Bert Cunningham
Born: 11/25/1865 in Wilmington, DE, USA
Died: 5/14/1952 in Cragmere, DE, USA
MLB Debut: 1887-09-15 | Final Game: 1901-04-28
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'6" | Weight: 147 lbs
Full name: Elmer Ellsworth Cunningham
Biography
Bert Cunningham was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1887 to 1901. Born in 1865, Cunningham played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to the more dynamic game that would follow. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 142 wins and 167 losses, demonstrating both resilience and competitiveness on the mound. With an earned run average (ERA) of 4.22, Cunningham showcased his ability to manage games, while his 718 strikeouts highlighted his effectiveness as a strikeout pitcher during his time.
Cunningham's career also included a total of 2 saves, a statistic that reflects the evolving role of pitchers in the late 19th century, as the modern bullpen began to take shape. Although his win-loss record may not reflect the dominance of some contemporaries, Cunningham's contributions to the game were significant, and he remained a respected figure among players and fans alike. His legacy is a reminder of the challenges faced by pitchers of his era and the foundational role they played in the development of professional baseball.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142 | 167 | 342 | 311 | 287 | 4 | 2 | 2734.7 | 3071 | 1283 | 62 | 1064 | 718 | 4.22 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | BR3 | AA | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 5.09 | -361.9 |
| 1888 | BL2 | AA | 22 | 29 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 453.3 | 412 | 171 | 157 | 186 | 3.39 | -3570.0 |
| 1889 | BL2 | AA | 16 | 19 | 39 | 33 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 279.3 | 306 | 151 | 141 | 140 | 4.87 | -1921.6 |
| 1890 | BFP | PL | 9 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 211.0 | 251 | 137 | 134 | 78 | 5.84 | -4303.3 |
| 1890 | PHP | PL | 3 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 108.7 | 133 | 63 | 67 | 33 | 5.22 | -1305.1 |
| 1891 | BL3 | AA | 11 | 14 | 30 | 25 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 237.7 | 241 | 106 | 138 | 59 | 4.01 | -5192.1 |
| 1895 | LS3 | NL | 11 | 16 | 31 | 28 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 231.0 | 299 | 122 | 104 | 49 | 4.75 | -839.5 |
| 1896 | LS3 | NL | 7 | 14 | 27 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 189.3 | 242 | 107 | 74 | 37 | 5.09 | -1965.2 |
| 1897 | LS3 | NL | 14 | 13 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 242.7 | 294 | 112 | 72 | 49 | 4.15 | 1039.7 |
| 1898 | LS3 | NL | 28 | 15 | 44 | 42 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 362.0 | 387 | 127 | 65 | 34 | 3.16 | 312.7 |
| 1899 | LS3 | NL | 17 | 17 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 323.7 | 385 | 138 | 75 | 36 | 3.84 | 1192.4 |
| 1900 | CHC | NL | 4 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 64.0 | 84 | 31 | 21 | 7 | 4.36 | - |
| 1901 | CHC | NL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5.00 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 359 | 1176 | 145 | 254 | 32 | 14 | 9 | 124 | 14 | 64 | 206 | 0.216 | 0.260 | 0.290 | 0.550 | -3953.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | BR3 | AA | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1888 | BL2 | AA | 51 | 177 | 17 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 39 | 0.186 | -678.2 |
| 1889 | BL2 | AA | 41 | 131 | 10 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 0.206 | -615.3 |
| 1890 | BFP | PL | 28 | 101 | 11 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 0.228 | -314.5 |
| 1890 | PHP | PL | 15 | 52 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 0.115 | -314.5 |
| 1891 | BL3 | AA | 31 | 100 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 0.150 | -474.9 |
| 1895 | LS3 | NL | 32 | 100 | 14 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 0.300 | 35.8 |
| 1896 | LS3 | NL | 29 | 88 | 11 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0.250 | -145.9 |
| 1897 | LS3 | NL | 32 | 97 | 13 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0.227 | -451.5 |
| 1898 | LS3 | NL | 44 | 140 | 21 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 0.229 | -405.1 |
| 1899 | LS3 | NL | 44 | 154 | 17 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 0.260 | -446.9 |
| 1900 | CHC | NL | 8 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0.148 | 0.0 |
| 1901 | CHC | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| P | 342 | 0 | 197 | 676 | 111 | 25 |
| SS | 4 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | BR3 | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | BL2 | P | 51 | 0 | 20 | 106 | 25 | 3 |
| 1888 | BL2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | BL2 | P | 39 | 0 | 8 | 54 | 9 | 0 |
| 1889 | BL2 | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1889 | BL2 | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1890 | BFP | P | 25 | 0 | 7 | 53 | 14 | 2 |
| 1890 | BFP | OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1890 | PHP | P | 14 | 0 | 7 | 33 | 7 | 3 |
| 1890 | PHP | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1891 | BL3 | P | 30 | 0 | 11 | 69 | 7 | 3 |
| 1891 | BL3 | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | BL3 | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1895 | LS3 | P | 31 | 0 | 19 | 56 | 10 | 3 |
| 1895 | LS3 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1896 | LS3 | P | 27 | 0 | 23 | 48 | 9 | 3 |
| 1896 | LS3 | SS | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1897 | LS3 | P | 30 | 0 | 27 | 58 | 7 | 0 |
| 1897 | LS3 | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1898 | LS3 | P | 44 | 0 | 29 | 81 | 13 | 5 |
| 1899 | LS3 | P | 39 | 0 | 35 | 100 | 8 | 2 |
| 1899 | LS3 | SS | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1899 | LS3 | OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1900 | CHN | P | 8 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1901 | CHN | P | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 342 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 11 |