Don Elston
Born: 4/6/1929 in Campbellstown, OH, USA
Died: 1/2/1995 in Evanston, IL, USA
MLB Debut: 1953-09-17 | Final Game: 1964-10-02
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 165 lbs
Full name: Donald Ray Elston
Biography
Don Elston was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1953 to 1964. Born in 1929, Elston made his mark in Major League Baseball during a transformative period characterized by the emergence of power hitters and the increasing importance of bullpen roles. He was known for his competitive spirit and versatility on the mound, contributing as both a starter and a reliever throughout his career.
Elston finished his playing days with a record of 49-54 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.69. Over his tenure, he struck out 519 batters while accumulating 63 saves, underscoring his effectiveness in high-pressure situations. He was selected as an All-Star twice, affirming his status as one of the premier pitchers of his time. Elston’s contributions to the game were significant during an era that saw the evolution of pitching strategies, and his ability to adapt to various roles in the bullpen helped pave the way for future generations of relief pitchers.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 54 | 450 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 755.7 | 702 | 310 | 80 | 327 | 519 | 3.69 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CHC | NL | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 14.40 | - |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CHC | NL | 6 | 7 | 39 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 144.0 | 139 | 57 | 55 | 102 | 3.56 | - |
| 1958 | CHC | NL | 9 | 8 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 97.0 | 75 | 31 | 39 | 84 | 2.88 | - |
| 1959 | CHC | NL | 10 | 8 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 97.7 | 77 | 36 | 46 | 82 | 3.32 | - |
| 1960 | CHC | NL | 8 | 9 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 127.0 | 109 | 48 | 55 | 85 | 3.40 | - |
| 1961 | CHC | NL | 6 | 7 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 93.3 | 108 | 58 | 45 | 59 | 5.59 | - |
| 1962 | CHC | NL | 4 | 8 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 66.3 | 57 | 18 | 32 | 37 | 2.44 | - |
| 1963 | CHC | NL | 4 | 1 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 70.0 | 57 | 22 | 21 | 41 | 2.83 | - |
| 1964 | CHC | NL | 2 | 5 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 54.3 | 68 | 32 | 34 | 26 | 5.30 | - |
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 | 0.153 | 0.160 | 0.153 | 0.313 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | CHC | NL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 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 | CHC | NL | 39 | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.108 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | CHC | NL | 69 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.357 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | CHC | NL | 65 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.211 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | CHC | NL | 60 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | CHC | NL | 58 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.182 | 0.0 |
| 1962 | CHC | NL | 57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | CHC | NL | 51 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CHC | NL | 48 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 450 | 14 | 46 | 128 | 11 | 12 |
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
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 450 |