Denny Lemaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Denny Lemaster |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 25, 1939 Corona, California, U.S. |
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| Died: July 24, 2024 (aged 85) | |||
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| debut | |||
| July 15, 1962, for the Milwaukee Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 21, 1972, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 90–105 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.58 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,305 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Denver Clayton Lemaster (born February 25, 1939 – died July 24, 2024) was an American baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 11 seasons. From 1962 to 1972, he played for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and Montreal Expos. Lemaster was chosen as an All-Star in 1967. He won 90 games during his career. He was 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighed 182 pounds. Lemaster passed away in 2024 when he was 85 years old.
Contents
Playing Career
Early Days and Debut
Denny Lemaster was born in Corona, California. After finishing high school, he signed a special contract with the Braves baseball team. This contract was worth $70,000, which was a lot of money back then! He spent about four and a half years playing in the team's minor league system.
Lemaster made his first big league game appearance on July 15, 1962. He was the starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves. He played against the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched a full game, but his team lost 3-2.
Becoming a Regular Player
In 1963, Lemaster became a regular starting pitcher for the Braves. He pitched over 200 innings in three different seasons. An inning is a part of a baseball game where each team gets a turn to bat. Pitching many innings shows a pitcher is strong and reliable.
In 1964, he had a great season, winning 17 games and losing 11. He also pitched two "one-hitters" in his career. A one-hitter is when a pitcher only allows the other team to get one hit in an entire game. This is a very rare and impressive achievement! In 1966, he set a team record by striking out 14 batters in one game.
All-Star Season
Lemaster was chosen to be an All-Star in 1967. This means he was one of the best players in the National League that year. Even though he was selected, he did not get to play in the All-Star game itself.
Moving Teams
After the 1967 season, Lemaster was traded to the Houston Astros. He continued to pitch well for Houston. He pitched over 200 innings in his first two years with the Astros. He had a good earned run average (ERA) of 3.00. ERA measures how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. A lower ERA is better.
Later in his career, Lemaster became a relief pitcher. This means he would come into the game to pitch after the starting pitcher. He played his final season in 1972 with the Montreal Expos before he retired.
Career Highlights
Overall, Denny Lemaster won 90 games and lost 105 games in his MLB career. His career earned run average was 3.58. He started 249 games and completed 66 of them. He also pitched 14 shutouts, which means he didn't let the other team score any runs. He also had 8 saves as a relief pitcher. In total, he pitched 1,782 innings and struck out 1,305 batters.
