Ben Cantwell
Born: 4/13/1902 in Milan, TN, USA
Died: 12/4/1962 in Salem, MO, USA
MLB Debut: 1927-08-19 | Final Game: 1937-09-23
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 168 lbs
Full name: Benjamin Caldwell Cantwell
Biography
Ben Cantwell was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1927 to 1937. Born in 1902, he made his debut during an era characterized by a transition in the game, as teams began to emphasize pitching and the strategic aspects of play. Throughout his career, Cantwell showcased a solid skill set, finishing with a win-loss record of 76-108 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.91. His ability to miss bats was evident in his 348 career strikeouts, and he contributed to his teams with 21 saves, highlighting his role as a reliable option in high-leverage situations.
Cantwell's playing style reflected the evolving nature of baseball during his time, as the sport was shifting away from the deadball era towards a more offensive approach. Despite the challenges he faced, he carved out a niche for himself as a dependable pitcher. His contributions on the mound were significant for the teams he played for, and he remains a noteworthy figure in the annals of baseball history, representing the persistence and dedication found in the lives of many players of his generation.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.250 | .000 | 0.250 |
Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.250 | .000 | 0.250 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
| Season | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 108 | 316 | 163 | 75 | 6 | 21 | 1534.0 | 1640 | 666 | 90 | 382 | 348 | 3.91 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19.7 | 26 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 4.12 | 241.7 |
| 1928 | BSN | NL | 3 | 3 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 90.0 | 112 | 51 | 36 | 18 | 5.10 | -1766.5 |
| 1928 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18.3 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4.42 | -193.1 |
| 1929 | BSN | NL | 4 | 13 | 27 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 157.0 | 171 | 78 | 52 | 25 | 4.47 | -1261.2 |
| 1930 | BSN | NL | 9 | 15 | 31 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 173.3 | 213 | 94 | 45 | 43 | 4.88 | -520.4 |
| 1931 | BSN | NL | 7 | 9 | 33 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 156.3 | 160 | 63 | 34 | 32 | 3.63 | 1752.5 |
| 1932 | BSN | NL | 13 | 11 | 37 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 146.0 | 133 | 48 | 33 | 33 | 2.96 | 1117.0 |
| 1933 | BSN | NL | 20 | 10 | 40 | 29 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 254.7 | 242 | 74 | 54 | 57 | 2.62 | 1157.6 |
| 1934 | BSN | NL | 5 | 11 | 27 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 143.3 | 163 | 69 | 34 | 45 | 4.33 | 1141.4 |
| 1935 | BSN | NL | 4 | 25 | 39 | 24 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 210.7 | 235 | 108 | 44 | 34 | 4.61 | -427.9 |
| 1936 | BSN | NL | 9 | 9 | 34 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 133.3 | 127 | 45 | 35 | 42 | 3.04 | 791.6 |
| 1937 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.3 | 32 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 4.61 | 515.4 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9.00 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 340 | 503 | 46 | 116 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 12 | 57 | 0.231 | 0.249 | 0.256 | 0.505 | -2000.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | NY1 | NL | 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1928 | BSN | NL | 22 | 29 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.172 | 0.0 |
| 1928 | NY1 | NL | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1929 | BSN | NL | 27 | 50 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0.180 | -338.0 |
| 1930 | BSN | NL | 34 | 63 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.302 | -208.9 |
| 1931 | BSN | NL | 40 | 57 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.228 | -349.3 |
| 1932 | BSN | NL | 37 | 50 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.280 | -185.0 |
| 1933 | BSN | NL | 49 | 85 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0.141 | -709.5 |
| 1934 | BSN | NL | 29 | 43 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.279 | 0.0 |
| 1935 | BSN | NL | 41 | 67 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0.284 | -210.2 |
| 1936 | BSN | NL | 35 | 41 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0.195 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | BRO | NL | 13 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 316 | 0 | 95 | 463 | 19 | 33 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | NY1 | P | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | BSN | P | 22 | 0 | 5 | 27 | 3 | 1 |
| 1928 | NY1 | P | 7 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929 | BSN | P | 27 | 0 | 12 | 53 | 4 | 5 |
| 1930 | BSN | P | 31 | 0 | 13 | 50 | 1 | 9 |
| 1931 | BSN | P | 33 | 0 | 7 | 49 | 3 | 2 |
| 1932 | BSN | P | 37 | 0 | 12 | 43 | 1 | 6 |
| 1933 | BSN | P | 40 | 0 | 12 | 77 | 1 | 3 |
| 1934 | BSN | P | 27 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 3 | 1 |
| 1935 | BSN | P | 39 | 0 | 12 | 54 | 1 | 4 |
| 1936 | BSN | P | 34 | 0 | 9 | 44 | 2 | 2 |
| 1937 | BRO | P | 13 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | NY1 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 316 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville | TN | 1921, 1922, 1923 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 18.0 | 80 | 0 |