Bennie Daniels – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Bennie Daniels put together a solid nine-year run in Major League Baseball, pitching for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Senators from 1957 to 1965. This right-hander from Alabama built a reputation for his sinking fastball and quick reflexes on defense. People even compared his fielding to some of the best defensive pitchers around back then.

His story started as a sickly kid in the South, and somehow, he managed to become a major league starter. Honestly, that’s the kind of personal transformation baseball fans love.

Daniels retired from professional baseball after the 1965 season with the Washington Senators. He played one last year in Triple-A with the Hawaii Islanders in 1966 before finally hanging up his cleats. He saw the game change, playing through the transition from the old Washington Senators to the expansion era. The 6-foot-2 pitcher finished with a 45-76 record and a 4.75 ERA in 229 major league games.

But there was more to Daniels than just pitching statistics. He could handle a bat surprisingly well for a pitcher. Back in 1959, he hit .310 and knocked a few balls out of the park during his career. That mix of pitching, hitting, and defense made him a real asset, especially during those early years with the expansion Senators in the 1960s.

Overview of Bennie Daniels’ MLB Career

Bennie Daniels pitched in the big leagues for nine seasons, from 1957 to 1965, suiting up for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Senators. He ended up with 45 wins, 76 losses, 471 strikeouts, and a 4.44 ERA across 233 games.

Teams Played For

Daniels got his MLB start with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1957. He spent those first four seasons with Pittsburgh, from 1957 to 1960.

In December 1960, the Pirates traded Daniels to the Washington Senators along with two other players. That deal happened just two days after the expansion draft for the new Senators.

Daniels found his groove in Washington. By 1961, he became their workhorse starter, tossing 212 innings, even though the team struggled badly.

He stuck with the Senators for five seasons, from 1961 to 1965. In 1961, he posted a 12-11 record, which was impressive considering the team lost 100 games.

Major League Debut and Final Game

Daniels made his major league debut on September 24, 1957 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. That game meant a lot because it was the last one ever played at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field before the Dodgers moved west.

He pitched seven innings in that debut, but the Pirates lost 2-0. The setting gave his first MLB appearance a bit of extra weight.

Daniels played his final MLB game in the 1965 season with the Washington Senators. After that, he spent a little time with their AAA team in Honolulu and then called it a career.

He spent exactly nine seasons in the majors. When he retired, he was 33 years old.

Role and Playing Style

Daniels mainly worked as a starting pitcher. People described him as a tall, solidly built righty who threw and hit right-handed.

At 6’2” and 193 pounds, he looked the part on the mound. His best year came in 1961, when he finished 12 games and ranked fourth in the American League for complete games.

He could swing the bat too. Among expansion Senators pitchers, he still holds the records for hits (38), home runs (4), and RBIs (19).

Daniels also flashed the leather. In 1962 and 1963, his range factor ranked second in the American League, according to Baseball Reference.

Arm trouble slowed him down later in his career, but he still managed some great moments, including four shutouts in his final seasons.

Career Highlights and Achievements

Bennie Daniels left his mark with several memorable games and steady performances over his nine-year career. His top year came in 1961, when he led the Washington Senators staff and even pitched in front of President Kennedy on opening day.

Notable Games and Moments

Daniels debuted on September 24, 1957, in the final game at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field before the Dodgers left town. He threw seven strong innings but lost 2-0, making his first game a little piece of baseball history.

In 1960, Daniels went head-to-head with Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. Koufax tossed a one-hitter, and funny enough, Daniels got the only hit—a single off Koufax. Daniels also held his own, giving up just four hits over seven innings in a 1-0 game.

On September 6, 1963, Daniels pitched a complete game win against Cleveland, 7-2. He even helped himself with a double and an RBI. That game was officially recognized as the 100,000th major league game by a Hall of Fame committee.

1961 Season Leadership

Daniels hit his peak in 1961 with the expansion Senators. He went 12-11 on a team that dropped 100 games, which says a lot about his individual performance.

His 3.44 ERA put him 15th among American League starters that year. He logged 212 innings and completed 12 games, tying for fourth in the league. That kind of durability made him the most reliable arm on the staff.

Advanced stats back up his value that year. With a 1.25 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), he ranked 13th in the league. His WAR (wins above replacement) was 3.6, placing him 14th among pitchers that season.

