Brooks Lawrence
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1954-1960)
Brooks Lawrence was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1960 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 7 seasons. Across 275 career appearances, he went 69-62 with a 4.25 ERA, 481 strikeouts, and 22 saves. He also batted .154 with 0 home runs. Brooks Lawrence was an All-Star.
- 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
- 6'0" / 205 lb
- Died
- 4/27/2000 in Springfield, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1954-06-24
- Last Game
- 1960-05-01
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Brooks Ulysses Lawrence
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | SLN | NL | 15 | 6 | 35 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 158.2 | 141 | 66 | 72 | 72 | 3.74 | 3.90 (+4%) | -1978.0 |
| 1955 | SLN | NL | 3 | 8 | 46 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 96.0 | 102 | 70 | 58 | 52 | 6.56 | 4.00 (-64%) | -1937.0 |
| 1956 | CIN | NL | 19 | 10 | 49 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 218.2 | 210 | 97 | 71 | 96 | 3.99 | 3.96 (-1%) | -404.8 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 16 | 13 | 49 | 32 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 250.1 | 234 | 98 | 76 | 121 | 3.52 | 3.83 (+8%) | -85.7 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 8 | 13 | 46 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 181.0 | 194 | 83 | 55 | 74 | 4.13 | 3.86 (-7%) | 1707.1 |
| 1959 | CIN | NL | 7 | 12 | 43 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 128.1 | 144 | 68 | 45 | 64 | 4.77 | 3.90 (-22%) | -1633.5 |
| 1960 | CIN | NL | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7.2 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 10.57 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 69 | 62 | 275 | 127 | 42 | 5 | 22 | 1,040.2 | 1,034 | 491 | 385 | 481 | 4.25 | — | -4,332 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 | 319 | 17 | 49 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 17 | 95 | .154 | .199 | .176 | .374 | -1,897 |
Career AVG .154 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 40.4% below league average.
Career OBP .199 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 39.3% below league average.
Career SLG .176 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 55.3% below league average.
Career OPS .374 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — 48.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | SLN | NL | 35 | 53 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 15 | .189 | .261 (-28%) | .333 (-26%) | .390 (-52%) | .723 (-40%) | -326.1 |
| 1955 | SLN | NL | 46 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .095 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1956 | CIN | NL | 49 | 70 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 28 | .157 | .258 (-39%) | .331 (-44%) | .397 (-46%) | .728 (-45%) | -540.4 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 49 | 82 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 26 | .171 | .257 (-34%) | .323 (-30%) | .391 (-50%) | .715 (-41%) | -521.0 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 46 | 53 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 13 | .113 | .257 (-56%) | .324 (-44%) | .394 (-71%) | .719 (-59%) | -509.2 |
| 1959 | CIN | NL | 43 | 40 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | .150 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | CIN | NL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 275 | 319 | 17 | 49 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 17 | 95 | .154 | — | — | — | — | -1,897 | ||
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 (550 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 144 | 145 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 13 | .152 |
| Away | 131 | 174 | 11 | 27 | 0 | 10 | .155 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 144 | 524.1 | 519 | 249 | 181 | 267 | 4.27 |
| Away | 131 | 516.0 | 515 | 241 | 204 | 215 | 4.20 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-05-01 | CIN | PIT | — | 1.2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1960-04-30 | CIN | PIT | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-27 | CIN | ATL | — | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-22 | CIN | PHI | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-20 | CIN | ATL | SV | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-04-14 | CIN | PIT | — | 1.2 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-04-12 | CIN | PHI | W | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-19 | CIN | PIT | L | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-17 | CIN | LAD | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-09-16 | CIN | LAD | SV | 1.0 | 2 | 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 | 275 |
Salary History
Brooks Lawrence's recorded salaries total $500,000 over 1 season, in 2007. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Lawrence's career ran from 1954 to 1960. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | COL | NL | $500,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $500,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami University of Ohio | Oxford | OH | 1948 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Brooks Lawrence (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Brooks Lawrence: the record in brief
The profile opens with Brooks Lawrence's first major league game on June 24, 1954; the last one listed came on May 1, 1960. Club by club, the record runs the St. Louis Cardinals (1954 through 1955), the Cincinnati Redlegs (1956 through 1959), and the Cincinnati Reds (1960). Lawrence, born on January 30, 1925, in Springfield, OH, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-0 and 205 pounds. Lawrence died on April 27, 2000, in Springfield, OH, USA. The given name on file is Brooks Ulysses Lawrence.
Lawrence went 69-62 with a 4.25 ERA in 275 games, 127 of them starts. Also on Lawrence's record: 481 strikeouts, 42 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 22 saves. The league ERA over Lawrence's seasons was 3.90, so the 4.25 figure ran 9.0% worse than average. The best win total was 19, in 1956. 1957 produced Lawrence's most strikeouts, 121. The most saves in one season was 10, in 1959.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brooks Lawrence
- What years did Brooks Lawrence play?
- Brooks Lawrence played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1960.
- Was Brooks Lawrence a pitcher?
- Yes. Brooks Lawrence pitched in the major leagues, recording 69 wins and 481 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Brooks Lawrence hit?
- Brooks Lawrence hit 0 career home runs with 49 hits.
- What teams did Brooks Lawrence play for?
- Brooks Lawrence played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1954–1955) and the Cincinnati Reds (1956–1960).
- Did Brooks Lawrence win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Brooks Lawrence did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Brooks Lawrence win?
- Brooks Lawrence was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Brooks Lawrence's career stats?
- In 275 games, Brooks Lawrence went 69-62 with a 4.25 ERA, 481 strikeouts, 1,040.2 innings pitched, and 22 saves. At the plate he had 49 hits and 0 home runs.
- How much did Brooks Lawrence earn in his career?
- Brooks Lawrence's recorded salaries total $500,000 over 1 season, in 2007. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Lawrence's career ran from 1954 to 1960. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Brooks Lawrence's salary?
- Brooks Lawrence's recorded salary was $500,000 in 2007.
- What position did Brooks Lawrence play?
- Brooks Lawrence played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Brooks Lawrence and how much did he weigh?
- Brooks Lawrence was listed at 6 feet and 205 pounds.
- What was Brooks Lawrence's career ERA?
- Brooks Lawrence finished with a 4.25 career ERA, going 69-62 with 481 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Brooks Lawrence have?
- Brooks Lawrence recorded 481 career strikeouts.
- Is Brooks Lawrence in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Brooks Lawrence has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.