Ping Gardner

Kenneth Fuller Gardner

• Bats unknown, Throws Right
• Height 5 9", Weight 157 lb.

• Debut 1923
• Final Game 1932
• Born March 5, 1899 in Washington, DC USA
• Died March 9, 1984 in Charlottesville, VA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Ping Gardner was a Negro League pitcher of the 1920s.

Gardner played on the Washington, DC sandlots. He debuted with Chappie Johnson's Stars, a minor team. He was 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts for the Brooklyn Royal Giants in 1920; only Red Ryan had a better ERA among top black eastern clubs. He went 8-1 for the Lincoln Giants in the California Winter League, one behind league leader Jess Hubbard. He fell to 2-2, 5.40 for the 1921 New York Lincoln Giants. In 1923, the little lefty was 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA for the Hilldale Daisies.

The submariner was 6-6 with a 4.27 ERA (113 ERA+) for the Harrisburg Giants in 1924. He tied Juanelo Mirabal and George Britt for 5th in the Eastern Colored League with ten complete games. In 1925, he stayed with Harrisburg, stopping his wandering briefly. He was 11-6 with a 4.03 ERA, good for a 121 ERA+ in a hitters' league ( . He tied Isidro Fabré for 10th in the ECL in ERA+, tied for 4th in wins (with Phil Cockrell, Charles Corbett, Reuben Curry and Joe Strong) and tied Judy Johnson for 10th in Wins Above Replacement (2.7).

He was 7-8 with a save and a 4.50 ERA (96 ERA+) for Harrisburg in 1926. He tied Sam Cooper, Oscar Levis and Corbett for 8th in wins, was 9th in K (51), ranked 6th in complete games (12, between Cockrell and Willie Gisentaner) and led in shutouts (3). That winter, he was 5-4 for the Alacranes of the Cuban Triangular League. He faded in 1927, going 1-4 with a 4.89 ERA for Harrisburg. In 1928, he was 4-10 with two saves and a 5.72 ERA (88 ERA+) for the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, ending his longest tenure with one team at four years. He led the ECL in losses (two more than Connie Rector), tied Nip Winters for 4th with 9 complete games and tied Rector for the most saves. He was 4-2 for the Cleveland Giants in the California Winter League. He was 1-3 with a 13.17 ERA for the Bacharach Giants in 1929.

In 1930, he was 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA (101 ERA+) back with Hilldale then went 0-2 with a 8.44 ERA for the 1932 Newark Browns.

Notable Achievements

• ECL Saves Leader (1928)
• ECL Shutouts Leader (1926)

Sources

• Seamheads Database
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo
• The California Winter League by William McNeil