Eric King
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1986-1992)
Eric King was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1992 for the Detroit Tigers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 7 seasons. Across 203 career appearances, he went 52-45 with a 3.97 ERA and 459 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
- 6'2" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1986-05-15
- Last Game
- 1992-10-04
Full name: Eric Steven King
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 | DET | AL | 11 | 4 | 33 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 138.1 | 108 | 54 | 63 | 79 | 3.51 | 3.97 (+12%) | -794.9 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | 6 | 9 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 116.0 | 111 | 63 | 60 | 89 | 4.89 | 4.29 (-14%) | -1099.8 |
| 1988 | DET | AL | 4 | 1 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 68.2 | 60 | 26 | 34 | 45 | 3.41 | 3.73 (+9%) | -644.0 |
| 1989 | CHA | AL | 9 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 159.1 | 144 | 60 | 64 | 72 | 3.39 | 3.71 (+9%) | -1950.9 |
| 1990 | CHA | AL | 12 | 4 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 151.0 | 135 | 55 | 40 | 70 | 3.28 | 3.86 (+15%) | 799.1 |
| 1991 | CLE | AL | 6 | 11 | 25 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 150.2 | 166 | 77 | 44 | 59 | 4.60 | 3.91 (-18%) | 1160.6 |
| 1992 | DET | AL | 4 | 6 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 79.1 | 90 | 46 | 28 | 45 | 5.22 | 3.75 (-39%) | -1916.4 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 52 | 45 | 203 | 113 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 863.1 | 814 | 381 | 333 | 459 | 3.97 | — | -4,446 | ||
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 | DET | AL | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | DET | AL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | CHA | AL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | CHA | AL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1991 | CLE | AL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1992 | DET | AL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 203 | 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 (406 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 103 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 100 | 430.2 | 419 | 195 | 176 | 214 | 4.08 |
| Away | 103 | 432.2 | 395 | 186 | 157 | 245 | 3.87 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-10-04 | DET | TOR | — | 5.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| 1992-09-29 | DET | BAL | — | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992-09-22 | DET | NYY | L | 6.0 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1992-09-18 | DET | BOS | SV | 2.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992-09-08 | DET | CHW | — | 6.0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992-08-30 | DET | KCR | L | 4.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992-08-24 | DET | MIN | W | 7.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 1992-08-18 | DET | KCR | W | 6.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992-05-23 | DET | MIN | — | 1.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992-05-18 | DET | MIL | L | 6.0 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
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 | 203 |
Salary History
Eric King's recorded salaries total $3,515,000 over 7 seasons, 1986 to 1992. King's career, 1986 to 1992, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | DET | AL | $1,200,000 |
| 1991 | CLE | AL | $1,450,000 |
| 1990 | CHA | AL | $415,000 |
| 1989 | CHA | AL | $165,000 |
| 1988 | DET | AL | $125,000 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | $100,000 |
| 1986 | DET | AL | $60,000 |
| Total recorded salary | $3,515,000 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Eric King (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Eric King: the record in brief
The profile opens with Eric King's first major league game on May 15, 1986; the last one listed came on October 4, 1992. By club, King's seasons break down as the Detroit Tigers (1986 to 1992), the Chicago White Sox (1989 through 1990), and the Cleveland Indians (1991). King played primarily as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Born on April 10, 1964, in Oxnard, CA, USA, King was listed at 6'2" and 180 pounds. King's full given name, per the bio, is Eric Steven King.
King pitched in 203 games, starting 113, and finished with a 52-45 record and 3.97 ERA. The same table counts 459 strikeouts, 5 shutouts, and 16 saves. King's 3.97 ERA was close to the 3.89 league figure for those seasons. King won 12 games in 1990, the most of any season listed. 1987 produced King's most strikeouts, 89. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 3.28 in 1990, when the league's was 3.86.
Pitching in the playoffs, King went 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 2 games. Those appearances came in 1987.
The position breakdown shows 203 games, all at pitcher. On the mound, the fielding record shows 10 errors alongside 75 putouts and 99 assists.
Recorded salaries add up to $3,515,000, topping out at $1,450,000 in 1991. The game-log section draws on 406 games of Retrosheet box scores for King.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eric King
- What years did Eric King play?
- Eric King played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1992.
- Was Eric King a pitcher?
- Yes. Eric King pitched in the major leagues, recording 52 wins and 459 strikeouts.
- What teams did Eric King play for?
- Eric King played for 3 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1986–1988, 1992), the Chicago White Sox (1989–1990), and the Cleveland Indians (1991).
- What were Eric King's career stats?
- In 203 games, Eric King went 52-45 with a 3.97 ERA, 459 strikeouts, 863.1 innings pitched, and 16 saves.
- How much did Eric King earn in his career?
- Eric King's recorded salaries total $3,515,000 over 7 seasons, 1986 to 1992. King's career, 1986 to 1992, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
- What was Eric King's salary?
- Eric King's last recorded salary was $1,200,000, in 1992. His highest recorded salary was $1,450,000, in 1991, and his lowest was $60,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1992.
- What position did Eric King play?
- Eric King played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Eric King and how much did he weigh?
- Eric King was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was Eric King's career ERA?
- Eric King finished with a 3.97 career ERA, going 52-45 with 459 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Eric King have?
- Eric King recorded 459 career strikeouts.
- Is Eric King in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Eric King has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.