Freddie Fitzsimmons
Born: 7/28/1901 in Mishawaka, IN, USA
Died: 11/18/1979 in Yucca Valley, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1925-08-12 | Final Game: 1943-07-16
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Fred Landis Fitzsimmons
Biography
Freddie Fitzsimmons, born in 1901, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1925 until his retirement in 1943. Over the course of his career, Fitzsimmons established himself as a reliable and effective starter, finishing with a record of 217 wins and 146 losses. His career earned run average (ERA) stood at 3.51, showcasing his ability to keep opposing hitters at bay. Known for his exceptional control and durability on the mound, he struck out 870 batters and recorded 13 saves throughout his time in the league.
Fitzsimmons played during an era characterized by the transition from the lively ball period of the late 1920s to the more strategic and pitching-focused game of the 1930s and early 1940s. His contributions to the game were significant, as he not only excelled as a pitcher but also contributed to the teams he played for, notably the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Fitzsimmons' legacy endures as a testament to the skilled pitchers of his time, and he remains a respected figure in baseball history for his accomplishments on the mound.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.500 | 0.333 | 0.833 |
Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.500 | 0.333 | 0.833 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
| Season | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 217 | 146 | 513 | 426 | 186 | 29 | 13 | 3223.7 | 3335 | 1257 | 186 | 846 | 870 | 3.51 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | NY1 | NL | 6 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 74.7 | 70 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 2.65 | 483.7 |
| 1926 | NY1 | NL | 14 | 10 | 37 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 219.0 | 224 | 70 | 58 | 48 | 2.88 | 1031.8 |
| 1927 | NY1 | NL | 17 | 10 | 42 | 31 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 244.7 | 260 | 101 | 67 | 78 | 3.72 | -205.6 |
| 1928 | NY1 | NL | 20 | 9 | 40 | 32 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 261.3 | 264 | 107 | 65 | 67 | 3.68 | 1253.8 |
| 1929 | NY1 | NL | 15 | 11 | 37 | 31 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 221.7 | 242 | 101 | 66 | 55 | 4.10 | 396.8 |
| 1930 | NY1 | NL | 19 | 7 | 41 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 224.3 | 230 | 106 | 59 | 76 | 4.25 | -1895.0 |
| 1931 | NY1 | NL | 18 | 11 | 35 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 253.7 | 242 | 86 | 62 | 78 | 3.05 | 476.2 |
| 1932 | NY1 | NL | 11 | 11 | 35 | 31 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 237.7 | 287 | 117 | 83 | 65 | 4.43 | -2270.8 |
| 1933 | NY1 | NL | 16 | 11 | 36 | 35 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 251.7 | 243 | 81 | 72 | 65 | 2.90 | -531.0 |
| 1934 | NY1 | NL | 18 | 14 | 38 | 37 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 263.3 | 266 | 89 | 51 | 73 | 3.04 | 3686.1 |
| 1935 | NY1 | NL | 4 | 8 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 94.0 | 104 | 42 | 22 | 23 | 4.02 | -78.1 |
| 1936 | NY1 | NL | 10 | 7 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 141.0 | 147 | 52 | 39 | 35 | 3.32 | 1350.6 |
| 1937 | BRO | NL | 4 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 90.7 | 91 | 43 | 32 | 29 | 4.27 | 1124.3 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27.3 | 28 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 4.61 | -88.1 |
| 1938 | BRO | NL | 11 | 8 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 202.7 | 205 | 68 | 43 | 38 | 3.02 | 2852.8 |
| 1939 | BRO | NL | 7 | 9 | 27 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 151.3 | 178 | 65 | 28 | 44 | 3.87 | 2908.0 |
| 1940 | BRO | NL | 16 | 2 | 20 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 134.3 | 120 | 42 | 25 | 35 | 2.81 | 2535.5 |
| 1941 | BRO | NL | 6 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 82.7 | 78 | 19 | 26 | 19 | 2.07 | 417.7 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15.00 | 0.0 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 3 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44.7 | 50 | 27 | 21 | 12 | 5.44 | -1988.3 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 513 | 1155 | 112 | 231 | 35 | 7 | 14 | 103 | 0 | 36 | 177 | 0.200 | 0.233 | 0.279 | 0.511 | -5207.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | NY1 | NL | 10 | 29 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.310 | 0.0 |
| 1926 | NY1 | NL | 37 | 86 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0.128 | -929.8 |
| 1927 | NY1 | NL | 42 | 87 | 6 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0.207 | -573.3 |
| 1928 | NY1 | NL | 40 | 94 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.191 | -599.1 |
| 1929 | NY1 | NL | 37 | 82 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.183 | -676.2 |
| 1930 | NY1 | NL | 41 | 83 | 15 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0.265 | -197.4 |
| 1931 | NY1 | NL | 35 | 92 | 16 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 0.228 | -57.8 |
| 1932 | NY1 | NL | 35 | 86 | 10 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.221 | -346.1 |
| 1933 | NY1 | NL | 36 | 95 | 3 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.200 | -443.0 |
| 1934 | NY1 | NL | 38 | 95 | 12 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.232 | -309.3 |
| 1935 | NY1 | NL | 18 | 31 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.258 | 0.0 |
| 1936 | NY1 | NL | 28 | 47 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.149 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | BRO | NL | 13 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 6 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.300 | 0.0 |
| 1938 | BRO | NL | 27 | 70 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 0.171 | -527.6 |
| 1939 | BRO | NL | 27 | 47 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0.234 | -95.8 |
| 1940 | BRO | NL | 20 | 47 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0.106 | -451.7 |
| 1941 | BRO | NL | 13 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.143 | 0.0 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 9 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.071 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.375 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | WS | BRO | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1936 | WS | NY1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.500 |
| 1933 | WS | NY1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 25.7 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 3.86 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | WS | BRO | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 1936 | WS | NY1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11.7 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 5.40 |
| 1933 | WS | NY1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5.14 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 513 | 0 | 237 | 942 | 28 | 79 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | NY1 | P | 10 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | NY1 | P | 37 | 0 | 20 | 62 | 0 | 5 |
| 1927 | NY1 | P | 42 | 0 | 19 | 59 | 2 | 3 |
| 1928 | NY1 | P | 40 | 0 | 23 | 63 | 0 | 4 |
| 1929 | NY1 | P | 37 | 0 | 13 | 70 | 4 | 7 |
| 1930 | NY1 | P | 41 | 0 | 22 | 70 | 2 | 6 |
| 1931 | NY1 | P | 35 | 0 | 13 | 89 | 4 | 9 |
| 1932 | NY1 | P | 35 | 0 | 16 | 78 | 2 | 10 |
| 1933 | NY1 | P | 36 | 0 | 12 | 83 | 4 | 6 |
| 1934 | NY1 | P | 38 | 0 | 24 | 71 | 3 | 10 |
| 1935 | NY1 | P | 18 | 0 | 8 | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 1936 | NY1 | P | 28 | 0 | 11 | 31 | 3 | 5 |
| 1937 | BRO | P | 13 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | NY1 | P | 6 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1938 | BRO | P | 27 | 0 | 13 | 66 | 1 | 7 |
| 1939 | BRO | P | 27 | 0 | 13 | 52 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940 | BRO | P | 20 | 0 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 2 |
| 1941 | BRO | P | 13 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 1942 | BRO | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | BRO | P | 9 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 513 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 5th | 84.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 30th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1931 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 1.0 | 80 | 0 |