-44%)	.308 (-52%)	.371 (-63%)	.680 (-58%)	-742.7
1964	DET	AL	40	82	1	6	1	1	2	27	0.073	.250 (-71%)	.312 (-70%)	.377 (-77%)	.690 (-74%)	-1007.5
1965	DET	AL	34	58	2	4	0	1	1	20	0.069	.245 (-72%)	.310 (-73%)	.371 (-81%)	.682 (-77%)	-718.4
1966	DET	AL	38	45	1	2	1	1	2	17	0.044	—	—	—	—	0.0
1967	DET	AL	36	15	0	0	0	0	0	5	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1968	PIT	NL	11	3	0	1	0	2	0	1	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0
1969	KCR	AL	34	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	283	124	80	200	10	9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1960	KC1	P	5	0	0	2	0	0
1961	KC1	P	17	0	0	5	1	0
1962	KC1	P	30	9	7	22	0	2
1963	KC1	P	38	34	15	43	2	2
1964	DET	P	40	36	22	35	2	2
1965	DET	P	34	27	15	37	2	0
1966	DET	P	38	14	11	24	0	2
1967	DET	P	36	4	8	18	2	1
1968	PIT	P	11	0	0	4	0	0
1969	KCA	P	34	0	2	10	1	0