Fred Gladding facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fred Gladding |
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Gladding in 1964
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 28, 1936 Flat Rock, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Died: May 21, 2015 (aged 78) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 1, 1961, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 2, 1973, for the Houston Astros | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 48–34 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.13 | ||
| Strikeouts | 394 | ||
| Saves | 109 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Fred Earl Gladding was an American baseball player and coach. He was born on June 28, 1936, in Flat Rock, Michigan. He played as a right-handed pitcher for 13 seasons. His career in Major League Baseball (MLB) lasted from 1961 to 1973. During this time, he played for two teams: the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros. Fred Gladding was 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 220 pounds. He passed away on May 21, 2015.
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Fred Gladding's Baseball Career
Fred Gladding played in 450 baseball games during his career. He was almost always a relief pitcher. This means he would come into the game after the starting pitcher. He had a great record of 48 wins and 34 losses. He also recorded 109 saves. A save happens when a relief pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team score too many runs.
Gladding's earned run average (ERA) was 3.13. This number shows how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings. A lower ERA is better. He also had 394 strikeouts. A strikeout is when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter, and the batter is out. He pitched a total of 601 innings.
In 1969, Fred Gladding led the National League in saves. This was a big achievement. It was also the first year that saves were officially counted as a statistic in baseball.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
Fred Gladding played for the Detroit Tigers for seven seasons. From 1961 to 1967, he had a very strong performance. With the Tigers, he won 26 games and lost only 11. His ERA during this time was an impressive 2.70. He played in 217 games for the team.
His winning percentage with the Tigers was .703. This is the highest winning percentage in the history of the Detroit Tigers for any pitcher who played in at least 200 games for the team. After his playing career, Gladding returned to the Tigers in 1976. He worked as a pitching coach for three seasons.
A Unique Batting Record
Even though Fred Gladding was a pitcher, he sometimes had to bat. Pitchers are not usually known for their hitting skills. Gladding has a very unique record in baseball history. He has the lowest non-zero lifetime batting average in Major League Baseball. His batting average was .016. This means he got only 1 hit in 63 times at bat during his entire career!
See also
- Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
