Doc Cramer
Born: 7/22/1905 in Beach Haven, NJ, USA
Died: 9/9/1990 in Manahawkin, NJ, USA
MLB Debut: 1929-09-18 | Final Game: 1948-05-12
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Roger Maxwell Cramer
Biography
Doc Cramer, born in 1905, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1929 to 1948. Renowned for his exceptional hitting ability and consistency at the plate, Cramer played in 2,239 games and amassed 2,705 hits, culminating in a career batting average of .296. His prowess as a position player earned him five All-Star selections, marking him as one of the standout players of his era. Known for his keen eye and discipline, Cramer contributed significantly to his teams with 842 RBIs and 37 home runs, while also showcasing his speed on the base paths with 62 stolen bases.
Cramer's career unfolded during a transformative period in Major League Baseball, characterized by the tail end of the deadball era and the onset of the more offense-driven styles of play that emerged in the late 1930s and 1940s. His ability to adapt to changing strategies and pitching styles made him a valuable asset for the teams he played for. Cramer's blend of solid defense and offensive contributions established him as a key figure in the game, and his legacy continues to be remembered by baseball historians and fans alike.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.0 | 18.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.333 | 0.400 | 0.556 | 0.956 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.400 | 0.438 | 0.667 | 1.105 |
| 1939 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.250 | .000 | 0.250 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4.50 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4.50 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2239 | 9140 | 1357 | 2705 | 396 | 109 | 37 | 842 | 62 | 572 | 345 | 0.296 | 0.340 | 0.375 | 0.715 | -987.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | PHA | AL | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1930 | PHA | AL | 30 | 82 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0.232 | -516.7 |
| 1931 | PHA | AL | 65 | 223 | 37 | 58 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 0.260 | -505.8 |
| 1932 | PHA | AL | 92 | 384 | 73 | 129 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 46 | 3 | 17 | 27 | 0.336 | 826.6 |
| 1933 | PHA | AL | 152 | 661 | 109 | 195 | 27 | 8 | 8 | 75 | 5 | 36 | 24 | 0.295 | 290.3 |
| 1934 | PHA | AL | 153 | 649 | 99 | 202 | 29 | 9 | 6 | 46 | 1 | 40 | 35 | 0.311 | 420.2 |
| 1935 | PHA | AL | 149 | 644 | 96 | 214 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 70 | 6 | 37 | 34 | 0.332 | 959.0 |
| 1936 | BOS | AL | 154 | 643 | 99 | 188 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 4 | 49 | 20 | 0.292 | -760.0 |
| 1937 | BOS | AL | 133 | 560 | 90 | 171 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 51 | 8 | 35 | 14 | 0.305 | -150.7 |
| 1938 | BOS | AL | 148 | 658 | 116 | 198 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 71 | 4 | 51 | 19 | 0.301 | -100.2 |
| 1939 | BOS | AL | 137 | 589 | 110 | 183 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 56 | 3 | 36 | 17 | 0.311 | -125.9 |
| 1940 | BOS | AL | 150 | 661 | 94 | 200 | 27 | 12 | 1 | 51 | 3 | 36 | 29 | 0.303 | -136.8 |
| 1941 | WSN | AL | 154 | 660 | 93 | 180 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 66 | 4 | 37 | 15 | 0.273 | -1081.1 |
| 1942 | DET | AL | 151 | 630 | 71 | 166 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 4 | 43 | 18 | 0.263 | -809.9 |
| 1943 | DET | AL | 140 | 606 | 79 | 182 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 43 | 4 | 31 | 13 | 0.300 | 199.2 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 143 | 578 | 69 | 169 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 42 | 6 | 37 | 21 | 0.292 | 287.8 |
| 1945 | DET | AL | 141 | 541 | 62 | 149 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 58 | 2 | 36 | 21 | 0.275 | 156.8 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 68 | 204 | 26 | 60 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 3 | 15 | 8 | 0.294 | 95.7 |
| 1947 | DET | AL | 73 | 157 | 21 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 0.268 | -35.8 |
| 1948 | DET | AL | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 31 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.387 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | WS | DET | 7 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.379 |
| 1931 | WS | PHA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 2142 | 0 | 5412 | 172 | 118 | 37 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | PHA | OF | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | PHA | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930 | PHA | OF | 21 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1931 | PHA | OF | 55 | 0 | 133 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 1932 | PHA | OF | 86 | 0 | 233 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 1933 | PHA | OF | 152 | 0 | 387 | 13 | 12 | 2 |
| 1934 | PHA | OF | 152 | 0 | 385 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| 1935 | PHA | OF | 149 | 0 | 429 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| 1936 | BOS | OF | 154 | 0 | 443 | 20 | 12 | 6 |
| 1937 | BOS | OF | 133 | 0 | 365 | 12 | 12 | 4 |
| 1938 | BOS | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | BOS | OF | 148 | 0 | 417 | 15 | 6 | 3 |
| 1939 | BOS | OF | 135 | 0 | 356 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| 1940 | BOS | OF | 149 | 0 | 333 | 11 | 11 | 2 |
| 1941 | WS1 | OF | 152 | 0 | 369 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| 1942 | DET | OF | 150 | 0 | 352 | 15 | 7 | 6 |
| 1943 | DET | OF | 138 | 0 | 346 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 1944 | DET | OF | 141 | 0 | 337 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| 1945 | DET | OF | 140 | 0 | 314 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 1946 | DET | OF | 50 | 0 | 89 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | DET | OF | 35 | 0 | 79 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1948 | DET | OF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 32 |
| Center Field | 2027 |
| Right Field | 85 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | CF |
| 1935 | TSN All-Star | OF |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 29th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1944 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 13th | 14.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 30th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 18.0 | 80 | 0 |