Don Kirkwood
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1974-1978)
Don Kirkwood was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1978 for the California Angels, the Chicago White Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 5 seasons. Across 120 career appearances, he went 18-23 with a 4.37 ERA and 194 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
- 6'3" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1974-09-13
- Last Game
- 1978-10-01
Full name: Donald Paul Kirkwood
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | CAL | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 8.59 | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | CAL | AL | 6 | 5 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 84.0 | 85 | 29 | 28 | 49 | 3.11 | 3.71 (+16%) | 772.7 |
| 1976 | CAL | AL | 6 | 12 | 28 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 157.2 | 167 | 81 | 57 | 78 | 4.62 | 3.51 (-32%) | -875.1 |
| 1977 | CAL | AL | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17.2 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 5.09 | 4.00 (-27%) | -593.3 |
| 1977 | CHA | AL | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 49 | 23 | 10 | 24 | 5.17 | 4.00 (-29%) | 665.9 |
| 1978 | TOR | AL | 4 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 68.0 | 76 | 32 | 25 | 29 | 4.24 | 3.69 (-15%) | -501.4 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 18 | 23 | 120 | 37 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 374.2 | 409 | 182 | 135 | 194 | 4.37 | — | -531 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | CAL | AL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | CAL | AL | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | CAL | AL | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | CAL | AL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | CHA | AL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | TOR | AL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 122 | 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 (242 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 67 | 203.2 | 214 | 90 | 67 | 114 | 3.98 |
| Away | 53 | 171.0 | 195 | 92 | 68 | 80 | 4.84 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-10-01 | TOR | BOS | L | 8.0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 1978-09-24 | TOR | BOS | — | 2.2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-09-17 | TOR | BAL | L | 2.1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1978-09-11 | TOR | CLE | W | 9.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1978-09-05 | TOR | CLE | L | 2.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978-08-30 | TOR | BOS | L | 8.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1978-08-25 | TOR | MIN | W | 6.1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-08-20 | TOR | MIN | W | 6.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-08-17 | TOR | MIL | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-06-21 | TOR | DET | L | 1.1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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 | 120 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Community College | Farmington Hills | MI | 1970 |
| Oakland University | Rochester | MI | 1971, 1972 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Don Kirkwood (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Don Kirkwood: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 13, 1974 and the final game on October 1, 1978, Don Kirkwood built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the California Angels (1974 to 1977), the Chicago White Sox (1977), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1978). Kirkwood is listed as a pitcher at 175 pounds on a 6-foot-3 frame. The bio says Kirkwood batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is September 24, 1949, in Pontiac, MI, USA. Kirkwood's full given name, per the bio, is Donald Paul Kirkwood.
Kirkwood pitched in 120 games, starting 37, and finished with a 18-23 record and 4.37 ERA. Also on Kirkwood's record: 194 strikeouts. The league ERA over Kirkwood's seasons was 3.71, so the 4.37 figure ran 17.8% worse than average. 1975 brought Kirkwood a season-high 6 wins. The strikeout high was 78 in 1976. 1976 was Kirkwood's sharpest full season, a 4.62 ERA against the league's 3.51.
The college table lists Oakland Community College in 1970. Kirkwood's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 242 games from Retrosheet.
Kirkwood appears at one position only: pitcher, in 120 games. The fielding table credits Kirkwood with 30 putouts, 64 assists and 9 errors on the mound.
The closest statistical comparisons on the page are Billy Muffett, Guy Hoffman, and Pete Walker.
Frequently Asked Questions about Don Kirkwood
- What years did Don Kirkwood play?
- Don Kirkwood played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1978.
- Was Don Kirkwood a pitcher?
- Yes. Don Kirkwood pitched in the major leagues, recording 18 wins and 194 strikeouts.
- What teams did Don Kirkwood play for?
- Don Kirkwood played for 3 teams: the California Angels (1974–1977), the Chicago White Sox (1977), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1978).
- What were Don Kirkwood's career stats?
- In 120 games, Don Kirkwood went 18-23 with a 4.37 ERA, 194 strikeouts, 374.2 innings pitched, and 8 saves.
- What position did Don Kirkwood play?
- Don Kirkwood played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Don Kirkwood and how much did he weigh?
- Don Kirkwood was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 175 pounds.
- What was Don Kirkwood's career ERA?
- Don Kirkwood finished with a 4.37 career ERA, going 18-23 with 194 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Don Kirkwood have?
- Don Kirkwood recorded 194 career strikeouts.
- Is Don Kirkwood in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Don Kirkwood has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.