Eric Rasmussen
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1975-1983)
Eric Rasmussen was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1983 for the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, and the Kansas City Royals, a span of 9 seasons. Across 238 career appearances, he went 50-77 with a 3.85 ERA and 489 strikeouts. He also batted .119 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 1224.9.
- 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
- 6'3" / 205 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1975-07-21
- Last Game
- 1983-10-02
Full name: Eric Ralph Rasmussen
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | SLN | NL | 5 | 5 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 81.0 | 86 | 34 | 20 | 59 | 3.78 | 3.71 (-2%) | 1144.0 |
| 1976 | SLN | NL | 6 | 12 | 43 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 150.1 | 139 | 59 | 54 | 76 | 3.53 | 3.51 (-1%) | -336.7 |
| 1977 | SLN | NL | 11 | 17 | 34 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 233.0 | 223 | 90 | 63 | 120 | 3.48 | 4.00 (+13%) | 463.5 |
| 1978 | SLN | NL | 2 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 60.1 | 61 | 28 | 20 | 32 | 4.18 | 3.69 (-13%) | 468.1 |
| 1978 | SDN | NL | 12 | 10 | 27 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 146.1 | 154 | 66 | 43 | 59 | 4.06 | 3.69 (-10%) | -1518.1 |
| 1979 | SDN | NL | 6 | 9 | 45 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 156.2 | 142 | 57 | 42 | 54 | 3.27 | 4.00 (+18%) | 1650.1 |
| 1980 | SDN | NL | 4 | 11 | 40 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 111.1 | 130 | 54 | 33 | 50 | 4.37 | 3.84 (-14%) | -92.7 |
| 1982 | SLN | NL | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.1 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 4.42 | 3.86 (-14%) | 25.5 |
| 1983 | SLN | NL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7.2 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 11.74 | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | KCA | AL | 3 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 52.2 | 61 | 28 | 22 | 18 | 4.78 | 3.87 (-24%) | -578.9 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 50 | 77 | 238 | 144 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 1,017.2 | 1,033 | 435 | 309 | 489 | 3.85 | — | 1,225 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 239 | 260 | 7 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 84 | .119 | .158 | .150 | .308 | -527 |
Career AVG .119 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 54.3% below league average.
Career OBP .158 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 51.5% below league average.
Career SLG .150 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 61.1% below league average.
Career OPS .308 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — 56.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | SLN | NL | 14 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .154 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | SLN | NL | 43 | 38 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .105 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | SLN | NL | 34 | 72 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 27 | .139 | .264 (-47%) | .329 (-41%) | .401 (-48%) | .730 (-45%) | -527.1 |
| 1978 | SLN | NL | 10 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | SDN | NL | 27 | 46 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | SDN | NL | 46 | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | .056 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | SDN | NL | 40 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .095 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | SLN | NL | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | SLN | NL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | KCA | AL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 239 | 260 | 7 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 84 | .119 | — | — | — | — | -527 | ||
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 (477 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 117 | 132 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 5 | .136 |
| Away | 122 | 128 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 5 | .102 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 117 | 537.2 | 511 | 184 | 138 | 239 | 3.08 |
| Away | 121 | 480.0 | 522 | 251 | 171 | 250 | 4.71 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-10-02 | KCR | OAK | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-22 | KCR | MIN | L | 5.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983-09-17 | KCR | OAK | W | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983-09-10 | KCR | MIN | L | 4.1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 1983-09-04 | KCR | TEX | L | 8.0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983-09-01 | KCR | CHW | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-30 | KCR | BAL | L | 2.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983-08-25 | KCR | TEX | W | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-19 | KCR | BAL | L | 7.2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 1983-08-13 | KCR | BOS | L | 1.1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | SLN | P | 14 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | SLN | P | 43 | 17 | 15 | 34 | 1 | 2 |
| 1977 | SLN | P | 34 | 34 | 8 | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 1978 | SLN | P | 10 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 1978 | SDN | P | 27 | 24 | 11 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| 1979 | SDN | P | 45 | 21 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980 | SDN | P | 40 | 14 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 2 |
| 1982 | SLN | P | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | SLN | P | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983 | KCA | P | 11 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 239 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Hills Community College | Centerville | IA | 1971 |
| University of New Orleans | New Orleans | LA | 1972, 1973 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Eric Rasmussen (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Eric Rasmussen: the record in brief
July 21, 1975 and October 2, 1983 bracket Eric Rasmussen's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Rasmussen's seasons break down as the St. Louis Cardinals (1975 to 1983), the San Diego Padres (1978 through 1980), and the Kansas City Royals (1983). Rasmussen, born on March 22, 1952, in Racine, WI, USA, is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Rasmussen's listed size is 6 feet, 3 inches and 205 pounds. Eric Rasmussen was the playing name; the full given name is Eric Ralph.
Rasmussen's career pitching line is 50 wins, 77 losses and a 3.85 ERA over 238 appearances. The same table counts 489 strikeouts, 27 complete games, and 12 shutouts. Rasmussen's 3.85 ERA was close to the 3.82 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 12 wins of 1978. Rasmussen struck out 120 batters in 1977, a career high.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eric Rasmussen
- What years did Eric Rasmussen play?
- Eric Rasmussen played in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1983.
- Was Eric Rasmussen a pitcher?
- Yes. Eric Rasmussen pitched in the major leagues, recording 50 wins and 489 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Eric Rasmussen hit?
- Eric Rasmussen hit 0 career home runs with 31 hits.
- What was Eric Rasmussen's career batting average?
- Eric Rasmussen batted .119 over his career, with 31 hits in 260 at bats.
- How many RBI did Eric Rasmussen have?
- Eric Rasmussen drove in 10 runs in his career.
- What was Eric Rasmussen's career ERA?
- Eric Rasmussen finished with a 3.85 career ERA, going 50-77 with 489 strikeouts.