Babe Dahlgren
Born: 6/15/1912 in San Francisco, CA, USA
Died: 9/4/1996 in Arcadia, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1935-04-16 | Final Game: 1946-09-03
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Ellsworth Tenney Dahlgren
Biography
Babe Dahlgren was a professional baseball player born in 1912, who made a significant impact on the game during his career from 1935 to 1946. Primarily known as a position player, Dahlgren played in 1,137 games and finished his career with a batting average of .261. Over the course of his time in Major League Baseball, he accumulated 1,056 hits, including 82 home runs and 569 runs batted in (RBIs). Known for his versatility, he also contributed with 18 stolen bases, showcasing an ability to impact the game both offensively and on the basepaths.
Dahlgren’s career coincided with a transformative era in baseball, as the sport was evolving in terms of talent and style of play. He was selected as an All-Star once during his career, highlighting his standing among peers. While he may not have reached the legendary status of some of his contemporaries, Dahlgren’s contributions to his teams and his consistent performance made him a respected figure in the game during a time marked by fierce competition and the eventual integration of baseball. His legacy endures as part of the rich history of baseball in the mid-20th century.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.0 | 27.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0.148 | 0.233 | 0.148 | 0.381 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 13.0 | 11.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.273 | 0.385 | 0.273 | 0.658 |
| 1943 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.143 | 0.250 | 0.143 | 0.393 |
| 1944 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 1945 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1137 | 4045 | 470 | 1056 | 174 | 37 | 82 | 569 | 18 | 390 | 401 | 0.261 | 0.329 | 0.383 | 0.713 | 1257.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | BOS | AL | 149 | 525 | 77 | 138 | 27 | 7 | 9 | 63 | 6 | 56 | 67 | 0.263 | -107.3 |
| 1936 | BOS | AL | 16 | 57 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0.281 | 36.5 |
| 1937 | NYY | AL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1938 | NYY | AL | 27 | 43 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.186 | 0.0 |
| 1939 | NYY | AL | 144 | 531 | 71 | 125 | 18 | 6 | 15 | 89 | 2 | 57 | 54 | 0.235 | -820.0 |
| 1940 | NYY | AL | 155 | 568 | 51 | 150 | 24 | 4 | 12 | 73 | 1 | 46 | 54 | 0.264 | -289.0 |
| 1941 | BSN | NL | 44 | 166 | 20 | 39 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 0 | 16 | 13 | 0.235 | 36.8 |
| 1941 | CHC | NL | 99 | 359 | 50 | 101 | 20 | 1 | 16 | 59 | 2 | 43 | 39 | 0.281 | 36.8 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 17 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0.053 | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CHC | NL | 17 | 56 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0.214 | 0.0 |
| 1942 | SLA | AL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1943 | PHI | NL | 136 | 508 | 55 | 146 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 56 | 2 | 50 | 39 | 0.287 | 775.0 |
| 1944 | PIT | NL | 158 | 599 | 67 | 173 | 28 | 7 | 12 | 101 | 2 | 47 | 56 | 0.289 | 1346.8 |
| 1945 | PIT | NL | 144 | 531 | 57 | 133 | 24 | 8 | 5 | 75 | 1 | 51 | 51 | 0.250 | -235.9 |
| 1946 | SLA | AL | 28 | 80 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 0.175 | -457.8 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.214 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | WS | NYA | 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.214 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1030 | 0 | 9619 | 587 | 102 | 848 |
| 3B | 48 | 0 | 49 | 72 | 14 | 4 |
| C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 25 | 0 | 53 | 53 | 6 | 11 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | BOS | 1B | 149 | 0 | 1433 | 69 | 18 | 109 |
| 1936 | BOS | 1B | 16 | 0 | 136 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
| 1938 | NYA | 1B | 6 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1938 | NYA | 3B | 8 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 1939 | NYA | 1B | 144 | 0 | 1303 | 68 | 13 | 140 |
| 1940 | NYA | 1B | 155 | 0 | 1488 | 75 | 15 | 143 |
| 1941 | BSN | 1B | 39 | 0 | 379 | 28 | 3 | 45 |
| 1941 | BSN | 3B | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941 | CHN | 1B | 98 | 0 | 957 | 38 | 9 | 84 |
| 1942 | BRO | 1B | 10 | 0 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 1942 | CHN | 1B | 14 | 0 | 136 | 10 | 2 | 7 |
| 1943 | PHI | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | PHI | 1B | 73 | 0 | 714 | 46 | 9 | 66 |
| 1943 | PHI | 3B | 35 | 0 | 33 | 52 | 9 | 4 |
| 1943 | PHI | SS | 25 | 0 | 53 | 53 | 6 | 11 |
| 1944 | PIT | 1B | 158 | 0 | 1440 | 128 | 20 | 105 |
| 1945 | PIT | 1B | 144 | 0 | 1373 | 93 | 6 | 115 |
| 1946 | SLA | 1B | 24 | 0 | 187 | 18 | 4 | 16 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 1028 |
| Third Base | 48 |
| Shortstop | 25 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 33.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 29th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 28th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |