Johnny Gorsica
Born: 3/29/1915 in Bayonne, NJ, USA
Died: 12/16/1998 in Charlottesville, VA, USA
MLB Debut: 1940-04-22 | Final Game: 1947-09-17
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: John Joseph Perry Gorsica
Biography
Johnny Gorsica, born in 1915, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1940 to 1947. Gorsica played during a transformative era in Major League Baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era into a time of increased offensive production. Over his career, he compiled a win-loss record of 31-39 and maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.18, showcasing his ability to compete at a high level despite the challenges of the time.
Gorsica was known for his competitive spirit on the mound, accumulating a total of 272 strikeouts throughout his career, alongside 17 saves. His contributions to his teams were significant, as he consistently worked to keep games within reach, reflecting the characteristics of pitchers in an era that increasingly valued both durability and versatility. While Gorsica's career stats may not place him among the all-time greats, his role in the game during the mid-20th century remains noteworthy, as he navigated the evolving landscape of professional baseball.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 39 | 204 | 64 | 22 | 4 | 17 | 723.7 | 778 | 336 | 44 | 247 | 272 | 4.18 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | DET | AL | 7 | 7 | 29 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 160.0 | 170 | 77 | 57 | 68 | 4.33 | 707.0 |
| 1941 | DET | AL | 9 | 11 | 33 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 171.0 | 193 | 85 | 55 | 59 | 4.47 | -653.8 |
| 1942 | DET | AL | 3 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 53.0 | 63 | 28 | 26 | 19 | 4.75 | -466.6 |
| 1943 | DET | AL | 4 | 5 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 96.3 | 88 | 36 | 40 | 45 | 3.36 | 355.2 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 6 | 14 | 34 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 162.0 | 192 | 74 | 32 | 47 | 4.11 | 2068.8 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23.7 | 28 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 4.56 | -1120.9 |
| 1947 | DET | AL | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 57.7 | 44 | 24 | 26 | 20 | 3.75 | -731.2 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 214 | 217 | 23 | 45 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 42 | 0.207 | 0.252 | 0.290 | 0.542 | -708.5 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | DET | AL | 29 | 62 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0.194 | -293.4 |
| 1941 | DET | AL | 33 | 57 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0.298 | -15.3 |
| 1942 | DET | AL | 31 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.100 | 0.0 |
| 1943 | DET | AL | 36 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.174 | 0.0 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 40 | 52 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0.135 | -399.8 |
| 1946 | DET | AL | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.667 | 0.0 |
| 1947 | DET | AL | 31 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | WS | DET | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0.79 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | WS | DET | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0.79 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 204 | 0 | 68 | 220 | 10 | 14 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | DET | P | 29 | 0 | 15 | 53 | 4 | 2 |
| 1941 | DET | P | 33 | 0 | 10 | 52 | 2 | 3 |
| 1942 | DET | P | 28 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943 | DET | P | 35 | 0 | 10 | 30 | 0 | 3 |
| 1944 | DET | P | 34 | 0 | 17 | 42 | 2 | 5 |
| 1946 | DET | P | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947 | DET | P | 31 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 204 |