Jimmy Lavender
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1912-1917)
Jimmy Lavender was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1917 for the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies, a span of 6 seasons. Across 224 career appearances, he went 63-76 with a 3.09 ERA and 547 strikeouts. He also batted .144 with 0 home runs.
- 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
- 5'11" / 165 lb
- Died
- 1/12/1960 in Cartersville, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1912-04-23
- Last Game
- 1917-10-03
Full name: James Sanford Lavender
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | CHN | NL | 16 | 13 | 42 | 31 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 251.2 | 240 | 85 | 89 | 109 | 3.04 | 3.36 (+10%) | -1464.6 |
| 1913 | CHN | NL | 10 | 14 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 204.0 | 206 | 83 | 98 | 91 | 3.66 | 3.07 (-19%) | -3299.6 |
| 1914 | CHN | NL | 11 | 11 | 37 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 214.1 | 191 | 73 | 87 | 87 | 3.07 | 2.93 (-5%) | -4076.8 |
| 1915 | CHN | NL | 10 | 16 | 41 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 220.0 | 178 | 63 | 67 | 117 | 2.58 | 2.90 (+11%) | 1142.7 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 10 | 14 | 36 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 188.0 | 163 | 59 | 62 | 91 | 2.82 | 2.78 (-2%) | 162.1 |
| 1917 | PHI | NL | 6 | 8 | 28 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 129.1 | 119 | 51 | 44 | 52 | 3.55 | 2.69 (-32%) | -1228.2 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 63 | 76 | 224 | 142 | 65 | 10 | 12 | 1,207.1 | 1,097 | 414 | 447 | 547 | 3.09 | — | -8,764 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 224 | 374 | 19 | 54 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 16 | 155 | .144 | .184 | .182 | .365 | -2,303 |
Career AVG .144 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 43.3% below league average.
Career OBP .184 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 42.8% below league average.
Career SLG .182 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 46.1% below league average.
Career OPS .365 vs. league average .658 across their career seasons — 44.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | CHN | NL | 42 | 87 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 34 | .149 | .268 (-44%) | .335 (-42%) | .358 (-49%) | .694 (-45%) | -616.8 |
| 1913 | CHN | NL | 40 | 68 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | .118 | .259 (-55%) | .325 (-64%) | .345 (-62%) | .670 (-63%) | -642.9 |
| 1914 | CHN | NL | 37 | 63 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 25 | .175 | .255 (-32%) | .322 (-17%) | .339 (-25%) | .661 (-21%) | -194.0 |
| 1915 | CHN | NL | 41 | 67 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | .134 | .250 (-46%) | .318 (-54%) | .332 (-46%) | .651 (-50%) | -502.2 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 36 | 53 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 | .151 | .248 (-39%) | .314 (-42%) | .326 (-48%) | .640 (-45%) | -346.6 |
| 1917 | PHI | NL | 28 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | .139 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 224 | 374 | 19 | 54 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 16 | 155 | .144 | — | — | — | — | -2,303 | ||
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 (448 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 113 | 175 | 9 | 24 | 0 | 9 | .137 |
| Away | 111 | 199 | 10 | 30 | 0 | 4 | .151 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 113 | 601.1 | 551 | 201 | 200 | 284 | 3.01 |
| Away | 111 | 605.1 | 548 | 222 | 249 | 257 | 3.30 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917-10-03 | PHI | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1917-09-25 | PHI | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-13 | PHI | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1917-09-10 | PHI | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-08 | PHI | BSN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-06 | PHI | NY1 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1917-08-21 | PHI | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-08-09 | PHI | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-08-04 | PHI | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-08-01 | PHI | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917-10-03 | PHI | NY1 | L | 5.0 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1917-09-25 | PHI | PIT | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-13 | PHI | BRO | — | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1917-09-10 | PHI | BSN | L | 8.0 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1917-09-08 | PHI | BSN | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-09-06 | PHI | NY1 | W | 9.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-08-21 | PHI | CHC | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-08-09 | PHI | PIT | — | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1917-08-04 | PHI | CHC | — | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917-08-01 | PHI | STL | W | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 224 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jimmy Lavender (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jimmy Lavender: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jimmy Lavender's first major league game on April 23, 1912; the last one listed came on October 3, 1917. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago Cubs (1912 through 1916) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1917). At 165 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame, Lavender is listed as a pitcher. Lavender threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. Lavender was born on March 26, 1884, in Barnesville, GA, USA. Lavender's death is recorded on January 12, 1960, in Cartersville, GA, USA. On the record, Jimmy Lavender was born James Sanford Lavender.
The pitching table credits Lavender with a 63-76 record and a 3.09 ERA in 224 games. Lavender had 547 strikeouts, 65 complete games, 10 shutouts, and 12 saves. Lavender's 3.09 ERA was close to the 2.94 league figure for those seasons. The best win total was 16, in 1912. Lavender struck out 117 batters in 1915, a career high. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.58 in 1915, when the league's was 2.90.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Lavender
- What years did Jimmy Lavender play?
- Jimmy Lavender played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1917.
- Was Jimmy Lavender a pitcher?
- Yes. Jimmy Lavender pitched in the major leagues, recording 63 wins and 547 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Jimmy Lavender hit?
- Jimmy Lavender hit 0 career home runs with 54 hits.
- What teams did Jimmy Lavender play for?
- Jimmy Lavender played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1912–1916) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1917).
- What were Jimmy Lavender's career stats?
- In 224 games, Jimmy Lavender went 63-76 with a 3.09 ERA, 547 strikeouts, 1,207.1 innings pitched, and 12 saves. At the plate he had 54 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Jimmy Lavender play?
- Jimmy Lavender played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jimmy Lavender and how much did he weigh?
- Jimmy Lavender was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 165 pounds.
- What was Jimmy Lavender's career ERA?
- Jimmy Lavender finished with a 3.09 career ERA, going 63-76 with 547 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Jimmy Lavender have?
- Jimmy Lavender recorded 547 career strikeouts.
- Is Jimmy Lavender in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jimmy Lavender has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.