Don Larsen

Position: Pitcher

Bats: Right • Throws: Right

6-4, 215lb (193cm, 97kg)

Born: August 7, 1929 in Michigan City, IN us

Died: January 1, 2020 in Coeur d'Alene, ID

High School: Point Loma HS (San Diego, CA)

Debut: April 18, 1953 (Age 23-254d, 8,600th in MLB history)
vs. DET 5.1 IP, 9 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, 3 ER

Last Game: July 7, 1967 (Age 37-334d)
vs. HOU 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER

Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1953 season

Full Name: Don James Larsen

Nicknames: Gooney Bird

View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

+10

Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free.

SUMMARY

Career

WAR

18.4

W

L

ERA

3.78

G

412

GS

171

SV

IP

1548.0

SO

849

WHIP

1.400

Standard Pitching

Standard Pitching
Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
1947	17	SLB-min	C	4	3	.571	3.42	16						71.0	65	39	27		31									1.352	8.2		3.9			ABD NORL
1948	18	SLB-min	C	17	11	.607	3.75	34						211.0	241	113	88		77									1.507	10.3		3.3			ABD NORL
1949	19	SLB-min	B,C	6	8	.429	3.15	25			3	0		103.0	125	72	36		49		72	0	0	4				1.689	10.9		4.3	6.3	1.47	SPR,GLM IIIL,AZTX
1950	20	SLB-min	A	6	4	.600	3.14	21						106.0	103	53	37	3	38									1.330	8.7	0.3	3.2			WCH WL
1951			Did not play in major or minor leagues (Military Service)
1952			Did not play in major or minor leagues (Military Service)
1953	23	SLB	AL	7	12	.368	4.16	38	22	14	7	2	2	192.2	201	99	89	11	64	5	96	4	0	3	828	101	3.40	1.375	9.4	0.5	3.0	4.5	1.50
1954	24	BAL	AL	3	21	.125	4.37	29	28	1	12	1	0	201.2	213	106	98	18	89	15	80	1	0	2	892	82	4.10	1.498	9.5	0.8	4.0	3.6	0.90
1955	25	NYY-min	AAA	9	1	.900	3.69	13	13		6	1		100.0	96	49	41	14	43	0	74	0	0	1				1.390	8.6	1.3	3.9	6.7	1.72	DEN AA
1955	25	NYY	AL	9	2	.818	3.06	19	13	5	5	1	2	97.0	81	38	33	8	51	3	44	2	0	1	412	123	4.17	1.361	7.5	0.7	4.7	4.1	0.86
1956	26	NYY	AL	11	5	.688	3.26	38	20	9	6	1	1	179.2	133	72	65	19	96	0	107	7	0	3	759	119	4.27	1.275	6.7	1.0	4.8	5.4	1.11
1957	27	NYY	AL	10	4	.714	3.74	27	20	5	4	1	0	139.2	113	68	58	12	87	0	81	0	0	6	605	97	4.28	1.432	7.3	0.8	5.6	5.2	0.93
1958	28	NYY	AL	9	6	.600	3.07	19	19	0	5	3	0	114.1	100	43	39	4	52	3	55	4	0	0	491	116	3.44	1.329	7.9	0.3	4.1	4.3	1.06
1959	29	NYY	AL	6	7	.462	4.33	25	18	3	3	1	0	124.2	122	65	60	14	76	2	69	2	0	7	560	84	4.77	1.588	8.8	1.0	5.5	5.0	0.91
1960	30	KCA-min	AAA	2	1	.667	2.31	5	5		2	0		39.0	20	10	10	1	12	0	42	0	0	0				0.821	4.6	0.2	2.8	9.7	3.50	DFW AA
1960	30	KCA	AL	1	10	.091	5.38	22	15	3	0	0	0	83.2	97	55	50	11	42	1	43	0	0	2	381	74	4.71	1.661	10.4	1.2	4.5	4.6	1.02
1961	31	TOT	AL	8	2	.800	4.13	33	4	18	0	0	2	89.1	85	45	41	7	40	2	66	2	0	4	390	96	3.53	1.399	8.6	0.7	4.0	6.6	1.65
1961	31	KCA	AL	1	0	1.000	4.20	8	1	5	0	0	0	15.0	21	9	7	2	11	0	13	1	0	2	75	101	4.97	2.133	12.6	1.2	6.6	7.8	1.18
1961	31	CHW	AL	7	2	.778	4.12	25	3	13	0	0	2	74.1	64	36	34	5	29	2	53	1	0	2	315	95	3.23	1.251	7.7	0.6	3.5	6.4	1.83
1962	32	SFG	NL	5	4	.556	4.38	49	0	25	0	0	10	86.1	83	44	42	9	47	7	58	2	0	6	380	88	4.33	1.506	8.7	0.9	4.9	6.0	1.23
1963	33	SFG	NL	7	7	.500	3.05	46	0	26	0	0	4	62.0	46	23	21	8	30	9	44	0	0	4	261	105	4.19	1.226	6.7	1.2	4.4	6.4	1.47
1964	34	TOT	NL	4	9	.308	2.45	36	10	14	2	1	1	113.2	102	41	31	4	26	5	64	1	0	1	470	141	2.65	1.126	8.1	0.3	2.1	5.1	2.46
1964	34	SFG	NL	0	1	.000	4.35	6	0	3	0	0	0	10.1	10	5	5	0	6	1	6	0	0	0	46	85	3.19	1.548	8.7	0.0	5.2	5.2	1.00
1964	34	HOU	NL	4	8	.333	2.26	30	10	11	2	1	1	103.1	92	36	26	4	20	4	58	1	0	1	424	152	2.60	1.084	8.0	0.3	1.7	5.1	2.90
1965	35	TOT	MLB	1	2	.333	2.88	28	2	8	0	0	1	59.1	61	25	19	4	23	3	41	1	0	0	261	121	3.22	1.416	9.3	0.6	3.5	6.2	1.78
1965	35	HOU	NL	0	0		5.06	1	1	0	0	0	0	5.1	8	3	3	0	3	1	1	0	0	0	27	71	3.83	2.063	13.5	0.0	5.1	1.7	0.33
1965	35	BAL	AL	1	2	.333	2.67	27	1	8	0	0	1	54.0	53	22	16	4	20	2	40	1	0	0	234	131	3.17	1.352	8.8	0.7	3.3	6.7	2.00