Presidential Opening Day 1962

Daniels got the nod to start the very first game at District of Columbia Stadium on opening day 1962. President John F. Kennedy threw out the first pitch in front of a packed house.

Daniels rose to the occasion, shutting down the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on a five-hitter. He also chipped in with a single that drove in a run.

That game kicked off a new era for baseball in Washington. The original Senators had moved to Minnesota, so the expansion team needed something to get fans excited. Daniels’ complete game win was the perfect way to open the new stadium.

Performance Statistics

Bennie Daniels finished his career with a 45-76 record and a 4.44 ERA over nine seasons, striking out 471 batters in 997 innings. His numbers show a pitcher who faced plenty of challenges but kept battling.

Win–Loss Record

Daniels wrapped up his career with 45 wins and 76 losses, giving him a .372 winning percentage. He struggled most during his early years with Pittsburgh, winning only 8 games against 16 losses from 1957-1960.

His best season came in 1961 with Washington, where he went 12-11. That was his only year with double-digit wins.

Things picked up for him after joining Washington. He won 37 games (and lost 60) over five seasons with the Senators, which was a definite step up from his Pittsburgh stint.

His final three seasons saw his win totals drop—8, 8, and 5 wins from 1963-1965. Age and mileage seemed to catch up with him in those years.

Earned Run Average

Daniels posted a career ERA of 4.44, which wasn’t great for the era. His best year was 1961, when he managed a 3.44 ERA in Washington.

He had a tough time keeping runs off the board in Pittsburgh. His ERA bounced from 1.29 in a short 1957 stint to 7.81 in 1960. Those numbers show he had trouble locking down a regular spot.

Things settled down for him in Washington. He posted a 4.14 ERA with the Senators, compared to 5.84 with Pittsburgh. The extra playing time and responsibility seemed to help.

In 1965, his ERA climbed to 4.72, and he pitched fewer innings. That pretty much signaled the end of his run as an effective starter.

Strikeouts and Complete Games

Daniels racked up 471 strikeouts over his nine seasons. His strikeout rate was 4.3 per nine innings—not flashy, but he could get hitters to miss.

He struck out 110 batters in 1961, his best season for punchouts. That accounted for nearly a quarter of his career strikeouts. The heavy workload that year helped boost that total.

Daniels finished 26 games in his career, with 25 coming in Washington. In 1961, he completed 12 games, which was his high-water mark.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio sat at 1.23. He walked 383 hitters compared to 471 strikeouts, so his control wasn’t always sharp.

Career Longevity and Appearances

Daniels appeared in 230 games over nine years, starting 139 of them. He pitched in the majors from 1957 to 1965, which is a pretty good run.

He logged 997 innings, averaging about 111 per season. His busiest year was 1961, when he tossed 212 innings for Washington.

He made 53 appearances with Pittsburgh and 177 with Washington. Clearly, the Senators gave him more chances than the Pirates ever did.

In his last season, he pitched in 33 games, showing he stayed active until the end. Even as his numbers slipped, he kept taking the ball for Washington through his final year.

Tenure with Pittsburgh Pirates

Bennie Daniels started out with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1951, spending close to a decade honing his game before finally breaking into the majors in 1957. His time with the Pirates was a mix of tough minor league years and some memorable moments—including a historic debut at Ebbets Field.

Early Minor League Development

Daniels signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in July 1951. Scout Rosie Gilhousen spotted him at Compton High School in Los Angeles, where he played three sports.

He chose baseball over a basketball scholarship to UCLA. Daniels spent his first two years in the minors, pitching for the Great Falls Electrics and Modesto Reds.

Military service interrupted his career in 1953 and 1954 during the Korean War. When he got back, he split the 1955 and 1956 seasons between the Lincoln Chiefs and Billings Mustangs.

At Lincoln in 1956, Daniels posted a sharp 15-3 record. One tough loss came when he threw a no-hitter against Amarillo but lost 1-0 on an unearned run.

MLB Debut and Notable Appearances

Daniels earned his MLB shot after a big 1957 season with the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League, going 17-8. The Pirates called him up for a late-season debut on September 24, 1957.

His first major league game was special—he started the last game ever played at Ebbets Field. Daniels took the loss in a 2-0 game against the Dodgers, closing out an era for the famous ballpark.

