Bob Shirley
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1987)
Bob Shirley was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1987 for 5 teams, including the San Diego Padres, a span of 11 seasons. Across 434 career appearances, he went 67-94 with a 3.82 ERA and 790 strikeouts. He also batted .110 with 0 home runs.
- 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-04-10
- Last Game
- 1987-06-21
Full name: Robert Charles Shirley
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SDN | NL | 12 | 18 | 39 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 214.0 | 215 | 88 | 100 | 146 | 3.70 | 4.00 (+7%) | -906.5 |
| 1978 | SDN | NL | 8 | 11 | 50 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 166.0 | 164 | 68 | 61 | 102 | 3.69 | 3.69 (avg) | 1679.3 |
| 1979 | SDN | NL | 8 | 16 | 49 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 205.0 | 196 | 77 | 59 | 117 | 3.38 | 4.00 (+16%) | 2718.0 |
| 1980 | SDN | NL | 11 | 12 | 59 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 137.0 | 143 | 54 | 54 | 67 | 3.55 | 3.84 (+8%) | -868.6 |
| 1981 | SLN | NL | 6 | 4 | 28 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 79.1 | 78 | 36 | 34 | 36 | 4.08 | 3.58 (-14%) | -824.9 |
| 1982 | CIN | NL | 8 | 13 | 41 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 152.2 | 138 | 61 | 73 | 89 | 3.60 | 3.86 (+7%) | -2399.8 |
| 1983 | NYA | AL | 5 | 8 | 25 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 108.0 | 122 | 61 | 36 | 53 | 5.08 | 3.87 (-31%) | -283.2 |
| 1984 | NYA | AL | 3 | 3 | 41 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 114.1 | 119 | 43 | 38 | 48 | 3.38 | 3.81 (+11%) | -69.4 |
| 1985 | NYA | AL | 5 | 5 | 48 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 109.0 | 103 | 32 | 26 | 55 | 2.64 | 3.89 (+32%) | 2525.3 |
| 1986 | NYA | AL | 0 | 4 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 105.1 | 108 | 59 | 40 | 64 | 5.04 | 3.97 (-27%) | -1086.1 |
| 1987 | NYA | AL | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34.0 | 36 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 4.50 | 4.29 (-5%) | -690.9 |
| 1987 | KCA | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 14.73 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 67 | 94 | 434 | 162 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 1,432.0 | 1,432 | 608 | 543 | 790 | 3.82 | — | -207 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 434 | 263 | 15 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 102 | .110 | .152 | .122 | .274 | -1,294 |
Career AVG .110 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 57.7% below league average.
Career OBP .152 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 53.3% below league average.
Career SLG .122 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 68.9% below league average.
Career OPS .274 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — 61.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SDN | NL | 39 | 74 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 34 | .122 | .264 (-54%) | .329 (-56%) | .401 (-63%) | .730 (-60%) | -712.6 |
| 1978 | SDN | NL | 50 | 40 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 16 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | SDN | NL | 49 | 55 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | .091 | .265 (-66%) | .329 (-58%) | .397 (-73%) | .727 (-66%) | -581.7 |
| 1980 | SDN | NL | 59 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15 | .033 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1981 | SLN | NL | 28 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .136 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | CIN | NL | 41 | 42 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | NYA | AL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1984 | NYA | AL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | NYA | AL | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | NYA | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | NYA | AL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | KCA | AL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 434 | 263 | 15 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 102 | .110 | — | — | — | — | -1,294 | ||
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 (868 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 212 | 118 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 3 | .093 |
| Away | 222 | 145 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 5 | .124 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 212 | 765.0 | 771 | 299 | 259 | 421 | 3.52 |
| Away | 222 | 667.0 | 661 | 309 | 284 | 369 | 4.17 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-06-21 | KCR | LAA | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-16 | KCR | OAK | — | 4.1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 1987-06-14 | KCR | LAA | — | 2.0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1987-06-04 | NYY | MIL | — | 3.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1987-06-01 | NYY | LAA | — | 2.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987-05-29 | NYY | OAK | — | 3.1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987-05-27 | NYY | SEA | — | 1.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-05-25 | NYY | LAA | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-05-20 | NYY | OAK | — | 5.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1987-05-16 | NYY | SEA | — | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SDN | P | 39 | 35 | 10 | 37 | 3 | 2 |
| 1978 | SDN | P | 50 | 20 | 6 | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | SDN | P | 49 | 25 | 13 | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980 | SDN | P | 59 | 12 | 7 | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| 1981 | SLN | P | 28 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | CIN | P | 41 | 20 | 4 | 31 | 2 | 1 |
| 1983 | NYA | P | 25 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984 | NYA | P | 41 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 4 |
| 1985 | NYA | P | 48 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 1 |
| 1986 | NYA | P | 39 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987 | NYA | P | 12 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | KCA | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 434 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Player of the Week | Week of 1985-06-14 |
Salary History
Bob Shirley's recorded salaries total $1,387,500 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Shirley's career ran from 1977 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1987.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | NYA | AL | $750,000 |
| 1985 | NYA | AL | $637,500 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $1,387,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oklahoma | Norman | OK | 1973, 1974, 1975 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bob Shirley (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bob Shirley: the record in brief
The profile opens with Bob Shirley's first major league game on April 10, 1977; the last one listed came on June 21, 1987. The team column moves through the San Diego Padres (1977 through 1980), the St. Louis Cardinals (1981), the Cincinnati Reds (1982), the New York Yankees (1983 through 1987), and the Kansas City Royals (1987). Shirley, born on June 25, 1954, in Cushing, OK, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw left-handed and batted right-handed. Size on record: 5'11" and 180 pounds. Bob Shirley was the playing name; the full given name is Robert Charles.
Shirley pitched in 434 games, starting 162, and finished with a 67-94 record and 3.82 ERA. The same table counts 790 strikeouts, 16 complete games, and 18 saves. Shirley's 3.82 ERA was close to the 3.90 league figure for those seasons. Shirley won 12 games in 1977, the most of any season listed. In 1979, one of the busiest seasons, Shirley posted a 3.38 ERA; the league figure that year was 4.00.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Shirley
- What years did Bob Shirley play?
- Bob Shirley played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1987.
- Was Bob Shirley a pitcher?
- Yes. Bob Shirley pitched in the major leagues, recording 67 wins and 790 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Bob Shirley hit?
- Bob Shirley hit 0 career home runs with 29 hits.
- What teams did Bob Shirley play for?
- Bob Shirley played for 5 teams: the San Diego Padres (1977–1980), the St. Louis Cardinals (1981), the Cincinnati Reds (1982), the New York Yankees (1983–1987), and the Kansas City Royals (1987).
- What were Bob Shirley's career stats?
- In 434 games, Bob Shirley went 67-94 with a 3.82 ERA, 790 strikeouts, 1,432.0 innings pitched, and 18 saves. At the plate he had 29 hits and 0 home runs.
- How much did Bob Shirley earn in his career?
- Bob Shirley's recorded salaries total $1,387,500 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Shirley's career ran from 1977 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1987.
- What was Bob Shirley's salary?
- Bob Shirley's last recorded salary was $750,000, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $750,000, in 1986, and his lowest was $637,500, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
- What position did Bob Shirley play?
- Bob Shirley played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bob Shirley and how much did he weigh?
- Bob Shirley was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was Bob Shirley's career ERA?
- Bob Shirley finished with a 3.82 career ERA, going 67-94 with 790 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Bob Shirley have?
- Bob Shirley recorded 790 career strikeouts.
- Is Bob Shirley in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bob Shirley has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.