1966	36	SFG-min	AAA	8	5	.615	2.50	35	12		3	1		119.0	134	44	33	4	42	10	64	1	0	5				1.479	10.1	0.3	3.2	4.8	1.52	PHX PCL
1967	37	CHC-SFG-min	AA,AAA	5	4	.556	2.80	41	0		0	0		74.0	57	30	23	5	16	2	50	1	0	4				0.986	6.9	0.6	1.9	6.1	3.13	DFW,PHX TL,PCL
1967	37	CHC	NL	0	0		9.00	3	0	1	0	0	0	4.0	5	4	4	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	18	44	6.79	1.750	11.3	2.3	4.5	2.3	0.50
1968	38	CHC-min	AA,AAA	0	4	.000	5.40	15	0		0	0		20.0	27	15	12	1	6	2	12	0	0	1				1.650	12.2	0.5	2.7	5.4	2.00	SAN,TAC TL,PCL
14 Yrs				81	91	.471	3.78	412	171	132	44	11	23	1548.0	1442	728	650	130	725	55	849	26	0	39	6708	99	3.94	1.400	8.4	0.8	4.2	4.9	1.17
162 Game Avg.				9	11	.471	3.78	48	20	15	5	1	3	181	168	85	76	15	85	6	99	3	0	5	782	99	3.94	1.400	8.4	0.8	4.2	4.9	1.17
				W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
NYY (5 yrs)				45	24	.652	3.50	128	90	22	23	7	3	655.1	549	286	255	57	362	8	356	15	0	17	2827	106	4.21	1.390	7.5	0.8	5.0	4.9	0.98
SFG (3 yrs)				12	12	.500	3.86	101	0	54	0	0	14	158.2	139	72	68	17	83	17	108	2	0	10	687	93	4.20	1.399	7.9	1.0	4.7	6.1	1.30
BAL (3 yrs)				11	35	.239	4.08	94	51	23	19	3	3	448.1	467	227	203	33	173	22	216	6	0	5	1954	94	3.69	1.428	9.4	0.7	3.5	4.3	1.25
HOU (2 yrs)				4	8	.333	2.40	31	11	11	2	1	1	108.2	100	39	29	4	23	5	59	1	0	1	451	144	2.66	1.132	8.3	0.3	1.9	4.9	2.57
KCA (2 yrs)				2	10	.167	5.20	30	16	8	0	0	0	98.2	118	64	57	13	53	1	56	1	0	4	456	78	4.75	1.733	10.8	1.2	4.8	5.1	1.06
CHC (1 yr)				0	0		9.00	3	0	1	0	0	0	4.0	5	4	4	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	18	44	6.79	1.750	11.3	2.3	4.5	2.3	0.50
CHW (1 yr)				7	2	.778	4.12	25	3	13	0	0	2	74.1	64	36	34	5	29	2	53	1	0	2	315	95	3.23	1.251	7.7	0.6	3.5	6.4	1.83

AL (10 yrs)				65	71	.478	3.87	277	160	66	42	10	8	1276.2	1198	613	549	108	617	33	681	23	0	28	5552	98	4.01	1.422	8.4	0.8	4.3	4.8	1.10
NL (5 yrs)				16	20	.444	3.35	135	11	66	2	1	15	271.1	244	115	101	22	108	22	168	3	0	11	1156	106	3.62	1.297	8.1	0.7	3.6	5.6	1.56

View a sample email. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey.

Player Value--Pitching

WAR Explained (v2.2): 8+ MVP, 5+ A-S, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Sub, < 0 Repl

Player News

Postseason Pitching

Postseason Game Log

Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free.

Standard Batting

Games by Position

Player Value--Batting

WAR Explained (v2.2): 8+ MVP, 5+ A-S, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Sub, < 0 Repl

Postseason Batting

Postseason Game Log

Standard Fielding

Appearances

Appearances on Leaderboards, Awards, and Honors

Hall of Fame Statistics

Similarity Scores

Explanation of Similarity Scores

Transactions

Salaries

Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses

Name + "Statistics" Translations

Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please report any suggested corrections. "Statistics" is included to allow non-English speakers to find our pages.

Other Resources & Links

More Larsen Pages

Don Larsen Overview

Minor Lg Stats

Pitching Splits

Batting Splits

Pitching Game Logs

Batting Game Logs

Fielding Game Logs

Pitching Finders & Advanced Stats

Batting Finders & Advanced Stats

Fielding Finders & Advanced Stats

Advanced Stats

More Don Larsen Pages at Baseball Reference