The next few seasons with Pittsburgh were tough. In 1958, he went 0-3 in eight games. In 1959, he spent the full year with the Pirates, posting a 7-9 record and a 5.45 ERA, splitting time between starting and relieving.

His 1960 season with Pittsburgh didn’t go well. He struggled in 10 games, finishing 1-3 with a 7.81 ERA. But on May 23, he had a highlight—he faced Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, and although the Pirates lost 1-0, Daniels got the only hit off Koufax, a single in the second inning.

Years with Washington Senators

Daniels joined the expansion Washington Senators in December 1960, coming over in a trade from Pittsburgh. He quickly became their most reliable starter during the team’s early years.

His time with Washington, from 1961 to 1965, marked the most productive stretch of his career. He even notched a winning record in 1962 and kept putting up solid numbers for a franchise that often struggled.

Key Contributions to the Team

Daniels really stood out as the ace of the Washington Senators pitching staff during their first season in 1961. He went 12-11, and, interestingly enough, he was the only pitcher on the team with a winning record that year.

The Senators lost 100 games in 1961, ending up tied for last place with the Kansas City Athletics. Their offense struggled the most in the American League. Even so, Daniels brought some much-needed stability as a starter.

His 12 wins in 1961 made up a big chunk of the team’s total victories. The expansion Senators had to put together a roster quickly after Calvin Griffith moved his established team to Minnesota.

From 1961 to 1965, Daniels kept his spot as a regular starter for Washington. Over his nine-season career, he racked up 471 career strikeouts and managed a 4.44 earned run average.

Washington fans had some hope for the 1962 season, thanks in large part to Daniels’ solid performance. His winning record really popped out on a pitching staff that, despite the team’s issues, showed a little promise.

Significant Trades and Team Changes

The Washington Senators picked up Daniels in December 1960, just two days after the expansion draft. Pittsburgh sent him and two other players to Washington in exchange for veteran pitcher Bobby Shantz.

That trade ended up working out for Daniels. He found more success as a starter in Washington’s rotation than he ever did with the Pirates.

After the original Washington team became the Minnesota Twins, the expansion Senators had to scramble to build a roster. The front office needed experienced guys to anchor things.

Daniels stuck with Washington through the 1965 season, which turned out to be his last in the majors. The move from Pittsburgh gave him the shot to prove himself as a reliable starter.

Bringing Daniels in was exactly the kind of move expansion teams liked to make—they needed veteran experience. The Senators got a pitcher who could eat innings and offer some leadership during those early, rocky years.

Retirement and Life After Baseball

Bennie Daniels wrapped up his Major League Baseball career in 1965 after battling arm problems during his final season with the Washington Senators. Once he retired, Daniels stepped away from the spotlight that had defined his nine-year MLB run.

Final Season and Transition Out of MLB

Daniels’ last season in 1965 really marked the end of a tough stretch for him. His arm issues got worse, and he just couldn’t pitch the way he used to for the Senators.

He decided to retire after realizing his arm wasn’t going to bounce back. Those problems had lingered for a while, and, honestly, he had to make the hard call to leave the game he’d played since 1951.

After a rough 1965, Daniels gave it one last try in 1966 with Hawaii in the Pacific Coast League. Unfortunately, his performance there just confirmed what he already suspected about his physical limits.

He finished with an 8-15 record and a 5.51 ERA, numbers that really showed his decline.

That disappointing stint in Hawaii convinced Daniels to finally hang up his cleats for good. The pitcher who’d once flashed real promise with both Pittsburgh and Washington knew his baseball journey had come to its natural end.

Personal Life and Community Involvement

After he retired from baseball, Daniels settled into life away from the diamond with his wife, Sue. They’d married back in December 1956.

They raised two kids together—Michael and Vickie. Those two gave him a new sense of focus after his playing days ended.

Daniels got to spend more time with his family once he left professional sports. He’d spent nearly twenty years in baseball, counting his minor league days, so retirement finally let him be around for his children’s upbringing.

Honestly, not much is public about what Daniels did for work or in the community after baseball. Like a lot of guys from his era, he probably found a job outside the sport to support his family.

His baseball legacy stuck around thanks to what he did for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Senators. He played on the Pirates’ 1960 World Series championship team and earned a half-share of the Series receipts, which came out to $4,208.97.