Ed Head
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1940-1946)
Ed Head was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1946 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 7 seasons. Across 118 career appearances, he went 27-23 with a 3.48 ERA and 208 strikeouts. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 354.2.
- 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
- Died
- 1/31/1980 in Bastrop, LA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1940-07-27
- Last Game
- 1946-08-25
Full name: Edward Marvin Head
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 | BRO | NL | 1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39.1 | 40 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 4.12 | 4.21 (+2%) | 493.9 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 10 | 6 | 36 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 136.2 | 118 | 54 | 47 | 78 | 3.56 | 3.57 (avg) | -37.4 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 9 | 10 | 47 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 169.2 | 166 | 69 | 66 | 83 | 3.66 | 3.50 (-5%) | 219.4 |
| 1944 | BRO | NL | 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 63.1 | 54 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 2.70 | 3.57 (+24%) | 197.0 |
| 1946 | BRO | NL | 3 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 56.0 | 56 | 20 | 24 | 17 | 3.21 | 3.59 (+10%) | -518.7 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 27 | 23 | 118 | 53 | 22 | 6 | 11 | 465.0 | 434 | 180 | 174 | 208 | 3.48 | — | 354 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119 | 131 | 15 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 25 | .244 | .283 | .260 | .542 | 0 |
Career AVG .244 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career OBP .283 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 13.8% below league average.
Career SLG .260 vs. league average .360 across their career seasons — 27.9% below league average.
Career OPS .542 vs. league average .688 across their career seasons — 21.2% 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 | BRO | NL | 14 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 36 | 39 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 9 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 47 | 46 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | BRO | NL | 9 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .263 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | BRO | NL | 13 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .312 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 119 | 131 | 15 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 25 | .244 | — | — | — | — | 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 (237 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 61 | 61 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 6 | .246 |
| Away | 58 | 70 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 7 | .243 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 61 | 227.0 | 183 | 72 | 91 | 105 | 2.85 |
| Away | 57 | 238.1 | 250 | 107 | 84 | 107 | 4.04 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-08-25 | BRO | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-20 | BRO | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-14 | BRO | NY1 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-28 | BRO | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-15 | BRO | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-07-04 | BRO | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-04 | BRO | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-01 | BRO | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-05-26 | BRO | PHI | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-05-19 | BRO | CIN | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-08-25 | BRO | STL | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-20 | BRO | PIT | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-14 | BRO | NY1 | — | 3.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-07-28 | BRO | PIT | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-07-15 | BRO | STL | — | 3.2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-04 | BRO | NY1 | — | 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1946-06-04 | BRO | PIT | SV | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-01 | BRO | CIN | L | 9.2 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 1946-05-26 | BRO | PHI | W | 5.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1946-05-19 | BRO | CIN | L | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 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 | 118 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ed Head (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ed Head: the record in brief
Between the debut on July 27, 1940 and the final game on August 25, 1946, Ed Head built the record summarized on this page. All of the seasons listed were played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Head is listed as a pitcher. Head threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is January 25, 1918, in Selma, LA, USA. Head's death is recorded on January 31, 1980, in Bastrop, LA, USA. Ed Head was the playing name; the full given name is Edward Marvin.
Head went 27-23 with a 3.48 ERA in 118 games, 53 of them starts. The totals include 208 strikeouts, 22 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 11 saves. The leagues Head pitched in allowed 3.69 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 5.5% better than average. 1942 brought Head a season-high 10 wins. 1943 produced Head's most strikeouts, 83. 1942 was Head's sharpest full season, a 3.56 ERA against the league's 3.57.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Head
- What years did Ed Head play?
- Ed Head played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1946.
- Was Ed Head a pitcher?
- Yes. Ed Head pitched in the major leagues, recording 27 wins and 208 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ed Head hit?
- Ed Head hit 0 career home runs with 32 hits.
- What was Ed Head's career batting average?
- Ed Head batted .244 over his career, with 32 hits in 131 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ed Head have?
- Ed Head drove in 13 runs in his career.
- What was Ed Head's career ERA?
- Ed Head finished with a 3.48 career ERA, going 27-23 with 208 strikeouts.