Don Gordon
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1986-1988)
Don Gordon was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1988 for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 3 seasons. Across 78 career appearances, he went 3-8 with a 4.72 ERA and 56 strikeouts.
- 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
- 6'1" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1986-04-10
- Last Game
- 1988-09-29
Full name: Donald Thomas Gordon
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TOR | AL | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21.2 | 28 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 7.06 | 3.97 (-78%) | 302.1 |
| 1987 | TOR | AL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4.09 | 4.29 (+5%) | -333.8 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 0 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 39.2 | 49 | 18 | 12 | 20 | 4.08 | 4.29 (+5%) | 237.5 |
| 1988 | CLE | AL | 3 | 4 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 59.1 | 65 | 29 | 19 | 20 | 4.40 | 3.73 (-18%) | -844.1 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 3 | 8 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 131.2 | 150 | 69 | 42 | 56 | 4.72 | — | -638 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TOR | AL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | TOR | AL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | CLE | AL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 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 (156 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 37 | 71.0 | 77 | 33 | 21 | 39 | 4.18 |
| Away | 41 | 60.2 | 73 | 36 | 21 | 17 | 5.34 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-09-29 | CLE | BOS | — | 0.2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-25 | CLE | TOR | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-23 | CLE | TOR | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-09-21 | CLE | DET | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-20 | CLE | DET | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-19 | CLE | DET | W | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-16 | CLE | TOR | L | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-15 | CLE | TOR | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-09-13 | CLE | NYY | — | 1.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-09-10 | CLE | BOS | — | 3.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 78 |
Salary History
Don Gordon's recorded salaries total $71,500 over 1 season, in 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gordon's career ran from 1986 to 1988. No salary is recorded for 1986 and 1988.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | TOR | AL | $71,500 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $71,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Citadel | Charleston | SC | 1978 |
| University of South Carolina | Columbia | SC | 1980, 1981, 1982 |
Don Gordon: the record in brief
According to the bio, Don Gordon debuted on April 10, 1986 and played a final game on September 29, 1988. The season rows list, in order, the Toronto Blue Jays (1986 to 1987) and the Cleveland Indians (1987 to 1988). At 175 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame, Gordon is listed as a pitcher. The bio says Gordon both batted and threw right-handed. Gordon was born on October 10, 1959, in New York, NY, USA. On the record, Don Gordon was born Donald Thomas Gordon.
The pitching table credits Gordon with a 3-8 record and a 4.72 ERA in 78 games. The totals include 56 strikeouts. The league ERA over Gordon's seasons was 4.00, so the 4.72 figure ran 17.9% worse than average. 1987 was Gordon's sharpest full season, a 4.08 ERA against the league's 4.29.
Gordon appears at one position only: pitcher, in 78 games. The fielding table credits Gordon with 8 putouts, 25 assists and 5 errors on the mound.
The one salary on file is $71,500, for 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gordon's career ran from 1986 to 1988. No salary is recorded for 1986 and 1988. Before the majors, Gordon played college baseball at The Citadel (1978). The game-log section draws on 156 games of Retrosheet box scores for Gordon.
Frequently Asked Questions about Don Gordon
- What years did Don Gordon play?
- Don Gordon played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1988.
- Was Don Gordon a pitcher?
- Yes. Don Gordon pitched in the major leagues, recording 3 wins and 56 strikeouts.
- What teams did Don Gordon play for?
- Don Gordon played for 2 teams: the Toronto Blue Jays (1986–1987) and the Cleveland Indians (1987–1988).
- What were Don Gordon's career stats?
- In 78 games, Don Gordon went 3-8 with a 4.72 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 131.2 innings pitched, and 3 saves.
- How much did Don Gordon earn in his career?
- Don Gordon's recorded salaries total $71,500 over 1 season, in 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gordon's career ran from 1986 to 1988. No salary is recorded for 1986 and 1988.
- What was Don Gordon's salary?
- Don Gordon's recorded salary was $71,500 in 1987.
- What position did Don Gordon play?
- Don Gordon played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Don Gordon and how much did he weigh?
- Don Gordon was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds.
- What was Don Gordon's career ERA?
- Don Gordon finished with a 4.72 career ERA, going 3-8 with 56 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Don Gordon have?
- Don Gordon recorded 56 career strikeouts.
- Is Don Gordon in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Don Gordon has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.