Herman Purcell
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Herman Purcell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Memphis Red Sox. Across 2 career appearances, he went 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA and 1 strikeouts. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 12/24/2005 in Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Full name: Herman David Purcell
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | MRS | NAL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6.75 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6.75 | — | 0 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 |
Career AVG .333 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +27.0% above league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .333 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 11.4% below league average.
Career OPS .667 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — 6.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | MRS | NAL | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Away | 3 | 5.2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9.53 |
Last 4 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-05-27 | MEM | KCM | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-25 | MEM | KCM | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-05 | MEM | IN9 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-05-10 | CVB | CIA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 4 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-05-27 | MEM | KCM | — | 4.2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1947-05-25 | MEM | KCM | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-05 | MEM | IN9 | — | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944-05-10 | CVB | CIA | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
Herman Purcell: the record in brief
The season rows for Herman Purcell begin in 1947. Purcell spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Memphis Red Sox. Purcell, a pitcher by primary position, switch-hit and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 175 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. The birth record reads August 15, 1923, in St. Louis, MO, USA. Purcell's death is recorded on December 24, 2005, in Grand Rapids, MI, USA. Herman Purcell was the playing name; the full given name is Herman David.
Purcell's career pitching line is 0 wins, 0 losses and a 6.75 ERA over 2 appearances. Purcell had 1 strikeouts. Against a 3.97 league ERA for the same seasons, the 6.75 mark was 69.9% worse. Purcell's only pitching season is 1947: 2 games, 1 strikeouts.
In Negro Leagues play, Purcell is credited with 1 hits in 3 at bats (.333). Pitching in the Negro Leagues, Purcell went 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA. The Negro Leagues table is compiled from box scores, so it is kept separate from the main career line.
Frequently Asked Questions about Herman Purcell
- Was Herman Purcell a pitcher?
- Yes. Herman Purcell pitched in the major leagues, recording 0 wins and 1 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Herman Purcell hit?
- Herman Purcell hit 0 career home runs with 1 hit.
- What teams did Herman Purcell play for?
- Herman Purcell played for one team, the Memphis Red Sox (1947).
- What were Herman Purcell's career stats?
- In 2 games, Herman Purcell went 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA, 1 strikeouts, and 5.1 innings pitched.
- What position did Herman Purcell play?
- Herman Purcell played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Herman Purcell and how much did he weigh?
- Herman Purcell was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- What was Herman Purcell's career ERA?
- Herman Purcell finished with a 6.75 career ERA, going 0-0 with 1 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Herman Purcell have?
- Herman Purcell recorded 1 career strikeouts.
- Is Herman Purcell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Herman Purcell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.