Mike Fornieles
Born: 1/18/1932 in Havana, La Habana, Cuba
Died: 2/11/1998 in St. Petersburg, FL, USA
MLB Debut: 1952-09-02 | Final Game: 1963-07-14
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 155 lbs
Full name: Jose Miguel Fornieles
Biography
Mike Fornieles was a talented pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1952 until 1963. Born in 1932, he began his professional career in an era that was characterized by a transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded game. Fornieles played for several teams during his career, but he is best remembered for his consistent performances on the mound, reflected in his record of 63-64 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.96. His ability to strike out batters was evident as he accumulated 576 strikeouts and demonstrated considerable effectiveness in closing games with 55 saves.
Fornieles earned an All-Star selection during his career, highlighting his status among the top pitchers of his time. Known for his competitive spirit and pitching finesse, he contributed significantly to his teams and left a lasting impact on the game. As a pitcher, he navigated a challenging era in baseball, where the dynamics of hitting and pitching were evolving. His achievements and contributions to the sport have solidified his place in baseball history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 64 | 432 | 76 | 20 | 4 | 55 | 1156.7 | 1165 | 509 | 98 | 421 | 576 | 3.96 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | WSN | AL | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26.3 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 1.37 | - |
| 1953 | CHW | AL | 8 | 7 | 39 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 153.0 | 160 | 61 | 61 | 72 | 3.59 | - |
| 1954 | CHW | AL | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 42.0 | 41 | 20 | 14 | 18 | 4.29 | - |
| 1955 | CHW | AL | 6 | 3 | 26 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 86.3 | 84 | 37 | 29 | 23 | 3.86 | - |
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 4 | 7 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 111.0 | 109 | 49 | 25 | 53 | 3.97 | 2996.9 |
| 1956 | CHW | AL | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.7 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4.60 | - |
| 1957 | BAL | AL | 2 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 57.0 | 57 | 27 | 17 | 43 | 4.26 | 1555.4 |
| 1957 | BOS | AL | 8 | 7 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 125.3 | 136 | 49 | 38 | 64 | 3.52 | 2221.6 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 4 | 6 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 110.7 | 123 | 61 | 33 | 49 | 4.96 | 109.8 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 5 | 3 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 82.0 | 77 | 28 | 29 | 54 | 3.07 | 1312.9 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 10 | 5 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 109.0 | 86 | 32 | 49 | 64 | 2.64 | 655.8 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 9 | 8 | 57 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 119.3 | 121 | 62 | 54 | 70 | 4.68 | -2271.5 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 3 | 6 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 82.3 | 96 | 49 | 37 | 36 | 5.36 | -3427.9 |
| 1963 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 6.43 | 218.6 |
| 1963 | MIN | AL | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.7 | 24 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 4.76 | -220.7 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 440 | 308 | 25 | 52 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 63 | 0.169 | 0.177 | 0.208 | 0.385 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | WSN | AL | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CHW | AL | 39 | 41 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.098 | 0.0 |
| 1954 | CHW | AL | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.273 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | CHW | AL | 28 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.103 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 33 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | CHW | AL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | BAL | AL | 16 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.278 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | BOS | AL | 26 | 44 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0.136 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 37 | 29 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.207 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 46 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.158 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 70 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.400 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 57 | 32 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.156 | 0.0 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 42 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.188 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | BOS | AL | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | MIN | AL | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 432 | 58 | 74 | 209 | 15 | 17 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | WS1 | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953 | CHA | P | 39 | 0 | 16 | 30 | 2 | 2 |
| 1954 | CHA | P | 15 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 1955 | CHA | P | 26 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| 1956 | BAL | P | 30 | 11 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 3 |
| 1956 | CHA | P | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | BAL | P | 15 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957 | BOS | P | 25 | 18 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 1 |
| 1958 | BOS | P | 37 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 1959 | BOS | P | 46 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960 | BOS | P | 70 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 3 |
| 1961 | BOS | P | 57 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 1962 | BOS | P | 42 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 1963 | BOS | P | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1963 | MIN | P | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 432 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | TSN Fireman of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 28th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |