Larry Benton
Born: 11/20/1897 in St. Louis, MO, USA
Died: 4/3/1953 in Amberley, OH, USA
MLB Debut: 1923-04-19 | Final Game: 1935-08-16
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 165 lbs
Full name: Lawrence James Benton
Biography
Larry Benton, born in 1897, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1923 to 1935. He played during a transformative era in baseball that witnessed the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven game. Benton compiled a career record of 127 wins and 128 losses, showcasing his resilience and competitiveness on the mound. With an earned run average (ERA) of 4.03, he demonstrated an ability to navigate the challenges of hitting during a time when pitchers often faced formidable lineups.
Throughout his career, Benton struck out 670 batters and notched 22 saves, highlighting both his strikeout capability and his effectiveness in late-game situations. Known for his consistency and durability, he contributed significantly to the teams he played for, leaving a lasting impact on the franchises he represented. Benton's journey through the early 20th century baseball landscape offers a glimpse into the evolution of pitching and the strategic changes that shaped the game as it approached the modern era.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | 128 | 455 | 258 | 122 | 13 | 22 | 2297.0 | 2559 | 1029 | 109 | 691 | 670 | 4.03 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | BSN | NL | 5 | 9 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 128.0 | 141 | 71 | 57 | 42 | 4.99 | -409.8 |
| 1924 | BSN | NL | 5 | 7 | 30 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 128.0 | 129 | 59 | 64 | 41 | 4.15 | -1083.5 |
| 1925 | BSN | NL | 14 | 7 | 31 | 21 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 183.3 | 170 | 63 | 70 | 49 | 3.09 | 715.7 |
| 1926 | BSN | NL | 14 | 14 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 231.7 | 244 | 99 | 81 | 103 | 3.85 | 1185.5 |
| 1927 | BSN | NL | 4 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 60.3 | 72 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 4.48 | -399.8 |
| 1927 | NY1 | NL | 13 | 5 | 29 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 173.0 | 183 | 76 | 54 | 65 | 3.95 | 458.1 |
| 1928 | NY1 | NL | 25 | 9 | 42 | 35 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 310.3 | 299 | 94 | 71 | 90 | 2.73 | 3434.8 |
| 1929 | NY1 | NL | 11 | 17 | 39 | 30 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 237.0 | 276 | 109 | 61 | 63 | 4.14 | 1216.5 |
| 1930 | CIN | NL | 7 | 12 | 35 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 177.7 | 246 | 101 | 45 | 47 | 5.12 | 2612.0 |
| 1930 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 30.0 | 42 | 26 | 14 | 16 | 7.80 | -1880.2 |
| 1931 | CIN | NL | 10 | 15 | 38 | 23 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 204.3 | 240 | 76 | 53 | 35 | 3.35 | 946.6 |
| 1932 | CIN | NL | 6 | 13 | 35 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 179.7 | 201 | 86 | 27 | 35 | 4.31 | 1749.3 |
| 1933 | CIN | NL | 10 | 11 | 34 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 152.7 | 160 | 63 | 36 | 33 | 3.71 | 981.3 |
| 1934 | CIN | NL | 0 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 29.0 | 53 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 6.52 | 242.6 |
| 1935 | BSN | NL | 2 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72.0 | 103 | 55 | 24 | 21 | 6.88 | -660.8 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 462 | 738 | 54 | 122 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 1 | 30 | 181 | 0.165 | 0.202 | 0.195 | 0.397 | -5307.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | BSN | NL | 35 | 31 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 0.161 | 0.0 |
| 1924 | BSN | NL | 30 | 33 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0.091 | 0.0 |
| 1925 | BSN | NL | 32 | 58 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 0.241 | -283.0 |
| 1926 | BSN | NL | 45 | 78 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 0.154 | -713.1 |
| 1927 | BSN | NL | 11 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.222 | 0.0 |
| 1927 | NY1 | NL | 31 | 50 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.160 | 0.0 |
| 1928 | NY1 | NL | 42 | 112 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 0.143 | -1033.8 |
| 1929 | NY1 | NL | 41 | 86 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0.105 | -1032.5 |
| 1930 | CIN | NL | 35 | 62 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0.177 | -530.7 |
| 1930 | NY1 | NL | 8 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.300 | -530.7 |
| 1931 | CIN | NL | 38 | 66 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0.167 | -518.7 |
| 1932 | CIN | NL | 35 | 54 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0.204 | -335.8 |
| 1933 | CIN | NL | 34 | 53 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.170 | -414.3 |
| 1934 | CIN | NL | 16 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1935 | BSN | NL | 29 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 455 | 0 | 93 | 469 | 22 | 33 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | BSN | P | 35 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 4 | 2 |
| 1924 | BSN | P | 30 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
| 1925 | BSN | P | 31 | 0 | 6 | 39 | 3 | 2 |
| 1926 | BSN | P | 43 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 0 | 1 |
| 1927 | BSN | P | 11 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 1927 | NY1 | P | 29 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| 1928 | NY1 | P | 42 | 0 | 15 | 69 | 1 | 5 |
| 1929 | NY1 | P | 39 | 0 | 11 | 58 | 3 | 7 |
| 1930 | CIN | P | 35 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 1930 | NY1 | P | 8 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931 | CIN | P | 38 | 0 | 10 | 48 | 2 | 5 |
| 1932 | CIN | P | 35 | 0 | 6 | 38 | 2 | 1 |
| 1933 | CIN | P | 34 | 0 | 5 | 27 | 2 | 1 |
| 1934 | CIN | P | 16 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1935 | BSN | P | 29 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 455 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
| 1928 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 37.0 | 80 | 0 |