Dave Elder
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2002-2003)
Dave Elder was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2003 for the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 2 seasons. Across 19 career appearances, he went 1-3 with a 4.62 ERA and 26 strikeouts. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 458.9.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 1/31/2023 in McDonough, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 2002-07-24
- Last Game
- 2003-05-11
Full name: David Matthew Elder
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | CLE | AL | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 3.13 | 4.28 (+27%) | 458.9 |
| 2003 | CLE | AL | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19.29 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 1 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25.1 | 23 | 13 | 18 | 26 | 4.62 | — | 459 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | CLE | AL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2003 | CLE | AL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (38 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 6 | 9.2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 0.93 |
| Away | 13 | 15.2 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 6.89 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-11 | CLE | TEX | — | 1.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2003-05-09 | CLE | TEX | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-05-07 | CLE | LAA | L | 0.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003-05-02 | CLE | TEX | W | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002-09-26 | CLE | MIN | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002-09-24 | CLE | MIN | L | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002-09-20 | CLE | KCR | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002-09-16 | CLE | BOS | — | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002-09-14 | CLE | MIN | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002-09-11 | CLE | TOR | L | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 19 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta | GA | 1995, 1996, 1997 |
Dave Elder: the record in brief
Dave Elder played a first major league game on July 24, 2002 and a last one on May 11, 2003. All of the seasons listed were played for the Cleveland Indians. Elder, born on September 23, 1975, in Atlanta, GA, USA, is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds. Elder died on January 31, 2023, in McDonough, GA, USA. Dave Elder was the playing name; the full given name is David Matthew.
Elder pitched in 19 games, starting 0, and finished with a 1-3 record and 4.62 ERA. Also on Elder's record: 26 strikeouts. The league ERA over Elder's seasons was 4.34, so the 4.62 figure ran 6.4% worse than average. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 3.13 in 2002, when the league's was 4.28. By Pitcher PIV, Baseball Data Hub's measure of run prevention relative to each season's league, Elder's career adds up to 458.9.
The college table lists Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Elder's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 38 games from Retrosheet.
Elder appears at one position only: pitcher, in 19 games. On the mound, Elder's fielding totals are 3 putouts, 2 assists and 0 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Elder
- What years did Dave Elder play?
- Dave Elder played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2003.
- Was Dave Elder a pitcher?
- Yes. Dave Elder pitched in the major leagues, recording 1 wins and 26 strikeouts.
- What was Dave Elder's career ERA?
- Dave Elder finished with a 4.62 career ERA, going 1-3 with 26 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Dave Elder have?
- Dave Elder recorded 26 career strikeouts.
- Is Dave Elder in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Elder has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Dave Elder play for?
- Dave Elder played for the Cleveland Guardians.