Ted Wilks
Born: 11/13/1915 in Fulton, NY, USA
Died: 8/21/1989 in Houston, TX, USA
MLB Debut: 1944-04-25 | Final Game: 1953-08-05
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 178 lbs
Full name: Theodore Wilks
Biography
Ted Wilks was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball during the 1940s and early 1950s. Born in 1915, he began his professional career in 1944 and quickly established himself as a reliable arm on the mound. Over the course of his career, which lasted until 1953, Wilks amassed a record of 59 wins and 30 losses, along with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.26. He was known for his ability to strike out batters, totaling 403 strikeouts, and for his effectiveness in high-pressure situations, as evidenced by his 46 saves.
Wilks played during a transformative time in baseball, shortly after World War II when the sport began to integrate and expand its appeal. His pitching style combined a keen understanding of the game with a competitive spirit, helping his teams secure crucial victories. His contributions on the mound not only made him a valuable player but also left a lasting impression on the teams he played for, showcasing the talent and determination that characterized pitchers of his era.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 30 | 385 | 44 | 22 | 5 | 46 | 913.0 | 832 | 331 | 76 | 283 | 403 | 3.26 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | STL | NL | 17 | 4 | 36 | 21 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 207.7 | 173 | 61 | 49 | 70 | 2.64 | - |
| 1945 | STL | NL | 4 | 7 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 98.3 | 103 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 2.93 | - |
| 1946 | STL | NL | 8 | 0 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 95.0 | 88 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 3.41 | - |
| 1947 | STL | NL | 4 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 50.3 | 57 | 28 | 11 | 28 | 5.01 | - |
| 1948 | STL | NL | 6 | 6 | 57 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 130.7 | 113 | 38 | 39 | 71 | 2.62 | - |
| 1949 | STL | NL | 10 | 3 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 118.3 | 105 | 49 | 38 | 71 | 3.73 | - |
| 1950 | STL | NL | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.3 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 6.66 | - |
| 1951 | PIT | NL | 3 | 5 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 82.7 | 69 | 26 | 24 | 43 | 2.83 | 1501.6 |
| 1951 | STL | NL | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18.0 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3.00 | - |
| 1952 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11.7 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 3.86 | 158.1 |
| 1952 | PIT | NL | 5 | 5 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 72.3 | 65 | 29 | 31 | 24 | 3.61 | -1856.0 |
| 1953 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7.36 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 385 | 206 | 15 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 59 | 0.131 | 0.194 | 0.146 | 0.339 | -471.5 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | STL | NL | 36 | 64 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 0.141 | -471.5 |
| 1945 | STL | NL | 18 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0.133 | 0.0 |
| 1946 | STL | NL | 40 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.208 | 0.0 |
| 1947 | STL | NL | 37 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | STL | NL | 57 | 30 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1949 | STL | NL | 59 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0.037 | 0.0 |
| 1950 | STL | NL | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | PIT | NL | 48 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.083 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | STL | NL | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CLE | AL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | PIT | NL | 44 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | CLE | AL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | WS | SLN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1944 | WS | SLN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7.3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4.91 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | WS | SLN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1944 | WS | SLN | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6.3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5.68 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 385 | 0 | 30 | 120 | 8 | 11 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | SLN | P | 36 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 3 |
| 1945 | SLN | P | 18 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 1946 | SLN | P | 40 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| 1947 | SLN | P | 37 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948 | SLN | P | 57 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949 | SLN | P | 59 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 1950 | SLN | P | 18 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951 | PIT | P | 48 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 1951 | SLN | P | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | CLE | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | PIT | P | 44 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1953 | CLE | P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 385 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1944 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 24th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |