Win-loss record 119-154 Role Baseball player Name Ken Raffensberger | Strikeouts 806 Earned run average 3.60 | |
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Died November 10, 2002, York, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Kenneth David Raffensberger (August 8, 1917 – November 10, 2002) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1939 through 1954, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1939), Chicago Cubs (1940–41), Philadelphia Phillies (1943–47), and Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (1947–54). Raffensberger batted right-handed and threw left-handed. He was born in York, Pennsylvania.
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Career
In a 15-season career, Raffensberger posted a win-loss record of 119–154 with 806 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA in 2151.2 innings pitched. His career winning percentage was .463, despite being an all-star and having an above average career ERA (3.60).
Raffensberger started his career as a fastball pitcher, particularly gaining success with his rising fastball. Towards the later end of his career, however, starting in the early 1940s, he developed a dependable forkball to complement his fastball, slow curve, and change. He had one of the widest ranges of deliveries in the majors, ranging from underhand to overhand and a variety of side arm and three-quarter deliveries in between. Stan Musial said in 1964 of Raffensberger:
Raffy had nothing except slow stuff, and a forkball, but, with changing speeds and control, he made those pitches seem so fat when they weren't... I stubbornly tried to slug with him and didn't have much success."Raffensberger died in York, Pennsylvania, at age 85.