Joe Caffie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Caffie |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: February 14, 1931 Ramer, Alabama |
|||
| Died: August 1, 2011 (aged 80) Warren, Ohio |
|||
|
|||
| Professional debut | |||
| NgL: 1950, for the Cleveland Buckeyes | |||
| MLB: September 13, 1956, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1957, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .291 | ||
| Home runs | 3 | ||
| Runs batted in | 11 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Joseph "Joe" Clifford Caffie (born February 14, 1931 – died August 1, 2011) was a talented American baseball player. People called him "Rabbit" because he was fast! He played as an outfielder, which is a player who catches balls hit far into the field. Joe's baseball journey lasted 12 years. He started in the Negro Leagues in 1950. Later, he played 44 games for the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1956 to 1957. He was 5 feet, 10.5 inches tall and weighed about 180 pounds. Joe batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Ramer, Alabama.
Early Career and Big League Dreams
Joe started his baseball career with the Cleveland Buckeyes in the Negro American League in 1950. After playing one season, the Cleveland Indians signed him in 1951.
He worked his way up through the minor leagues. In September 1956, he finally reached the major leagues. This happened while he was having three amazing seasons with the Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons were a team in the Triple-A International League. Triple-A is the highest level of minor league baseball.
From 1956 to 1958, Joe had great batting averages with the Bisons: .311, .330, and .295. In 1957, he was the best hitter in the International League. He was even chosen for their All-Star team!
Playing for the Cleveland Indians
In 1956, Joe played 12 games for the Cleveland Indians. He started ten of those games as the team's left fielder. He got 13 hits, all of them were singles. A single means he reached first base safely. He also earned four walks and had one run batted in (RBI). An RBI means his hit helped a teammate score a run. His batting average that year was .342.
In August 1957, Joe was called up again from the Buffalo Bisons to play more for the Indians. He played in 32 games and started 17 times in the outfield. Joe got 24 hits, including two doubles (reaching second base), one triple (reaching third base), and three home runs (scoring a run by hitting the ball out of the park). His batting average was .270.
He was hitting very well, with a .328 average after 67 at bats on September 15. However, his hitting slowed down after that. Overall, Joe Caffie batted .291 in his major league career, with a total of 37 hits. He also stole three bases, meaning he ran to the next base while the pitcher was throwing. He was caught trying to steal three times.
Images for kids
-
Joe Caffie in 1958.
