Joe Astroth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Astroth |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: September 1, 1922 East Alton, Illinois |
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| Died: May 3, 2013 (aged 90) Boca Raton, Florida |
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| debut | |||
| August 13, 1945, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 13, 1956, for the Kansas City Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 13 | ||
| Runs batted in | 156 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Joseph Henry Astroth was an American professional baseball player. He was born on September 1, 1922, and passed away on May 3, 2013. Joe played his whole career as a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics and stayed with the team when they moved. They became the Kansas City Athletics in 1955. Joe batted and threw with his right hand. He was about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed around 187 pounds.
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Early Life and Service
Joe Astroth was born in East Alton, Illinois. He went to Wood River High School in Wood River, Illinois. After finishing high school in 1940, he attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, he was a talented athlete, playing baseball, football, and basketball.
In 1942, Joe joined the United States Coast Guard. He served his country during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
Baseball Career Highlights
Right after leaving the Coast Guard, Joe Astroth signed with the Philadelphia Athletics. He made his first Major League Baseball game on August 13, 1945. He was 22 years old and had never played in the minor leagues before.
In 1946, Joe played most of the season with the Lancaster Red Roses in a minor league. He then returned to the Athletics for a few games in September. After two more years in the minor leagues, Joe rejoined the Athletics in 1949. He was a backup catcher for the team.
Memorable Moments
On September 23, 1950, Joe had an amazing game against the Washington Senators. In just one inning, he hit a grand slam home run. This brought in four runs. Later in the same inning, he hit a single that brought in two more runs. This gave him six runs batted in during that single inning!
In 1951, Joe played in 64 games and scored 30 runs, which was his highest number of runs in a season. The next year, in 1952, he had his best season for runs batted in with 36. He also hit five home runs in the 1955 season.
Working with Bobby Shantz
Joe was the catcher for Bobby Shantz in 23 of his 24 wins in 1952. Bobby Shantz was a great pitcher who won 24 games that year. He said that Joe Astroth was a big reason for his success. In 1953, Joe was the best catcher in the American League at stopping runners from stealing bases. He caught 72.1% of runners trying to steal. He also helped turn 13 double plays.
End of His Playing Days
On May 16, 1956, Joe's contract was bought by the San Diego Padres. They were a team in the Pacific Coast League. After playing one season in San Diego, he played two more seasons in the minor leagues. He played for the Buffalo Bisons in the International League. Joe played his last professional baseball game in 1958 when he was 35 years old.
Career Numbers
During his ten years in Major League Baseball, Joe Astroth played in 544 games. He had 401 hits in 1,579 at bats. This gave him a career batting average of .254. He also hit 13 home runs and had 156 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was .334. Joe ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage. He played in more than 100 games in two different seasons: 1952 and 1955.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Joe Astroth managed two family businesses. These included a bowling alley and a dairy bar. Later, he worked for a company called General Copper and Brass in Collingdale, Pennsylvania. Joe passed away on May 3, 2013, in Boca Raton, Florida, at the age of 90.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
