George Zuverink, baseball player, 1951-1959

George Zuverink

Born: 8/20/1924 in Holland, MI, USA

Died: 9/8/2014 in Tempe, AZ, USA

MLB Debut: 1951-04-21 | Final Game: 1959-06-15

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 195 lbs

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Biography

George Zuverink was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 until 1959. Born in 1924, Zuverink made his debut during a transformative era in baseball marked by the post-World War II resurgence of the sport and the gradual integration of players into the league. Throughout his career, he displayed a solid level of performance on the mound, finishing with a record of 32 wins and 36 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.54, and 223 strikeouts. His ability to come through in critical situations was underscored by his 40 saves, showcasing his effectiveness as both a starter and a reliever. Zuverink's playing style was characterized by his versatility and competitiveness. He contributed significantly to the teams he played for, which included the Detroit Tigers and the Baltimore Orioles, among others. His career spanned a time of great change and excitement in baseball, as the game transitioned into a new era of talent and style, setting the stage for future generations of pitchers. His legacy is remembered as part of the rich tapestry of baseball history during the mid-20th century.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
32 36 265 31 9 2 40 642.3 660 253 56 203 223 3.54 0

Career ERA 3.54 vs. league average 3.90 across their career seasons — 9.1% 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
1951 CLE AL 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 25.3 24 15 13 14 5.33 4.04 (-32%) -11.7
1952 CLE AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.3 1 0 0 1 0.00 — 0.0
1954 CIN NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 6.0 10 6 1 2 9.00 — 0.0
1954 DET AL 9 13 35 25 9 2 4 203.0 201 81 62 70 3.59 3.90 (+8%) -1348.1
1955 DET AL 0 5 14 1 0 0 0 28.3 38 22 14 13 6.99 4.00 (-75%) -1277.9
1955 BAL AL 4 3 28 5 0 0 4 86.3 80 21 17 31 2.19 4.00 (+45%) 1903.9
1956 BAL AL 7 6 62 0 0 0 16 97.3 112 45 34 33 4.16 3.96 (-5%) 823.5
1957 BAL AL 10 6 56 0 0 0 9 112.7 105 31 39 36 2.48 3.83 (+35%) -484.5
1958 BAL AL 2 2 45 0 0 0 7 69.0 74 26 17 22 3.39 3.86 (+12%) 471.3
1959 BAL AL 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 13.0 15 6 6 1 4.15 3.90 (-6%) -283.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
266 142 5 21 2 1 0 7 0 9 39 0.148 0.199 0.176 0.375 -671.0

Career AVG .148 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 42.7% below league average.

Career OBP .199 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 39.6% below league average.

Career SLG .176 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 54.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.375 vs. league average 0.718 across their career seasons — 47.8% 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
1951 CLE AL 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1952 CLE AL 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1954 CIN NL 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1954 DET AL 35 64 1 8 1 0 0 3 0 1 14 0.125 .261 (-52%) .333 (-58%) .390 (-64%) .723 (-61%) 0.0
1955 DET AL 14 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1955 BAL AL 28 23 1 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.217 — — — — 0.0
1956 BAL AL 62 17 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 7 0.118 — — — — 0.0
1957 BAL AL 56 23 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 0.130 — — — — 0.0
1958 BAL AL 45 9 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 2 0.222 — — — — 0.0
1959 BAL AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 265 31 45 145 7 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1951 CLE P 16 0 1 7 1 0
1952 CLE P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1954 CIN P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1954 DET P 35 25 18 46 3 3
1955 DET P 14 1 2 6 0 0
1955 BAL P 28 5 7 19 3 2
1956 BAL P 62 0 8 17 0 2
1957 BAL P 56 0 5 26 0 2
1958 BAL P 45 0 4 19 0 1
1959 BAL P 6 0 0 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 265