Carl Erskine
Born: 12/13/1926 in Anderson, IN, USA
Died: 4/16/2024 in Anderson, IN, USA
MLB Debut: 1948-07-25 | Final Game: 1959-06-14
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 165 lbs
Full name: Carl Daniel Erskine
Biography
Carl Erskine, born in 1926, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1948 until 1959. He spent his entire career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, a team known for its dynamic roster during the late 1940s and 1950s. Erskine was recognized for his effective pitching style, which combined a strong fastball with a devastating curve. Over his career, he amassed a record of 122-78 and recorded an earned run average (ERA) of 4.0. His ability to strike out batters was notable, as he finished with 981 strikeouts, complemented by 13 saves, demonstrating his versatility on the mound.
Erskine's singular All-Star selection came during a period when the Dodgers were a dominant force in the National League, further solidifying his place in baseball history. He was part of the team that won the 1955 World Series, marking a historic moment as it was the franchise's first championship. Erskine's contributions are often remembered alongside the legendary players he shared the field with, and he remains a respected figure for his role in transitioning Major League Baseball into a new era of competition. His legacy continues to resonate with fans and historians alike, reflecting the rich history of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the evolution of pitching in the game.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 122 | 78 | 335 | 216 | 71 | 14 | 13 | 1718.7 | 1637 | 763 | 199 | 646 | 981 | 4.00 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BRO | NL | 6 | 3 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 64.0 | 51 | 23 | 35 | 29 | 3.23 | -543.6 |
| 1949 | BRO | NL | 8 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 79.7 | 68 | 41 | 51 | 49 | 4.63 | -279.3 |
| 1950 | BRO | NL | 7 | 6 | 22 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 103.0 | 109 | 54 | 35 | 50 | 4.72 | -516.4 |
| 1951 | BRO | NL | 16 | 12 | 46 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 189.7 | 206 | 94 | 78 | 95 | 4.46 | -1379.6 |
| 1952 | BRO | NL | 14 | 6 | 33 | 26 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 206.7 | 167 | 62 | 71 | 131 | 2.70 | 2433.0 |
| 1953 | BRO | NL | 20 | 6 | 39 | 33 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 246.7 | 213 | 97 | 95 | 187 | 3.54 | 4961.1 |
| 1954 | BRO | NL | 18 | 15 | 38 | 37 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 260.3 | 239 | 120 | 92 | 166 | 4.15 | 826.6 |
| 1955 | BRO | NL | 11 | 8 | 31 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 194.7 | 185 | 82 | 64 | 84 | 3.79 | -2178.4 |
| 1956 | BRO | NL | 13 | 11 | 31 | 28 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 186.3 | 189 | 88 | 57 | 95 | 4.25 | -306.1 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 5 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 66.0 | 62 | 26 | 20 | 26 | 3.55 | -536.4 |
| 1958 | LAD | NL | 4 | 4 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 98.3 | 115 | 56 | 35 | 54 | 5.13 | - |
| 1959 | LAD | NL | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23.3 | 33 | 20 | 13 | 15 | 7.71 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360 | 588 | 51 | 92 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 12 | 120 | 0.156 | 0.175 | 0.180 | 0.355 | -3688.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BRO | NL | 17 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.095 | 0.0 |
| 1949 | BRO | NL | 22 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.115 | 0.0 |
| 1950 | BRO | NL | 22 | 37 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0.243 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | BRO | NL | 46 | 61 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0.131 | -617.1 |
| 1952 | BRO | NL | 34 | 66 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0.152 | -514.7 |
| 1953 | BRO | NL | 43 | 93 | 12 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0.215 | -614.1 |
| 1954 | BRO | NL | 39 | 88 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 0.159 | -739.8 |
| 1955 | BRO | NL | 42 | 74 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.203 | -474.1 |
| 1956 | BRO | NL | 32 | 66 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.121 | -728.2 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 21 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.091 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | LAD | NL | 32 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.037 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | LAD | NL | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.083 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | WS | BRO | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1955 | WS | BRO | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1953 | WS | BRO | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.250 |
| 1952 | WS | BRO | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1949 | WS | BRO | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 41.7 | 36 | 27 | 24 | 31 | 5.83 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | WS | BRO | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5.40 |
| 1955 | WS | BRO | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9.00 |
| 1953 | WS | BRO | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14.0 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 5.79 |
| 1952 | WS | BRO | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 18.0 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 4.50 |
| 1949 | WS | BRO | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16.20 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 335 | 113 | 105 | 262 | 20 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BRO | P | 17 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 1949 | BRO | P | 22 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
| 1950 | BRO | P | 22 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 1951 | BRO | P | 46 | 0 | 13 | 32 | 2 | 1 |
| 1952 | BRO | P | 33 | 0 | 16 | 45 | 3 | 4 |
| 1953 | BRO | P | 39 | 0 | 15 | 30 | 4 | 0 |
| 1954 | BRO | P | 38 | 37 | 14 | 41 | 2 | 2 |
| 1955 | BRO | P | 31 | 29 | 6 | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| 1956 | BRO | P | 31 | 28 | 9 | 34 | 1 | 2 |
| 1957 | BRO | P | 15 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | LAN | P | 31 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 1959 | LAN | P | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 335 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 9th | 54.0 | 336 | 0 |