Boots Poffenberger
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1937-1939)
Boots Poffenberger was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1939 for the Detroit Tigers and the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 3 seasons. Across 57 career appearances, he went 16-12 with a 4.75 ERA and 65 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
- 5'10" / 178 lb
- Died
- 9/1/1999 in Williamsport, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1937-06-11
- Last Game
- 1939-05-21
Full name: Cletus Elwood Poffenberger
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | DET | AL | 10 | 5 | 29 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 137.1 | 147 | 71 | 79 | 35 | 4.65 | 4.34 (-7%) | -3175.1 |
| 1938 | DET | AL | 6 | 7 | 25 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 125.0 | 147 | 67 | 66 | 28 | 4.82 | 4.35 (-11%) | -2379.2 |
| 1939 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5.40 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 16 | 12 | 57 | 32 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 267.1 | 301 | 141 | 149 | 65 | 4.75 | — | -5,554 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 96 | 5 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 18 | .198 | .214 | .229 | .443 | -291 |
Career AVG .198 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — 27.9% below league average.
Career OBP .214 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 37.4% below league average.
Career SLG .229 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 41.9% below league average.
Career OPS .443 vs. league average .737 across their career seasons — 39.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | DET | AL | 29 | 51 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .216 | .276 (-22%) | .342 (-37%) | .398 (-31%) | .740 (-34%) | -291.4 |
| 1938 | DET | AL | 25 | 44 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | BRO | NL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 57 | 96 | 5 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 18 | .198 | — | — | — | — | -291 | ||
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 (114 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 30 | 52 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | .231 |
| Away | 27 | 44 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | .159 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 30 | 158.1 | 170 | 78 | 85 | 40 | 4.43 |
| Away | 27 | 109.0 | 129 | 63 | 64 | 24 | 5.20 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939-05-21 | BRO | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-05-12 | BRO | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939-05-04 | BRO | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-10-01 | DET | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-25 | DET | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1938-09-21 | DET | PHA | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938-09-16 | DET | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-07-30 | DET | PHA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-07-20 | DET | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-07-15 | DET | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939-05-21 | BRO | CIN | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939-05-12 | BRO | BSN | — | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-05-04 | BRO | CHC | — | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-10-01 | DET | CLE | L | 6.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-25 | DET | CLE | W | 9.0 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1938-09-21 | DET | PHA | W | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938-09-16 | DET | NYY | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-07-30 | DET | PHA | — | 4.0 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1938-07-20 | DET | MIN | L | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-07-15 | DET | NYY | L | 5.1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 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 | 57 |
Boots Poffenberger: the record in brief
June 11, 1937 and May 21, 1939 bracket Boots Poffenberger's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Poffenberger's seasons break down as the Detroit Tigers (1937 to 1938) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1939). Born on July 1, 1915, in Williamsport, MD, USA, Poffenberger is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Poffenberger's listed size is 178 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. Poffenberger died on September 1, 1999, in Williamsport, MD, USA. The given name on file is Cletus Elwood Poffenberger.
Poffenberger's career pitching line is 16 wins, 12 losses and a 4.75 ERA over 57 appearances. Also on Poffenberger's record: 65 strikeouts and 13 complete games. Against a 4.32 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.75 mark was 9.8% worse. 1937 brought Poffenberger a season-high 10 wins. 1937 was Poffenberger's sharpest full season, a 4.65 ERA against the league's 4.34.
Poffenberger appears at one position only: pitcher, in 57 games. On the mound, Poffenberger's fielding totals are 13 putouts, 51 assists and 2 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Boots Poffenberger
- What years did Boots Poffenberger play?
- Boots Poffenberger played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1939.
- Was Boots Poffenberger a pitcher?
- Yes. Boots Poffenberger pitched in the major leagues, recording 16 wins and 65 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Boots Poffenberger hit?
- Boots Poffenberger hit 0 career home runs with 19 hits.
- What teams did Boots Poffenberger play for?
- Boots Poffenberger played for 2 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1937–1938) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1939).
- What were Boots Poffenberger's career stats?
- In 57 games, Boots Poffenberger went 16-12 with a 4.75 ERA, 65 strikeouts, 267.1 innings pitched, and 4 saves.
- What position did Boots Poffenberger play?
- Boots Poffenberger played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Boots Poffenberger and how much did he weigh?
- Boots Poffenberger was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 178 pounds.
- What was Boots Poffenberger's career ERA?
- Boots Poffenberger finished with a 4.75 career ERA, going 16-12 with 65 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Boots Poffenberger have?
- Boots Poffenberger recorded 65 career strikeouts.
- Is Boots Poffenberger in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Boots Poffenberger has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.