Bud Podbielan
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1949-1959)
Bud Podbielan was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1959 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 11 seasons. Across 172 career appearances, he went 25-42 with a 4.49 ERA and 242 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" / 170 lb
- Died
- 10/26/1982 in Syracuse, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1949-04-25
- Last Game
- 1959-06-13
Full name: Clarence Anthony Podbielan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | BRO | NL | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 3.65 | 4.12 (+11%) | -329.5 |
| 1950 | BRO | NL | 5 | 4 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 72.2 | 93 | 43 | 29 | 28 | 5.33 | 4.36 (-22%) | -951.0 |
| 1951 | BRO | NL | 2 | 2 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 79.2 | 67 | 31 | 36 | 26 | 3.50 | 4.04 (+13%) | -1366.8 |
| 1952 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 18.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CIN | NL | 4 | 5 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 86.2 | 78 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 2.80 | 3.70 (+24%) | -682.3 |
| 1953 | CIN | NL | 6 | 16 | 36 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 186.1 | 214 | 98 | 67 | 74 | 4.73 | 4.14 (-14%) | -1547.5 |
| 1954 | CIN | NL | 7 | 10 | 27 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 131.0 | 157 | 78 | 58 | 42 | 5.36 | 3.90 (-38%) | -3990.0 |
| 1955 | CIN | NL | 1 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42.0 | 36 | 15 | 11 | 26 | 3.21 | 4.00 (+20%) | 819.3 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 6.19 | 3.83 (-61%) | -399.4 |
| 1959 | CLE | AL | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 5.84 | 3.90 (-50%) | 195.2 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 25 | 42 | 172 | 76 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 641.0 | 693 | 320 | 245 | 242 | 4.49 | — | -8,252 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 173 | 188 | 7 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 32 | .154 | .201 | .160 | .361 | -559 |
Career AVG .154 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 40.7% below league average.
Career OBP .201 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 39.7% below league average.
Career SLG .160 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 59.0% below league average.
Career OPS .361 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — 50.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | BRO | NL | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1950 | BRO | NL | 20 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .107 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | BRO | NL | 27 | 23 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .304 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BRO | NL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CIN | NL | 24 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .160 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CIN | NL | 36 | 56 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .125 | .264 (-53%) | .335 (-54%) | .397 (-69%) | .733 (-62%) | -559.1 |
| 1954 | CIN | NL | 27 | 42 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1955 | CIN | NL | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | CLE | AL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 173 | 188 | 7 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 32 | .154 | — | — | — | — | -559 | ||
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 (343 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 88 | 86 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 6 | .186 |
| Away | 84 | 102 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 3 | .127 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 88 | 323.2 | 364 | 164 | 129 | 115 | 4.56 |
| Away | 83 | 316.0 | 328 | 156 | 116 | 127 | 4.44 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-06-13 | CLE | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-06-05 | CLE | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-06-02 | CLE | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-05-28 | CLE | KC1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-05-24 | CLE | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-05-23 | CLE | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-24 | CIN | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-13 | CIN | PHI | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-07 | CIN | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-04 | CIN | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-06-13 | CLE | MIN | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-06-05 | CLE | NYY | — | 1.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-06-02 | CLE | MIN | L | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1959-05-28 | CLE | KC1 | — | 4.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-05-24 | CLE | DET | — | 3.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-05-23 | CLE | DET | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1957-09-24 | CIN | CHC | — | 2.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 1957-09-13 | CIN | PHI | — | 2.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1957-09-07 | CIN | STL | — | 1.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-04 | CIN | CHC | L | 8.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | BRO | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950 | BRO | P | 20 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951 | BRO | P | 27 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | BRO | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1952 | CIN | P | 24 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| 1953 | CIN | P | 36 | 0 | 11 | 29 | 1 | 5 |
| 1954 | CIN | P | 27 | 24 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955 | CIN | P | 17 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | CIN | P | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | CLE | P | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 172 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bud Podbielan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bud Podbielan: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bud Podbielan's first major league game on April 25, 1949; the last one listed came on June 13, 1959. Podbielan played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1949 to 1952), the Cincinnati Reds (1952 through 1953), the Cincinnati Redlegs (1954 through 1957), and the Cleveland Indians (1959). Podbielan is listed as a pitcher at 170 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The bio says Podbielan batted and threw right-handed. Podbielan was born on March 6, 1924, in Curlew, WA, USA. Podbielan's death is recorded on October 26, 1982, in Syracuse, NY, USA. Podbielan's full given name, per the bio, is Clarence Anthony Podbielan.
Podbielan went 25-42 with a 4.49 ERA in 172 games, 76 of them starts. Also on Podbielan's record: 242 strikeouts and 20 complete games. Against a 4.00 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.49 mark was 12.4% worse. Podbielan won 7 games in 1954, the most of any season listed. The strikeout high was 74 in 1953. 1953 was Podbielan's sharpest full season, a 4.73 ERA against the league's 4.14.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bud Podbielan
- What years did Bud Podbielan play?
- Bud Podbielan played in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1959.
- Was Bud Podbielan a pitcher?
- Yes. Bud Podbielan pitched in the major leagues, recording 25 wins and 242 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bud Podbielan hit?
- Bud Podbielan hit 0 career home runs with 29 hits.
- What teams did Bud Podbielan play for?
- Bud Podbielan played for 3 teams: the Brooklyn Dodgers (1949–1952), the Cincinnati Redlegs (1952–1955, 1957), and the Cleveland Indians (1959).
- What were Bud Podbielan's career stats?
- In 172 games, Bud Podbielan went 25-42 with a 4.49 ERA, 242 strikeouts, 641.0 innings pitched, and 3 saves.
- What position did Bud Podbielan play?
- Bud Podbielan played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bud Podbielan and how much did he weigh?
- Bud Podbielan was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 170 pounds.
- What was Bud Podbielan's career ERA?
- Bud Podbielan finished with a 4.49 career ERA, going 25-42 with 242 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bud Podbielan have?
- Bud Podbielan recorded 242 career strikeouts.
- Is Bud Podbielan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bud Podbielan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.