Otto Denning
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1942-1943)
Otto Denning was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1943 for the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 2 seasons. In 129 career games, he hit .222 with 76 hits, 1 home runs, and 32 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 5/25/1992 in Chicago, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1942-04-15
- Last Game
- 1943-06-04
Full name: Otto George Denning
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | 343 | 23 | 76 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 3 | 23 | 15 | .222 | .272 | .289 | .561 | -893 |
Career AVG .222 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.
Career OBP .272 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career SLG .289 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 17.1% below league average.
Career OPS .561 vs. league average .672 across their career seasons — 16.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | CLE | AL | 92 | 214 | 15 | 45 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 18 | 14 | .210 | .253 (-17%) | .323 (-15%) | .349 (-17%) | .672 (-16%) | -536.7 |
| 1943 | CLE | AL | 37 | 129 | 8 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 1 | .240 | .255 (-6%) | .324 (-17%) | .346 (-17%) | .671 (-17%) | -356.8 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 129 | 343 | 23 | 76 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 3 | 23 | 15 | .222 | — | — | — | — | -893 | ||
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 (129 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 67 | 174 | 10 | 38 | 0 | 23 | .218 |
| Away | 62 | 169 | 13 | 38 | 1 | 10 | .225 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943-06-04 | CLE | PHA | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-06-03 | CLE | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-06-02 | CLE | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-06-01 | CLE | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-05-31 | CLE | MIN | W | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-05-31 | CLE | MIN | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-05-30 | CLE | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-05-30 | CLE | NYY | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-05-29 | CLE | NYY | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-05-28 | CLE | BOS | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 78 |
| First Base | 34 |
| Left Field | 2 |
Otto Denning: the record in brief
Otto Denning played a first major league game on April 15, 1942 and a last one on June 4, 1943. The team column never changes: it is the Cleveland Indians from 1942 to 1943. Denning played primarily as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. Born on December 28, 1912, in Hays, KS, USA, Denning was listed at 180 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. The bio records the death on May 25, 1992, in Chicago, IL, USA. Otto Denning was the playing name; the full given name is Otto George.
Denning's career batting table shows 129 games, 343 at bats and 76 hits, a .222 average; the totals also include 1 home run and 32 runs batted in. Denning's career OPS of .561 combines a .272 on-base mark with .289 slugging. Measured against the leagues Denning played in, the .222 career average compares with a .255 league average over the same seasons, 13.0% below the league. Denning collected a career-high 45 hits in 1942. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .240 in 1943, did not top the league's .255.
Frequently Asked Questions about Otto Denning
- What years did Otto Denning play?
- Otto Denning played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1943.
- Was Otto Denning a pitcher?
- No. Otto Denning was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Otto Denning hit?
- Otto Denning hit 1 career home run with 76 hits.
- What teams did Otto Denning play for?
- Otto Denning played for one team, the Cleveland Indians (1942–1943).
- What were Otto Denning's career stats?
- In 129 games, Otto Denning had 76 hits, 1 home runs, 32 RBI, 23 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .222 batting average.
- What position did Otto Denning play?
- Otto Denning played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Otto Denning and how much did he weigh?
- Otto Denning was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Otto Denning hit each season?
- Otto Denning's home runs by season: 1 in 1942 and 0 in 1943. His most in one season was 1, in 1942.
- What was Otto Denning's career batting average?
- Otto Denning batted .222 over his career, with 76 hits in 343 at bats.
- How many RBI did Otto Denning have?
- Otto Denning drove in 32 runs in his career.
- Is Otto Denning in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Otto Denning has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.