Johnny Kucks
Born: 7/27/1932 in Hoboken, NJ, USA
Died: 10/31/2013 in Saddle River, NJ, USA
MLB Debut: 1955-04-17 | Final Game: 1960-09-25
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 170 lbs
Full name: John Charles Kucks
Biography
Johnny Kucks, born in 1932, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 until 1960. His career included a notable stint with the New York Yankees, where he contributed to the team's success during a highly competitive period in baseball history. Kucks finished his career with a record of 54-56 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.1, showcasing his ability to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Over his six-season career, he struck out 338 batters and recorded 7 saves, demonstrating his versatility as both a starter and a relief pitcher.
Kucks was selected as an All-Star during his career, an achievement that highlighted his talent and promise on the mound. He played during an era that was characterized by the dominance of the Yankees, who were perennial contenders in the late 1950s. Although he faced challenges in maintaining consistent success, Kucks remained a reliable option for his teams, contributing to their efforts in one of baseball's most storied franchises. His career is remembered for his contributions to the game and the impact he had during a dynamic time in baseball history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 56 | 207 | 123 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 938.3 | 970 | 427 | 91 | 308 | 338 | 4.10 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | NYY | AL | 8 | 7 | 29 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 126.7 | 122 | 48 | 44 | 49 | 3.41 | - |
| 1956 | NYY | AL | 18 | 9 | 34 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 224.3 | 223 | 96 | 72 | 67 | 3.85 | - |
| 1957 | NYY | AL | 8 | 10 | 37 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 179.3 | 169 | 71 | 59 | 78 | 3.56 | - |
| 1958 | NYY | AL | 8 | 8 | 34 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 126.0 | 132 | 55 | 39 | 46 | 3.93 | - |
| 1959 | KC1 | AL | 8 | 11 | 33 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 151.3 | 163 | 65 | 42 | 51 | 3.87 | 412.1 |
| 1959 | NYY | AL | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.7 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 8.64 | - |
| 1960 | KC1 | AL | 4 | 10 | 31 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 114.0 | 140 | 76 | 43 | 38 | 6.00 | -4993.3 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207 | 291 | 21 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 95 | 0.110 | 0.167 | 0.127 | 0.294 | -1678.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | NYY | AL | 29 | 40 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.050 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | NYY | AL | 34 | 77 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 25 | 0.143 | -618.2 |
| 1957 | NYY | AL | 37 | 55 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 0.109 | -540.8 |
| 1958 | NYY | AL | 34 | 40 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | KC1 | AL | 33 | 47 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0.085 | -519.1 |
| 1959 | NYY | AL | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | -519.1 |
| 1960 | KC1 | AL | 31 | 30 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0.133 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.250 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | WS | NYA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1957 | WS | NYA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1956 | WS | NYA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1955 | WS | NYA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 19.0 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1.89 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | WS | NYA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.08 |
| 1957 | WS | NYA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 1956 | WS | NYA | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11.0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0.82 |
| 1955 | WS | NYA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 207 | 123 | 45 | 194 | 14 | 17 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | NYA | P | 29 | 13 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| 1956 | NYA | P | 34 | 31 | 13 | 40 | 5 | 5 |
| 1957 | NYA | P | 37 | 23 | 9 | 47 | 1 | 5 |
| 1958 | NYA | P | 34 | 15 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 1959 | KC1 | P | 33 | 23 | 10 | 31 | 1 | 4 |
| 1959 | NYA | P | 9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | KC1 | P | 31 | 17 | 3 | 22 | 3 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 207 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 30th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |