Ted Abernathy
Born: 3/6/1933 in Stanley, NC, USA
Died: 12/16/2004 in Gastonia, NC, USA
MLB Debut: 1955-04-13 | Final Game: 1972-09-30
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 215 lbs
Full name: Theodore Wade Abernathy
Biography
Ted Abernathy, born in 1933, was a notable pitcher who enjoyed a professional baseball career spanning from 1955 to 1972. Throughout his tenure in Major League Baseball, Abernathy showcased his skills on the mound, finishing with a career record of 63 wins and 69 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.46, and a total of 765 strikeouts. He was particularly recognized for his effectiveness in late-game situations, amassing 148 saves, which underscored his value as a reliable closer during a time when the role was becoming increasingly important in the game.
Abernathy's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the evolution of pitching strategies and the introduction of specialized roles. His ability to adapt to the demands of the game, combined with his consistent performance, made him a respected figure among his peers. As baseball transitioned into the era of power hitters and evolving offensive strategies, Abernathy's contributions helped shape the role of relief pitching, earning him a lasting legacy in the annals of the sport.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 69 | 681 | 34 | 7 | 2 | 148 | 1147.7 | 1010 | 441 | 70 | 592 | 765 | 3.46 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | WSN | AL | 5 | 9 | 40 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 119.3 | 136 | 79 | 67 | 79 | 5.96 | - |
| 1956 | WSN | AL | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30.3 | 35 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 4.15 | - |
| 1957 | WSN | AL | 2 | 10 | 26 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 85.0 | 100 | 64 | 65 | 50 | 6.78 | - |
| 1960 | WSN | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 12.00 | - |
| 1963 | CLE | AL | 7 | 2 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 59.3 | 54 | 19 | 29 | 47 | 2.88 | 661.5 |
| 1964 | CLE | AL | 2 | 6 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 72.7 | 66 | 35 | 46 | 57 | 4.33 | -611.7 |
| 1965 | CHC | NL | 4 | 6 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 136.3 | 113 | 39 | 56 | 104 | 2.57 | - |
| 1966 | ATL | NL | 4 | 4 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 65.3 | 58 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 3.86 | -655.9 |
| 1966 | CHC | NL | 1 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27.7 | 26 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 6.18 | - |
| 1967 | CIN | NL | 6 | 3 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 106.3 | 63 | 15 | 41 | 88 | 1.27 | 2715.2 |
| 1968 | CIN | NL | 10 | 7 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 134.7 | 111 | 37 | 55 | 64 | 2.47 | -2199.6 |
| 1969 | CHC | NL | 4 | 3 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 85.3 | 75 | 30 | 42 | 55 | 3.16 | - |
| 1970 | CHC | NL | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9.0 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2.00 | - |
| 1970 | KCR | AL | 9 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 55.7 | 41 | 16 | 38 | 49 | 2.59 | - |
| 1970 | STL | NL | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18.3 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 2.95 | - |
| 1971 | KCR | AL | 4 | 6 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 81.0 | 60 | 23 | 50 | 55 | 2.56 | - |
| 1972 | KCR | AL | 3 | 4 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 58.3 | 44 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 1.70 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 681 | 181 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 74 | 0.138 | 0.175 | 0.155 | 0.329 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | WSN | AL | 40 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.154 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | WSN | AL | 5 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.182 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | WSN | AL | 26 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | WSN | AL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | CLE | AL | 43 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.400 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CLE | AL | 53 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CHC | NL | 84 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | ATL | NL | 38 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CHC | NL | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | CIN | NL | 70 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.059 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | CIN | NL | 78 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1969 | CHC | NL | 56 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | CHC | NL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | KCR | AL | 36 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.214 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | STL | NL | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1971 | KCR | AL | 63 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.077 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | KCR | AL | 45 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 681 | 34 | 92 | 304 | 21 | 16 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | WS1 | P | 40 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 1 | 2 |
| 1956 | WS1 | P | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957 | WS1 | P | 26 | 16 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 1960 | WS1 | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1963 | CLE | P | 43 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| 1964 | CLE | P | 53 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 2 |
| 1965 | CHN | P | 84 | 0 | 11 | 41 | 0 | 3 |
| 1966 | ATL | P | 38 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 1966 | CHN | P | 20 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | CIN | P | 70 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| 1968 | CIN | P | 78 | 0 | 14 | 39 | 3 | 0 |
| 1969 | CHN | P | 56 | 0 | 9 | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970 | CHN | P | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | KCA | P | 36 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | SLN | P | 11 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1971 | KCA | P | 63 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| 1972 | KCA | P | 45 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 681 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | TSN Fireman of the Year | |
| 1965 | TSN Fireman of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 20th | 8.0 | 280 | 0 |