Elmer Valo
Born: 3/5/1921 in Rybnik, Plzensky, Czechoslovakia
Died: 7/19/1998 in Palmerton, PA, USA
MLB Debut: 1940-09-22 | Final Game: 1961-10-01
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Elmer William Valo
Biography
Elmer Valo was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1940 to 1961. Born in 1921, Valo made a significant impact on the game as a position player, showcasing his talents across 1,806 games. Over his career, he accumulated 1,420 hits and displayed a consistent batting ability with a career average of .282. Valo was known for his versatility on the field and his ability to contribute to his team's offensive efforts, finishing with 601 RBIs and 58 home runs. His speed on the bases was also notable, as he successfully stole 110 bases during his tenure in Major League Baseball.
Valo's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, seeing the transition from the pre-war era through to the early years of integration and the evolving dynamics of the game. His ability to hit for average and contribute in various facets of the game made him a valuable player for several teams, including the Philadelphia Athletics and the Kansas City Athletics. Valo's legacy is marked not just by his statistics but also by his influence on the game during a time of significant change in baseball history.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1806 | 5029 | 768 | 1420 | 228 | 73 | 58 | 601 | 110 | 942 | 284 | 0.282 | 0.398 | 0.391 | 0.790 | 14306.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | PHA | AL | 6 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.348 | 0.0 |
| 1941 | PHA | AL | 15 | 50 | 13 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0.420 | 380.5 |
| 1942 | PHA | AL | 133 | 459 | 64 | 115 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 40 | 13 | 70 | 21 | 0.251 | 415.0 |
| 1943 | PHA | AL | 77 | 249 | 31 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 35 | 13 | 0.221 | -246.0 |
| 1946 | PHA | AL | 108 | 348 | 59 | 107 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 31 | 9 | 60 | 18 | 0.307 | 1463.3 |
| 1947 | PHA | AL | 112 | 370 | 60 | 111 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 36 | 11 | 64 | 21 | 0.300 | 1222.1 |
| 1948 | PHA | AL | 113 | 383 | 72 | 117 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 46 | 10 | 81 | 13 | 0.305 | 1485.6 |
| 1949 | PHA | AL | 150 | 547 | 86 | 155 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 85 | 14 | 119 | 32 | 0.283 | 1840.3 |
| 1950 | PHA | AL | 129 | 446 | 62 | 125 | 16 | 5 | 10 | 46 | 12 | 82 | 22 | 0.280 | 1023.1 |
| 1951 | PHA | AL | 123 | 444 | 75 | 134 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 55 | 11 | 75 | 20 | 0.302 | 1909.0 |
| 1952 | PHA | AL | 129 | 388 | 69 | 109 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 47 | 12 | 101 | 16 | 0.281 | 2101.4 |
| 1953 | PHA | AL | 50 | 85 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 0.224 | -85.5 |
| 1954 | PHA | AL | 95 | 224 | 28 | 48 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 33 | 2 | 51 | 18 | 0.214 | -98.6 |
| 1955 | KC1 | AL | 112 | 283 | 50 | 103 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 5 | 52 | 18 | 0.364 | 1915.5 |
| 1956 | KC1 | AL | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.222 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | PHI | NL | 98 | 291 | 40 | 84 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 7 | 48 | 21 | 0.289 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 81 | 161 | 14 | 44 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 25 | 16 | 0.273 | 375.9 |
| 1958 | LAD | NL | 65 | 101 | 9 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 0.248 | -190.0 |
| 1959 | CLE | AL | 34 | 24 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.292 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | NYY | AL | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | WSN | AL | 76 | 64 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 0.281 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | MIN | AL | 33 | 32 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.156 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | PHI | NL | 50 | 43 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 0.186 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1329 | 261 | 2769 | 72 | 67 | 9 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | PHA | OF | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | PHA | OF | 10 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | PHA | OF | 122 | 0 | 264 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| 1943 | PHA | OF | 63 | 0 | 134 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1946 | PHA | OF | 90 | 0 | 182 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 1947 | PHA | OF | 104 | 0 | 205 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| 1948 | PHA | OF | 109 | 0 | 231 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1949 | PHA | OF | 150 | 0 | 395 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1950 | PHA | OF | 117 | 0 | 264 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
| 1951 | PHA | OF | 116 | 0 | 247 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 1952 | PHA | OF | 121 | 0 | 223 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
| 1953 | PHA | OF | 25 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1954 | PHA | OF | 62 | 56 | 135 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 1955 | KC1 | OF | 72 | 69 | 147 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1956 | KC1 | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1956 | PHI | OF | 87 | 84 | 167 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1957 | BRO | OF | 36 | 36 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | LAN | OF | 26 | 14 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | CLE | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | NYA | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | WS1 | OF | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961 | MIN | OF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961 | PHI | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 349 |
| Center Field | 37 |
| Right Field | 957 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |