Orval Grove
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1940-1949)
Orval Grove was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1949 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 10 seasons. Across 207 career appearances, he went 63-73 with a 3.78 ERA and 374 strikeouts. He also batted .129 with 1 home runs. Orval Grove was an All-Star.
- 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
- 6'3" / 196 lb
- Died
- 4/20/1992 in Carmichael, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1940-05-28
- Last Game
- 1949-04-27
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Orval Leroy Grove
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | CHA | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | CHA | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10.29 | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CHA | AL | 4 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 66.1 | 77 | 38 | 33 | 21 | 5.16 | 3.57 (-44%) | -180.8 |
| 1943 | CHA | AL | 15 | 9 | 32 | 25 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 216.1 | 192 | 66 | 72 | 76 | 2.75 | 3.50 (+22%) | -220.1 |
| 1944 | CHA | AL | 14 | 15 | 34 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 234.2 | 237 | 97 | 71 | 105 | 3.72 | 3.57 (-4%) | 1060.2 |
| 1945 | CHA | AL | 14 | 12 | 33 | 30 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 217.0 | 233 | 83 | 68 | 54 | 3.44 | 3.67 (+6%) | -1522.7 |
| 1946 | CHA | AL | 8 | 13 | 33 | 26 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 205.1 | 213 | 69 | 78 | 60 | 3.02 | 3.59 (+16%) | -1168.4 |
| 1947 | CHA | AL | 6 | 8 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 135.2 | 158 | 67 | 70 | 33 | 4.44 | 3.97 (-12%) | -2823.6 |
| 1948 | CHA | AL | 2 | 10 | 32 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 87.2 | 110 | 60 | 42 | 18 | 6.16 | 4.10 (-50%) | -1510.7 |
| 1949 | CHA | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 54.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 63 | 73 | 207 | 152 | 66 | 11 | 4 | 1,176.2 | 1,237 | 494 | 444 | 374 | 3.78 | — | -6,366 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207 | 373 | 23 | 48 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 31 | 128 | .129 | .201 | .158 | .360 | -2,393 |
Career AVG .129 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 50.6% below league average.
Career OBP .201 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 39.3% below league average.
Career SLG .158 vs. league average .366 across their career seasons — 56.8% below league average.
Career OPS .360 vs. league average .698 across their career seasons — 48.5% below league average.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | CHA | AL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | CHA | AL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CHA | AL | 12 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .227 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | CHA | AL | 32 | 66 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 22 | .182 | .255 (-29%) | .324 (-5%) | .346 (-48%) | .671 (-27%) | -221.4 |
| 1944 | CHA | AL | 34 | 77 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 25 | .104 | .261 (-60%) | .325 (-51%) | .357 (-60%) | .683 (-56%) | -664.9 |
| 1945 | CHA | AL | 33 | 71 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 23 | .099 | .260 (-62%) | .328 (-49%) | .354 (-68%) | .683 (-59%) | -632.7 |
| 1946 | CHA | AL | 33 | 65 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 27 | .108 | .256 (-58%) | .328 (-48%) | .358 (-61%) | .687 (-55%) | -554.1 |
| 1947 | CHA | AL | 25 | 48 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 16 | .146 | — | — | — | — | -319.8 |
| 1948 | CHA | AL | 32 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .095 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1949 | CHA | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 207 | 373 | 23 | 48 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 31 | 128 | .129 | — | — | — | — | -2,393 | ||
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 (414 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 102 | 176 | 12 | 22 | 0 | 11 | .125 |
| Away | 105 | 196 | 11 | 26 | 1 | 8 | .133 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 102 | 599.0 | 611 | 229 | 204 | 222 | 3.44 |
| Away | 105 | 578.0 | 625 | 269 | 241 | 152 | 4.19 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-04-27 | CHW | CLE | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-10-01 | CHW | SLA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-19 | CHW | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-10 | CHW | SLA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-27 | CHW | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-26 | CHW | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-23 | CHW | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-15 | CHW | CLE | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-07-25 | CHW | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-07-22 | CHW | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-04-27 | CHW | CLE | — | 0.2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1948-10-01 | CHW | SLA | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-19 | CHW | MIN | — | 3.2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-09-10 | CHW | SLA | — | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-08-27 | CHW | BOS | — | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-26 | CHW | NYY | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-23 | CHW | NYY | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-15 | CHW | CLE | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-07-25 | CHW | NYY | L | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1948-07-22 | CHW | BOS | — | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | CHA | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | CHA | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | CHA | P | 12 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1943 | CHA | P | 32 | 0 | 21 | 43 | 1 | 0 |
| 1944 | CHA | P | 34 | 0 | 6 | 64 | 3 | 3 |
| 1945 | CHA | P | 33 | 0 | 12 | 55 | 5 | 3 |
| 1946 | CHA | P | 33 | 0 | 8 | 49 | 4 | 5 |
| 1947 | CHA | P | 25 | 0 | 11 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| 1948 | CHA | P | 32 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| 1949 | CHA | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 207 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Orval Grove (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Orval Grove: the record in brief
May 28, 1940 and April 27, 1949 bracket Orval Grove's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Every season row on the page belongs to the Chicago White Sox, from 1940 through 1949. Grove played primarily as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on August 29, 1919, in Mineral, KS, USA and a listed size of 6'3" and 196 pounds. Grove's death is recorded on April 20, 1992, in Carmichael, CA, USA. The bio lists the given name Orval Leroy.
Across 207 games (152 starts), Grove recorded 63 wins against 73 losses with a 3.78 ERA. The totals include 374 strikeouts, 66 complete games, and 11 shutouts. Grove's 3.78 ERA was close to the 3.82 league figure for those seasons. The best win total was 15, in 1943. The strikeout high was 105 in 1944. 1943 was Grove's sharpest full season, a 2.75 ERA against the league's 3.50.
Grove's All-Star record, per the bio, is All-Star.
Frequently Asked Questions about Orval Grove
- What years did Orval Grove play?
- Orval Grove played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1949.
- Was Orval Grove a pitcher?
- Yes. Orval Grove pitched in the major leagues, recording 63 wins and 374 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Orval Grove hit?
- Orval Grove hit 1 career home run with 48 hits.
- What teams did Orval Grove play for?
- Orval Grove played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1940–1949).
- What awards did Orval Grove win?
- Orval Grove was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Orval Grove's career stats?
- In 207 games, Orval Grove went 63-73 with a 3.78 ERA, 374 strikeouts, 1,176.2 innings pitched, and 4 saves. At the plate he had 48 hits and 1 home runs.
- What position did Orval Grove play?
- Orval Grove played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Orval Grove and how much did he weigh?
- Orval Grove was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 196 pounds.
- What was Orval Grove's career ERA?
- Orval Grove finished with a 3.78 career ERA, going 63-73 with 374 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Orval Grove have?
- Orval Grove recorded 374 career strikeouts.
- Is Orval Grove in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Orval Grove has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Orval Grove make?
- Orval Grove was selected to 1 All-Star Game.