Jack Pfiester
Born: 5/24/1878 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
Died: 9/3/1953 in Loveland, OH, USA
MLB Debut: 1903-09-08 | Final Game: 1911-05-10
Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: John Albert Pfiester
Biography
Jack Pfiester, born in 1878, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball during the early 20th century, carving out a notable career from 1903 to 1911. He played primarily for the Chicago Cubs and was known for his exceptional skill on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 71-44 and an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.02. Pfiester stood out during an era characterized by low offensive production, which made his ability to limit runs particularly significant. Over his career, he recorded 503 strikeouts, showcasing his prowess as a strikeout pitcher in an age where such feats were less common.
Pfiester's playing style emphasized control and precision, which contributed to his effectiveness and longevity in the game. His contributions were pivotal to the success of the Cubs during his tenure, as he helped solidify a pitching staff that would become known for its dominance in the National League. Despite the challenges of the deadball era, when home runs were scarce and strategy revolved around small ball tactics, Pfiester's performance and consistency on the mound earned him a respected place in baseball history. He retired after a successful career, leaving behind a legacy characterized by his remarkable ERA and strikeout totals.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 44 | 149 | 128 | 75 | 17 | 0 | 1067.3 | 869 | 240 | 6 | 293 | 503 | 2.02 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | PIT | NL | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 26 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 6.16 | 20.6 |
| 1904 | PIT | NL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 | 28 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 7.20 | -255.2 |
| 1906 | CHC | NL | 20 | 8 | 31 | 29 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 250.7 | 173 | 42 | 63 | 153 | 1.51 | - |
| 1907 | CHC | NL | 14 | 9 | 30 | 22 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 195.0 | 143 | 25 | 48 | 90 | 1.15 | - |
| 1908 | CHC | NL | 12 | 10 | 33 | 29 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 252.0 | 204 | 56 | 70 | 117 | 2.00 | - |
| 1909 | CHC | NL | 17 | 6 | 29 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 196.7 | 179 | 53 | 49 | 73 | 2.43 | - |
| 1910 | CHC | NL | 6 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 100.3 | 82 | 20 | 26 | 34 | 1.79 | - |
| 1911 | CHC | NL | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.7 | 34 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 4.01 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 149 | 349 | 18 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 137 | 0.103 | 0.154 | 0.117 | 0.272 | -2471.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | PIT | NL | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1904 | PIT | NL | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1906 | CHC | NL | 31 | 84 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 0.048 | -963.8 |
| 1907 | CHC | NL | 30 | 64 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 0.094 | -523.9 |
| 1908 | CHC | NL | 33 | 79 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 0.101 | -673.2 |
| 1909 | CHC | NL | 29 | 65 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 0.169 | -310.9 |
| 1910 | CHC | NL | 14 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0.091 | 0.0 |
| 1911 | CHC | NL | 6 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.182 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | WS | CHN | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1908 | WS | CHN | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
| 1907 | WS | CHN | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1906 | WS | CHN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 34.0 | 38 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 3.97 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | WS | CHN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 1908 | WS | CHN | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.0 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7.88 |
| 1907 | WS | CHN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.00 |
| 1906 | WS | CHN | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10.3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 6.10 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 149 | 120 | 59 | 278 | 23 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | PIT | P | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1904 | PIT | P | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1906 | CHN | P | 31 | 29 | 21 | 62 | 7 | 1 |
| 1907 | CHN | P | 30 | 22 | 8 | 44 | 7 | 0 |
| 1908 | CHN | P | 33 | 29 | 13 | 56 | 2 | 2 |
| 1909 | CHN | P | 29 | 25 | 6 | 69 | 2 | 1 |
| 1910 | CHN | P | 14 | 13 | 8 | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| 1911 | CHN | P | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 149 |