Nelson Chittum
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1958-1960)
Nelson Chittum was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1958 to 1960 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox, a span of 3 seasons. Across 40 career appearances, he went 3-1 with a 3.84 ERA and 30 strikeouts. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 253.2.
- 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
- 6'1" / 180 lb
- Died
- 7/15/2024 in Lexington, KY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1958-08-17
- Last Game
- 1960-05-04
Full name: Nelson Boyd Chittum
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | SLN | NL | 0 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.1 | 31 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 6.44 | 3.86 (-67%) | -559.2 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 3 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30.1 | 29 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 1.19 | 3.90 (+70%) | 812.4 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4.32 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 3 | 1 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68.0 | 68 | 29 | 24 | 30 | 3.84 | — | 253 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .200 | .200 | .300 | .500 | 0 |
Career AVG .200 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 22.0% below league average.
Career OBP .200 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 38.3% below league average.
Career SLG .300 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 23.3% below league average.
Career OPS .500 vs. league average .716 across their career seasons — 30.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | SLN | NL | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 21 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 40 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (80 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 19 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .333 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 21 | 36.0 | 38 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 3.75 |
| Away | 19 | 32.0 | 31 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 3.94 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-05-04 | BOS | KC1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-28 | BOS | BAL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-27 | BOS | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1960-04-22 | BOS | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-19 | BOS | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-18 | BOS | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-26 | BOS | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-22 | BOS | BAL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-19 | BOS | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-16 | BOS | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-05-04 | BOS | KC1 | — | 0.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-28 | BOS | BAL | — | 0.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-04-27 | BOS | BAL | — | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1960-04-22 | BOS | MIN | — | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-04-19 | BOS | NYY | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-04-18 | BOS | MIN | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-26 | BOS | MIN | W | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-09-22 | BOS | BAL | — | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-19 | BOS | NYY | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-16 | BOS | CLE | W | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 40 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown College | Elizabethtown | PA | 1952, 1953 |
Nelson Chittum: the record in brief
Nelson Chittum played a first major league game on August 17, 1958 and a last one on May 4, 1960. The season rows list, in order, the St. Louis Cardinals (1958) and the Boston Red Sox (1959 to 1960). Born on March 25, 1933, in Harrisonburg, VA, USA, Chittum is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. Chittum's death is recorded on July 15, 2024, in Lexington, KY, USA. Chittum's full given name, per the bio, is Nelson Boyd Chittum.
Chittum pitched in 40 games, starting 2, and finished with a 3-1 record and 3.84 ERA. The same table counts 30 strikeouts. Chittum's 3.84 ERA was close to the 3.86 league figure for those seasons. In 1959, one of the busiest seasons, Chittum posted a 1.19 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.90. Chittum's career Pitcher PIV, which scores run prevention against each season's league, is 253.2.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Chittum
- What years did Nelson Chittum play?
- Nelson Chittum played in Major League Baseball from 1958 to 1960.
- Was Nelson Chittum a pitcher?
- Yes. Nelson Chittum pitched in the major leagues, recording 3 wins and 30 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Nelson Chittum hit?
- Nelson Chittum hit 0 career home runs with 2 hits.
- What teams did Nelson Chittum play for?
- Nelson Chittum played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1958) and the Boston Red Sox (1959–1960).
- What were Nelson Chittum's career stats?
- In 40 games, Nelson Chittum went 3-1 with a 3.84 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and 68.0 innings pitched.
- What position did Nelson Chittum play?
- Nelson Chittum played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Nelson Chittum and how much did he weigh?
- Nelson Chittum was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 180 pounds.
- What was Nelson Chittum's career ERA?
- Nelson Chittum finished with a 3.84 career ERA, going 3-1 with 30 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Nelson Chittum have?
- Nelson Chittum recorded 30 career strikeouts.
- Is Nelson Chittum in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Nelson Chittum has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.