Elmer Koestner
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1910-1914)
Elmer Koestner was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1910 to 1914 for the Cleveland Guardians, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 5 seasons. Across 36 career appearances, he went 5-10 with a 3.18 ERA and 56 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
- 6'1" / 175 lb
- Died
- 10/27/1959 in Fairbury, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1910-04-23
- Last Game
- 1914-07-01
Full name: Elmer Joseph Koestner
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | CLE | AL | 5 | 10 | 27 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 145.0 | 145 | 49 | 63 | 44 | 3.04 | 2.79 (-9%) | -1392.5 |
| 1914 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2.84 | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | CIN | NL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.1 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 4.42 | 2.93 (-51%) | -161.3 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 5 | 10 | 36 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 169.2 | 169 | 60 | 76 | 56 | 3.18 | — | -1,554 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 54 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | .315 | .315 | .352 | .667 | 0 |
Career AVG .315 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — +24.4% above league average.
Career OBP .315 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .352 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +5.3% above league average.
Career OPS .667 vs. league average .655 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | CLE | AL | 27 | 48 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | .312 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | CHN | NL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | CIN | NL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 36 | 54 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | .315 | — | — | — | — | 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 (72 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 19 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| Away | 17 | 30 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | .400 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 19 | 83.1 | 76 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 3.24 |
| Away | 17 | 83.2 | 88 | 39 | 46 | 26 | 4.20 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-07-01 | CIN | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-28 | CIN | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-24 | CIN | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-19 | CIN | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-12 | CIN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-26 | CHC | NY1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-04-25 | CHC | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-04-22 | CHC | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-04-14 | CHC | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-10-06 | CLE | SLA | L | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-07-01 | CIN | CHC | — | 1.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-28 | CIN | PIT | — | 6.0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1914-06-24 | CIN | CHC | — | 4.2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-19 | CIN | NY1 | — | 3.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1914-06-12 | CIN | PHI | — | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1914-05-26 | CHC | NY1 | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1914-04-25 | CHC | CIN | — | 2.2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1914-04-22 | CHC | CIN | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1914-04-14 | CHC | CIN | — | 1.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1910-10-06 | CLE | SLA | L | 8.2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 36 |
Elmer Koestner: the record in brief
Elmer Koestner's major league career runs from a debut on April 23, 1910 to a final game on July 1, 1914. Koestner played for the Cleveland Naps (1910), the Chicago Cubs (1914), and the Cincinnati Reds (1914). Koestner played primarily as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on November 30, 1885, in Piper City, IL, USA, Koestner was listed at 6'1" and 175 pounds. Koestner died on October 27, 1959, in Fairbury, IL, USA. The bio lists the given name Elmer Joseph.
Koestner went 5-10 with a 3.18 ERA in 36 games, 14 of them starts. Koestner had 56 strikeouts. Against a 2.87 league ERA for the same seasons, the 3.18 mark was 10.8% worse. The best win total was 5, in 1910. 1910 was Koestner's sharpest full season, a 3.04 ERA against the league's 2.79.
As a hitter, Koestner batted .315 on 17 hits.
Koestner appears at one position only: pitcher, in 36 games. On the mound, the fielding record shows 5 errors alongside 10 putouts and 47 assists.
Frequently Asked Questions about Elmer Koestner
- What years did Elmer Koestner play?
- Elmer Koestner played in Major League Baseball from 1910 to 1914.
- Was Elmer Koestner a pitcher?
- Yes. Elmer Koestner pitched in the major leagues, recording 5 wins and 56 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Elmer Koestner hit?
- Elmer Koestner hit 0 career home runs with 17 hits.
- What teams did Elmer Koestner play for?
- Elmer Koestner played for 3 teams: the Cleveland Naps (1910), the Chicago Cubs (1914), and the Cincinnati Reds (1914).
- What were Elmer Koestner's career stats?
- In 36 games, Elmer Koestner went 5-10 with a 3.18 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 169.2 innings pitched, and 2 saves.
- What position did Elmer Koestner play?
- Elmer Koestner played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Elmer Koestner and how much did he weigh?
- Elmer Koestner was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds.
- What was Elmer Koestner's career ERA?
- Elmer Koestner finished with a 3.18 career ERA, going 5-10 with 56 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Elmer Koestner have?
- Elmer Koestner recorded 56 career strikeouts.
- Is Elmer Koestner in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Elmer Koestner has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.