Bob Bowman
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1942)
Bob Bowman was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1942 for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Giants, and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 4 seasons. Across 109 career appearances, he went 26-17 with a 3.82 ERA and 146 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 160 lb
- Died
- 9/4/1972 in Bluefield, WV, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-04-21
- Last Game
- 1942-05-25
Full name: Robert James Bowman
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | SLN | NL | 13 | 5 | 51 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 169.1 | 141 | 49 | 60 | 78 | 2.60 | 4.28 (+39%) | 1939.5 |
| 1940 | SLN | NL | 7 | 5 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 114.1 | 118 | 55 | 43 | 43 | 4.33 | 4.21 (-3%) | -841.7 |
| 1941 | NY1 | NL | 6 | 7 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80.1 | 100 | 51 | 36 | 25 | 5.71 | 3.94 (-45%) | -2502.7 |
| 1942 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 26 | 17 | 109 | 38 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 365.0 | 360 | 155 | 139 | 146 | 3.82 | — | -1,405 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 101 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 61 | .069 | .153 | .109 | .262 | -493 |
Career AVG .069 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 73.8% below league average.
Career OBP .153 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 54.0% below league average.
Career SLG .109 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 71.0% below league average.
Career OPS .262 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — 63.0% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | SLN | NL | 51 | 47 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 29 | .085 | — | — | — | — | -493.0 |
| 1940 | SLN | NL | 28 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 17 | .061 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | NY1 | NL | 29 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .048 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CHN | NL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 109 | 101 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 61 | .069 | — | — | — | — | -493 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (218 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 54 | 52 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .096 |
| Away | 55 | 49 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .041 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 54 | 188.0 | 177 | 76 | 66 | 77 | 3.64 |
| Away | 55 | 177.0 | 183 | 78 | 73 | 69 | 3.97 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942-05-25 | CHC | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-23 | NY1 | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-18 | NY1 | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-14 | NY1 | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-07 | NY1 | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-06 | NY1 | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-01 | NY1 | PHI | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-30 | NY1 | BRO | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-08-30 | NY1 | BRO | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-08-26 | NY1 | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942-05-25 | CHC | STL | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-23 | NY1 | PHI | — | 3.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1941-09-18 | NY1 | CHC | — | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-14 | NY1 | STL | L | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-07 | NY1 | BRO | — | 2.0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1941-09-06 | NY1 | BRO | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-09-01 | NY1 | PHI | W | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-30 | NY1 | BRO | SV | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-30 | NY1 | BRO | W | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-08-26 | NY1 | CIN | L | 7.2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 109 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 30th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bob Bowman (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bob Bowman: the record in brief
April 21, 1939 and May 25, 1942 bracket Bob Bowman's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Bowman's seasons break down as the St. Louis Cardinals (1939 to 1940), the New York Giants (1941), and the Chicago Cubs (1942). Bowman, born on October 3, 1910, in Keystone, WV, USA, is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on September 4, 1972, in Bluefield, WV, USA. Bowman's full given name, per the bio, is Robert James Bowman.
Bowman pitched in 109 games, starting 38, and finished with a 26-17 record and 3.82 ERA. The totals include 146 strikeouts, 13 complete games, and 10 saves. Bowman's 3.82 ERA was close to the 4.00 league figure for those seasons. The best win total was 13, in 1939. 1939 was Bowman's sharpest full season, a 2.60 ERA against the league's 4.28.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Bowman
- What years did Bob Bowman play?
- Bob Bowman played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1942.
- Was Bob Bowman a pitcher?
- Yes. Bob Bowman pitched in the major leagues, recording 26 wins and 146 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bob Bowman hit?
- Bob Bowman hit 1 career home runs with 7 hits.
- What was Bob Bowman's career batting average?
- Bob Bowman batted .069 over his career, with 7 hits in 101 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bob Bowman have?
- Bob Bowman drove in 4 runs in his career.
- What was Bob Bowman's career ERA?
- Bob Bowman finished with a 3.82 career ERA, going 26-17 with 146 strikeouts.