John Denny
Born: 11/8/1952 in Prescott, AZ, USA
MLB Debut: 1974-09-12 | Final Game: 1986-08-18
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: John Allen Denny
Biography
John Denny, born in 1952, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a career spanning from 1974 until his retirement in 1986. Over the course of his 12-year tenure, Denny compiled a record of 123 wins and 108 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.59. Known for his durability and skill on the mound, he recorded a total of 1,146 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to overpower hitters throughout his career. Denny's contributions to the game were recognized when he was awarded the prestigious Cy Young Award, a testament to his excellence during the peak of his career.
Denny played in an era characterized by a transition in pitching styles and strategies, moving away from the deadball era towards more power-driven offenses. His ability to adapt to the evolving landscape of baseball made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. While he never recorded a save, Denny's primary role as a starting pitcher solidified his place in the annals of baseball history, where he remains noted for his resilience and competitive spirit on the field.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | 108 | 325 | 322 | 62 | 18 | 0 | 2148.7 | 2093 | 856 | 137 | 778 | 1146 | 3.59 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | STL | NL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | - |
| 1975 | STL | NL | 10 | 7 | 25 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 136.0 | 149 | 60 | 51 | 72 | 3.97 | - |
| 1976 | STL | NL | 11 | 9 | 30 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 207.0 | 189 | 58 | 74 | 74 | 2.52 | - |
| 1977 | STL | NL | 8 | 8 | 26 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 149.7 | 165 | 75 | 62 | 60 | 4.51 | - |
| 1978 | STL | NL | 14 | 11 | 33 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 234.0 | 200 | 77 | 74 | 103 | 2.96 | - |
| 1979 | STL | NL | 8 | 11 | 31 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 206.0 | 206 | 111 | 100 | 99 | 4.85 | - |
| 1980 | CLE | AL | 8 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 108.7 | 116 | 53 | 47 | 59 | 4.39 | 725.5 |
| 1981 | CLE | AL | 10 | 6 | 19 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 145.7 | 139 | 51 | 66 | 94 | 3.15 | 186.1 |
| 1982 | CLE | AL | 6 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 138.3 | 126 | 77 | 73 | 94 | 5.01 | -859.3 |
| 1982 | PHI | NL | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.3 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 19 | 4.03 | 517.4 |
| 1983 | PHI | NL | 19 | 6 | 36 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 242.7 | 229 | 64 | 53 | 139 | 2.37 | 6854.4 |
| 1984 | PHI | NL | 7 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 154.3 | 122 | 42 | 29 | 94 | 2.45 | 2758.3 |
| 1985 | PHI | NL | 11 | 14 | 33 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 230.7 | 252 | 98 | 83 | 123 | 3.82 | 1883.1 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 11 | 10 | 27 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 171.3 | 179 | 80 | 56 | 115 | 4.20 | 1575.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 326 | 570 | 44 | 97 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 9 | 19 | 164 | 0.170 | 0.197 | 0.193 | 0.390 | -3682.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | STL | NL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | STL | NL | 26 | 44 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.227 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | STL | NL | 30 | 67 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 0.224 | -308.0 |
| 1977 | STL | NL | 26 | 51 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0.098 | -582.6 |
| 1978 | STL | NL | 33 | 73 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0.178 | -430.5 |
| 1979 | STL | NL | 31 | 70 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 0.129 | -682.5 |
| 1980 | CLE | AL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | CLE | AL | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | CLE | AL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | PHI | NL | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1983 | PHI | NL | 36 | 77 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 0.169 | -616.0 |
| 1984 | PHI | NL | 22 | 47 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.191 | 0.0 |
| 1985 | PHI | NL | 33 | 81 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 0.123 | -779.6 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 27 | 54 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 0.222 | -282.8 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.167 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | WS | PHI | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.200 |
| 1983 | NLCS | PHI | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19.0 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 2.37 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | NLCS | PHI | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.00 |
| 1983 | WS | PHI | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13.0 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3.46 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 325 | 322 | 179 | 451 | 32 | 46 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | SLN | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | SLN | P | 25 | 24 | 11 | 30 | 4 | 2 |
| 1976 | SLN | P | 30 | 30 | 24 | 34 | 4 | 3 |
| 1977 | SLN | P | 26 | 26 | 9 | 37 | 3 | 3 |
| 1978 | SLN | P | 33 | 33 | 17 | 73 | 4 | 8 |
| 1979 | SLN | P | 31 | 31 | 16 | 36 | 2 | 4 |
| 1980 | CLE | P | 16 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| 1981 | CLE | P | 19 | 19 | 14 | 40 | 3 | 7 |
| 1982 | CLE | P | 21 | 21 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| 1982 | PHI | P | 4 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983 | PHI | P | 36 | 36 | 16 | 42 | 8 | 6 |
| 1984 | PHI | P | 22 | 22 | 20 | 36 | 1 | 2 |
| 1985 | PHI | P | 33 | 33 | 15 | 39 | 0 | 4 |
| 1986 | CIN | P | 27 | 27 | 16 | 40 | 2 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 325 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Cy Young Award | |
| 1983 | Pitcher of the Month | September |
| 1983 | TSN All-Star | RHP |
| 1983 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1983 | TSN Pitcher of the Year | |
| 1981 | Player of the Week | Week of 1981-09-04 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | CIN | NL | $1,083,333 |
| 1985 | PHI | NL | $1,109,333 |
| Total Career Earnings | $2,192,666 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Cy Young Award | NL | 1st | 103.0 | 120 | 20 |
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 24.0 | 336 | 0 |