Don Elston
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1953-1964)
Don Elston was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1964 for the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 12 seasons. Across 450 career appearances, he went 49-54 with a 3.69 ERA, 519 strikeouts, and 63 saves. Don Elston was an All-Star.
- 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" / 165 lb
- Died
- 1/2/1995 in Evanston, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1953-09-17
- Last Game
- 1964-10-02
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Donald Ray Elston
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CHN | NL | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 14.40 | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CHN | NL | 6 | 7 | 39 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 144.0 | 139 | 57 | 55 | 102 | 3.56 | 3.83 (+7%) | 701.5 |
| 1958 | CHN | NL | 9 | 8 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 97.0 | 75 | 31 | 39 | 84 | 2.88 | 3.86 (+25%) | 1668.3 |
| 1959 | CHN | NL | 10 | 8 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 97.2 | 77 | 36 | 46 | 82 | 3.32 | 3.90 (+15%) | 176.7 |
| 1960 | CHN | NL | 8 | 9 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 127.0 | 109 | 48 | 55 | 85 | 3.40 | 3.82 (+11%) | -1603.7 |
| 1961 | CHN | NL | 6 | 7 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 93.1 | 108 | 58 | 45 | 59 | 5.59 | 4.03 (-39%) | -1061.1 |
| 1962 | CHN | NL | 4 | 8 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 66.1 | 57 | 18 | 32 | 37 | 2.44 | 3.96 (+38%) | -356.0 |
| 1963 | CHN | NL | 4 | 1 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 70.0 | 57 | 22 | 21 | 41 | 2.83 | 3.46 (+18%) | 91.2 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 2 | 5 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 54.1 | 68 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 5.30 | 3.58 (-48%) | -1449.8 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 49 | 54 | 450 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 755.2 | 702 | 310 | 327 | 519 | 3.69 | — | -1,833 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | 124 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 30 | .153 | .160 | .153 | .313 | 0 |
Career AVG .153 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 40.1% below league average.
Career OBP .160 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 50.4% below league average.
Career SLG .153 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 60.6% below league average.
Career OPS .313 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — 56.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CHN | NL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CHN | NL | 39 | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .108 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1958 | CHN | NL | 69 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .357 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | CHN | NL | 65 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .211 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | CHN | NL | 60 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | CHN | NL | 58 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1962 | CHN | NL | 57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1963 | CHN | NL | 51 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 48 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 450 | 124 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 30 | .153 | — | — | — | — | 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 (900 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 231 | 59 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | .169 |
| Away | 219 | 66 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | .136 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 231 | 401.0 | 380 | 174 | 156 | 270 | 3.91 |
| Away | 219 | 356.2 | 321 | 137 | 171 | 249 | 3.46 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-10-02 | CHC | SFG | — | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-09-19 | CHC | ATL | — | 0.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-09-13 | CHC | STL | — | 2.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964-09-11 | CHC | STL | — | 0.2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-09-07 | CHC | ATL | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1964-09-07 | CHC | ATL | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-09-04 | CHC | STL | L | 0.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-09-02 | CHC | CIN | L | 1.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-08-28 | CHC | NYN | L | 0.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-08-25 | CHC | HOU | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CHN | P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | BRO | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | CHN | P | 39 | 14 | 8 | 23 | 2 | 1 |
| 1958 | CHN | P | 69 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959 | CHN | P | 65 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 1960 | CHN | P | 60 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| 1961 | CHN | P | 58 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962 | CHN | P | 57 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 1963 | CHN | P | 51 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1964 | CHN | P | 48 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 450 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Don Elston (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Don Elston: the record in brief
According to the bio, Don Elston debuted on September 17, 1953 and played a final game on October 2, 1964. By club, Elston's seasons break down as the Chicago Cubs (1953 to 1964) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1957). Elston is listed as a pitcher at 6 feet, 0 inches and 165 pounds. The bio says Elston batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is April 6, 1929, in Campbellstown, OH, USA. Elston's death is recorded on January 2, 1995, in Evanston, IL, USA. On the record, Don Elston was born Donald Ray Elston.
Across 450 games (15 starts), Elston recorded 49 wins against 54 losses with a 3.69 ERA. Also on Elston's record: 519 strikeouts and 63 saves. Elston's 3.69 ERA was close to the 3.83 league figure for those seasons. The best win total was 10, in 1959. 1957 produced Elston's most strikeouts, 102. Elston saved 13 games in 1959, the season high. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.88 in 1958, when the league's was 3.86.
Frequently Asked Questions about Don Elston
- What years did Don Elston play?
- Don Elston played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1964.
- Was Don Elston a pitcher?
- Yes. Don Elston pitched in the major leagues, recording 49 wins and 519 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Don Elston hit?
- Don Elston hit 0 career home runs with 19 hits.
- What teams did Don Elston play for?
- Don Elston played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1953, 1957–1964) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1957).
- Did Don Elston win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Don Elston did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Don Elston win?
- Don Elston was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Don Elston's career stats?
- In 450 games, Don Elston went 49-54 with a 3.69 ERA, 519 strikeouts, 755.2 innings pitched, and 63 saves.
- What position did Don Elston play?
- Don Elston played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Don Elston and how much did he weigh?
- Don Elston was listed at 6 feet and 165 pounds.
- What was Don Elston's career ERA?
- Don Elston finished with a 3.69 career ERA, going 49-54 with 519 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Don Elston have?
- Don Elston recorded 519 career strikeouts.
- Is Don Elston in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Don Elston has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Don Elston make?
- Don Elston was selected to 1 All-Star Game.