Bob Purkey
Born: 7/14/1929 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Died: 3/16/2008 in Allegheny County, PA, USA
MLB Debut: 1954-04-14 | Final Game: 1966-07-26
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Robert Thomas Purkey
Biography
Bob Purkey was a talented pitcher whose career spanned from 1954 to 1966. Born in 1929, Purkey made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball period to a more offense-driven game. He played for several teams, most notably the Cincinnati Reds, where he established himself as a reliable starting pitcher. Over his career, he compiled a record of 129 wins and 115 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.79. His ability to strike out batters was evident as he recorded 793 strikeouts and contributed with 9 saves throughout his time in the league.
Purkey's skill on the mound earned him recognition as a four-time All-Star, highlighting his prominence in the sport during the 1950s and early 1960s. Known for his competitive spirit and effective pitching style, he became a key figure in the Reds' rotation and played a significant role in their success during that era. His contributions to the game have left a lasting legacy, as he remains an important part of baseball history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | 115 | 386 | 276 | 92 | 13 | 9 | 2114.7 | 2170 | 891 | 195 | 510 | 793 | 3.79 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | PIT | NL | 3 | 8 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 131.3 | 145 | 74 | 62 | 38 | 5.07 | 691.6 |
| 1955 | PIT | NL | 2 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 67.7 | 77 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 5.32 | 312.6 |
| 1956 | PIT | NL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.25 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | PIT | NL | 11 | 14 | 48 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 179.7 | 194 | 77 | 38 | 51 | 3.86 | 2189.5 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 17 | 11 | 37 | 34 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 250.0 | 259 | 100 | 49 | 70 | 3.60 | 60.2 |
| 1959 | CIN | NL | 13 | 18 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 218.0 | 241 | 103 | 43 | 78 | 4.25 | -505.5 |
| 1960 | CIN | NL | 17 | 11 | 41 | 33 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 252.7 | 259 | 101 | 59 | 97 | 3.60 | 447.8 |
| 1961 | CIN | NL | 16 | 12 | 36 | 34 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 246.3 | 245 | 102 | 51 | 116 | 3.73 | 1780.1 |
| 1962 | CIN | NL | 23 | 5 | 37 | 37 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 288.3 | 260 | 90 | 64 | 141 | 2.81 | 1848.9 |
| 1963 | CIN | NL | 6 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 137.0 | 143 | 54 | 33 | 55 | 3.55 | -430.6 |
| 1964 | CIN | NL | 11 | 9 | 34 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 195.7 | 181 | 66 | 49 | 78 | 3.04 | -757.0 |
| 1965 | STL | NL | 10 | 9 | 32 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 124.3 | 148 | 80 | 33 | 39 | 5.79 | - |
| 1966 | PIT | NL | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19.7 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1.37 | 426.7 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 387 | 645 | 53 | 71 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 38 | 325 | 0.110 | 0.163 | 0.161 | 0.325 | -4820.8 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | PIT | NL | 36 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0.077 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | PIT | NL | 14 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.316 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | PIT | NL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | PIT | NL | 48 | 45 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 0.111 | -389.9 |
| 1958 | CIN | NL | 37 | 81 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 0.111 | -737.6 |
| 1959 | CIN | NL | 38 | 66 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 0.167 | -310.9 |
| 1960 | CIN | NL | 41 | 83 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 44 | 0.133 | -734.9 |
| 1961 | CIN | NL | 36 | 80 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 0.100 | -821.6 |
| 1962 | CIN | NL | 37 | 107 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 56 | 0.103 | -1057.8 |
| 1963 | CIN | NL | 21 | 41 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 0.098 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CIN | NL | 34 | 58 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 0.052 | -768.0 |
| 1965 | STL | NL | 32 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 0.029 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | PIT | NL | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | WS | CIN | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11.0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1.64 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | WS | CIN | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11.0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1.64 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 386 | 276 | 184 | 464 | 23 | 32 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | PIT | P | 36 | 11 | 16 | 40 | 0 | 6 |
| 1955 | PIT | P | 14 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | PIT | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | PIT | P | 48 | 21 | 13 | 30 | 3 | 3 |
| 1958 | CIN | P | 37 | 34 | 10 | 56 | 1 | 2 |
| 1959 | CIN | P | 38 | 33 | 19 | 35 | 2 | 1 |
| 1960 | CIN | P | 41 | 33 | 30 | 47 | 1 | 5 |
| 1961 | CIN | P | 36 | 34 | 29 | 69 | 2 | 2 |
| 1962 | CIN | P | 37 | 37 | 25 | 59 | 4 | 7 |
| 1963 | CIN | P | 21 | 21 | 15 | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| 1964 | CIN | P | 34 | 25 | 17 | 44 | 4 | 4 |
| 1965 | SLN | P | 32 | 17 | 8 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| 1966 | PIT | P | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 386 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | TSN All-Star | P |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Cy Young Award | ML | 3rd | 1.0 | 20 | 1 |
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 8th | 33.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1958 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |