Earl Wilson
Born: 10/2/1934 in Ponchatoula, LA, USA
Died: 4/23/2005 in Southfield, MI, USA
MLB Debut: 1959-07-28 | Final Game: 1970-09-22
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 216 lbs
Full name: Earl Lawrence Wilson
Biography
Earl Wilson was a professional baseball pitcher who made significant contributions to the game during his career from 1959 to 1970. Born in 1934, Wilson played primarily in the Major Leagues and is best remembered for his tenure with the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 121-109 and finished with a 3.69 ERA, establishing himself as a reliable arm on the mound. With a total of 1,452 strikeouts, Wilson showcased his ability to dominate hitters, particularly in an era marked by a mix of power and strategy on the field.
Wilson's impact extended beyond his statistics; he was one of the first African American pitchers in the American League and broke barriers during a time when the integration of baseball was still a relatively new phenomenon. His playing style was characterized by a strong fastball and an effective slider, which he used to great effect against some of the top hitters of his time. Wilson's career not only reflects his personal achievements but also stands as a testament to the evolving landscape of Major League Baseball in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 109 | 338 | 310 | 69 | 13 | 0 | 2051.7 | 1863 | 842 | 236 | 796 | 1452 | 3.69 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.7 | 21 | 16 | 31 | 17 | 6.08 | -1326.5 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 3 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 65.0 | 61 | 34 | 48 | 40 | 4.71 | -814.8 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 12 | 8 | 31 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 191.3 | 163 | 83 | 111 | 137 | 3.90 | -2442.0 |
| 1963 | BOS | AL | 11 | 16 | 37 | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 210.7 | 184 | 88 | 105 | 123 | 3.76 | -2597.0 |
| 1964 | BOS | AL | 11 | 12 | 33 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 202.3 | 213 | 101 | 73 | 166 | 4.49 | -4599.0 |
| 1965 | BOS | AL | 13 | 14 | 36 | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 230.7 | 221 | 102 | 77 | 164 | 3.98 | -1036.3 |
| 1966 | BOS | AL | 5 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 100.7 | 88 | 43 | 36 | 67 | 3.84 | -1652.5 |
| 1966 | DET | AL | 13 | 6 | 23 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 163.3 | 126 | 47 | 38 | 133 | 2.59 | 2319.9 |
| 1967 | DET | AL | 22 | 11 | 39 | 38 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 264.0 | 216 | 96 | 92 | 184 | 3.27 | -4143.3 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 13 | 12 | 34 | 33 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 224.3 | 192 | 71 | 65 | 168 | 2.85 | 390.0 |
| 1969 | DET | AL | 12 | 10 | 35 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 214.7 | 209 | 79 | 69 | 150 | 3.31 | 497.2 |
| 1970 | DET | AL | 4 | 6 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 96.0 | 87 | 47 | 32 | 74 | 4.41 | -745.5 |
| 1970 | SDP | NL | 1 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65.0 | 82 | 35 | 19 | 29 | 4.85 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 405 | 740 | 95 | 144 | 12 | 6 | 35 | 111 | 0 | 67 | 271 | 0.195 | 0.265 | 0.369 | 0.634 | -723.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 9 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 15 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.174 | 0.0 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 35 | 69 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 0.174 | -267.9 |
| 1963 | BOS | AL | 38 | 72 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 0.208 | -104.8 |
| 1964 | BOS | AL | 54 | 73 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 0.205 | 108.9 |
| 1965 | BOS | AL | 47 | 79 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 29 | 0.177 | 68.9 |
| 1966 | BOS | AL | 18 | 32 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | DET | AL | 27 | 64 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 0.234 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | DET | AL | 52 | 108 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 39 | 0.185 | -269.7 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 40 | 88 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 0.227 | 162.6 |
| 1969 | DET | AL | 37 | 76 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 37 | 0.132 | -577.2 |
| 1970 | DET | AL | 18 | 31 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0.194 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | SDP | NL | 15 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0.059 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | DET | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6.23 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | WS | DET | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6.23 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 338 | 310 | 183 | 295 | 28 | 19 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | BOS | P | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960 | BOS | P | 13 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962 | BOS | P | 31 | 28 | 19 | 22 | 3 | 2 |
| 1963 | BOS | P | 37 | 34 | 17 | 36 | 3 | 1 |
| 1964 | BOS | P | 33 | 31 | 14 | 29 | 2 | 0 |
| 1965 | BOS | P | 36 | 36 | 24 | 26 | 3 | 2 |
| 1966 | BOS | P | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 1966 | DET | P | 23 | 23 | 22 | 27 | 3 | 2 |
| 1967 | DET | P | 39 | 38 | 26 | 42 | 0 | 2 |
| 1968 | DET | P | 34 | 33 | 26 | 30 | 4 | 3 |
| 1969 | DET | P | 35 | 35 | 8 | 38 | 4 | 3 |
| 1970 | DET | P | 18 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 1970 | SDN | P | 15 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 338 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | TSN All-Star | P |
| 1966 | TSN All-Star | P |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 20.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1966 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 13.0 | 280 | 0 |