Al Benton
Born: 3/18/1911 in Noble, OK, USA
Died: 4/14/1968 in Lynwood, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1934-04-18 | Final Game: 1952-09-21
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 215 lbs
Full name: John Alton Benton
Biography
Al Benton, born in 1911, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who enjoyed a career spanning from 1934 to 1952. Known for his competitiveness on the mound, Benton finished his career with a record of 98-88 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.66. He recorded 697 strikeouts and notched 66 saves, demonstrating his versatility and effectiveness as both a starter and a reliever. Throughout his career, Benton was selected as an All-Star twice, highlighting his recognition among his peers during an era that witnessed the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-oriented game.
Benton's playing style was characterized by his ability to control the game, relying on a mix of pitches that kept batters off balance. He played in a time when the league was beginning to see the emergence of power hitters, yet he managed to maintain a respectable ERA, reflecting his skill in navigating the challenges of evolving offensive strategies. His contributions to his teams and the sport as a whole have solidified his legacy in baseball history, marking him as a significant figure among pitchers of his time.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 88 | 455 | 167 | 58 | 10 | 66 | 1688.3 | 1672 | 686 | 106 | 733 | 697 | 3.66 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | PHA | AL | 7 | 9 | 32 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 155.0 | 145 | 84 | 88 | 58 | 4.88 | -1684.3 |
| 1935 | PHA | AL | 3 | 4 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78.3 | 110 | 67 | 47 | 42 | 7.70 | -1488.6 |
| 1938 | DET | AL | 5 | 3 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 95.3 | 93 | 35 | 39 | 33 | 3.30 | -1390.5 |
| 1939 | DET | AL | 6 | 8 | 37 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 150.0 | 182 | 76 | 58 | 67 | 4.56 | 204.1 |
| 1940 | DET | AL | 6 | 10 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 79.3 | 93 | 39 | 36 | 50 | 4.42 | 720.0 |
| 1941 | DET | AL | 15 | 6 | 38 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 157.7 | 130 | 52 | 65 | 63 | 2.97 | -712.9 |
| 1942 | DET | AL | 7 | 13 | 35 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 226.7 | 210 | 73 | 84 | 110 | 2.90 | 2434.7 |
| 1945 | DET | AL | 13 | 8 | 31 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 191.7 | 175 | 43 | 63 | 76 | 2.02 | 1718.7 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 11 | 7 | 28 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 140.7 | 132 | 57 | 58 | 60 | 3.65 | -594.7 |
| 1947 | DET | AL | 6 | 7 | 36 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 133.0 | 147 | 65 | 61 | 33 | 4.40 | -2012.0 |
| 1948 | DET | AL | 2 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 44.3 | 45 | 28 | 36 | 18 | 5.68 | -1569.8 |
| 1949 | CLE | AL | 9 | 6 | 40 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 135.7 | 116 | 32 | 51 | 41 | 2.12 | 1364.0 |
| 1950 | CLE | AL | 4 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 63.0 | 57 | 25 | 30 | 26 | 3.57 | -511.7 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 4 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 37.7 | 37 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 2.39 | 640.7 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 455 | 512 | 22 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 200 | 0.098 | 0.112 | 0.111 | 0.223 | -2914.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | PHA | AL | 32 | 55 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0.109 | -666.9 |
| 1935 | PHA | AL | 27 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0.040 | 0.0 |
| 1938 | DET | AL | 19 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.121 | 0.0 |
| 1939 | DET | AL | 37 | 44 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0.091 | 0.0 |
| 1940 | DET | AL | 42 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1941 | DET | AL | 38 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0.060 | -680.5 |
| 1942 | DET | AL | 35 | 67 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0.075 | -817.7 |
| 1945 | DET | AL | 31 | 63 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0.063 | -749.1 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 28 | 49 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.184 | 0.0 |
| 1947 | DET | AL | 36 | 39 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.154 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | DET | AL | 30 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.182 | 0.0 |
| 1949 | CLE | AL | 40 | 38 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.132 | 0.0 |
| 1950 | CLE | AL | 36 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0.083 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 24 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | WS | DET | 3 | 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 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1.93 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | WS | DET | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1.93 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 455 | 0 | 97 | 301 | 26 | 18 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | PHA | P | 32 | 0 | 11 | 28 | 1 | 3 |
| 1935 | PHA | P | 27 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | DET | P | 19 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | DET | P | 37 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| 1940 | DET | P | 42 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| 1941 | DET | P | 38 | 0 | 9 | 27 | 3 | 4 |
| 1942 | DET | P | 35 | 0 | 18 | 39 | 5 | 0 |
| 1945 | DET | P | 31 | 0 | 11 | 44 | 2 | 4 |
| 1946 | DET | P | 28 | 0 | 16 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947 | DET | P | 36 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 1 |
| 1948 | DET | P | 30 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1949 | CLE | P | 40 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 1950 | CLE | P | 36 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 1952 | BOS | P | 24 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 455 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |