Tom Waddell
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1984-1987)
Tom Waddell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1987 for the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 4 seasons. Across 113 career appearances, he went 15-11 with a 4.30 ERA and 118 strikeouts.
- 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
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 9/14/2019 in Tucson, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1984-04-15
- Last Game
- 1987-04-20
Full name: Thomas David Waddell
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 7 | 4 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 97.0 | 68 | 33 | 37 | 59 | 3.06 | 3.81 (+20%) | -1271.2 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 8 | 6 | 49 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 112.2 | 104 | 61 | 39 | 53 | 4.87 | 3.89 (-25%) | -3444.2 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 14.29 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 15 | 11 | 113 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 215.1 | 179 | 103 | 83 | 118 | 4.30 | — | -4,715 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 113 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 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
View full game log (226 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55 | 109.2 | 97 | 54 | 36 | 56 | 4.43 |
| Away | 58 | 105.2 | 82 | 49 | 47 | 62 | 4.17 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-04-20 | CLE | TOR | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-04-18 | CLE | BAL | — | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-04-15 | CLE | NYY | L | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-04-13 | CLE | NYY | — | 1.2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987-04-10 | CLE | BAL | — | 1.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987-04-06 | CLE | TOR | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-20 | CLE | LAA | — | 0.1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985-09-14 | CLE | MIN | W | 6.1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1985-09-09 | CLE | SEA | — | 5.2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 1985-09-04 | CLE | TOR | — | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 113 |
Salary History
Tom Waddell's recorded salaries total $395,000 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Waddell's career ran from 1984 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1987.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | CLE | AL | $270,000 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | $125,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $395,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan College | New York | NY | 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979 |
Tom Waddell: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 15, 1984 and the final game on April 20, 1987, Tom Waddell built the record summarized on this page. Waddell's only club in the season tables is the Cleveland Indians. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Waddell is listed as a pitcher. Waddell threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is September 17, 1958, in Dundee, Dundee, Scotland. The bio records the death on September 14, 2019, in Tucson, AZ, USA. Tom Waddell was the playing name; the full given name is Thomas David.
Across 113 games (9 starts), Waddell recorded 15 wins against 11 losses with a 4.30 ERA. The same table counts 118 strikeouts and 15 saves. The league ERA over Waddell's seasons was 4.00, so the 4.30 figure ran 7.7% worse than average. The best win total was 8, in 1985. The strikeout high was 59 in 1984. 1984 was Waddell's sharpest full season, a 3.06 ERA against the league's 3.81.
Waddell appears at one position only: pitcher, in 113 games. On the mound, Waddell's fielding totals are 18 putouts, 24 assists and 0 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Waddell
- What years did Tom Waddell play?
- Tom Waddell played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1987.
- Was Tom Waddell a pitcher?
- Yes. Tom Waddell pitched in the major leagues, recording 15 wins and 118 strikeouts.
- What teams did Tom Waddell play for?
- Tom Waddell played for one team, the Cleveland Indians (1984–1985, 1987).
- What were Tom Waddell's career stats?
- In 113 games, Tom Waddell went 15-11 with a 4.30 ERA, 118 strikeouts, 215.1 innings pitched, and 15 saves.
- How much did Tom Waddell earn in his career?
- Tom Waddell's recorded salaries total $395,000 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Waddell's career ran from 1984 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1987.
- What was Tom Waddell's salary?
- Tom Waddell's last recorded salary was $270,000, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $270,000, in 1986, and his lowest was $125,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
- What position did Tom Waddell play?
- Tom Waddell played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Waddell and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Waddell was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 185 pounds.
- What was Tom Waddell's career ERA?
- Tom Waddell finished with a 4.30 career ERA, going 15-11 with 118 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Tom Waddell have?
- Tom Waddell recorded 118 career strikeouts.
- Is Tom Waddell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Waddell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.