Ralph Works, baseball player, 1909-1913

Ralph Works

Born: 3/16/1888 in Payson, IL, USA

Died: 8/8/1941 in Pasadena, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1909-05-01 | Final Game: 1913-04-28

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

Full name: Ralph Talmadge Works

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Biography

Ralph Works was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1909 to 1913. Born in 1888, Works made his mark in the early 20th century, an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven game. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 24 wins and 24 losses, showcasing a competitive spirit on the mound. With an earned run average (ERA) of 3.79, Works demonstrated the ability to keep opposing hitters at bay, while his 208 strikeouts reflected his skill in overpowering batters during a time when strikeouts were less frequent than in today’s game. While Works may not have been a household name, his contributions to the teams he played for were significant in the development of pitching during this formative period in baseball history. With 4 saves to his credit, he also showed versatility in his role, adapting to the evolving strategies of the game. Ralph Works retired from baseball on April 28, 1913, leaving behind a legacy as a reliable pitcher of his time, embodying the grit and determination of players who laid the groundwork for future generations in Major League Baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
24 24 99 48 28 4 4 498.7 512 210 5 202 208 3.79 0

Career ERA 3.79 vs. league average 3.03 across their career seasons — 25.2% worse 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
1909 DET AL 4 1 16 4 4 0 2 64.0 62 14 17 31 1.97 2.55 (+23%) 698.8
1910 DET AL 3 6 18 10 5 0 1 85.7 73 34 39 36 3.57 2.79 (-28%) -831.7
1911 DET AL 11 5 30 15 9 3 0 167.3 173 72 67 68 3.87 3.37 (-15%) -681.6
1912 DET AL 5 10 27 16 9 1 1 157.0 185 74 66 64 4.24 3.36 (-26%) -684.2
1912 CIN NL 1 1 3 1 1 0 0 9.7 4 3 5 5 2.79 3.36 (+17%) 0.0
1913 CIN NL 0 1 5 2 0 0 0 15.0 15 13 8 4 7.80 3.07 (-154%) -448.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
99 175 10 28 4 0 0 9 0 3 48 0.160 0.174 0.183 0.357 -1016.9

Career AVG .160 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 38.0% below league average.

Career OBP .174 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 46.3% below league average.

Career SLG .183 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 46.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.357 vs. league average 0.665 across their career seasons — 46.3% 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
1909 DET AL 16 17 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0.059 — — — — 0.0
1910 DET AL 18 30 3 8 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.267 — — — — 0.0
1911 DET AL 30 61 2 9 1 0 0 3 0 2 11 0.148 .266 (-45%) .336 (-48%) .356 (-54%) .693 (-51%) -517.2
1912 DET AL 27 56 3 8 1 0 0 4 0 1 20 0.143 .268 (-47%) .335 (-53%) .358 (-55%) .694 (-54%) -499.7
1912 CIN NL 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.200 — — — — -499.7
1913 CIN NL 5 6 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.167 — — — — 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
1909 WS DET 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 2.0 4 2 0 2 9.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1909 WS DET 0 0 1 0 0 2.0 4 2 0 2 9.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 99 14 11 128 17 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1909 DET P 16 4 2 16 2 1
1910 DET P 18 10 4 26 5 1
1911 DET P 30 0 3 28 4 1
1912 DET P 27 0 2 51 6 0
1912 CIN P 3 0 0 1 0 0
1913 CIN P 5 0 0 6 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 99