Joe Cannon (baseball) facts for kids

Joseph Jerome Cannon (born July 13, 1953) is an American who used to play professional baseball. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball, which is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada. Joe was born in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and grew up in Maryland.

He was chosen by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft. This means he was one of the first players picked by a team from all the young players available that year. Joe played for parts of four seasons in the major leagues. He played for the Houston Astros and later for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Joe Cannon's Baseball Career

Joe Cannon played as an outfielder, which is a position in baseball where players catch balls hit far into the field. He started his Major League Baseball career with the Houston Astros in 1977. He played for the Astros for two seasons.

Playing for the Blue Jays

After his time with the Astros, Joe joined the Toronto Blue Jays. He played for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1980. During his time in the major leagues, he played in 54 games. He hit one home run and had 11 RBIs.

Life After Playing Baseball

After he stopped playing baseball professionally, Joe Cannon became a coach and manager in Minor league baseball. Minor league teams are where players develop their skills before possibly moving up to Major League Baseball.

Coaching and Managing Teams

Joe managed minor league teams for 11 seasons. He worked for the Toronto, Atlanta, and Houston baseball organizations. One of his big achievements was leading the Lexington Legends to their very first championship. This happened in 2001, which was the team's first year playing.

Working with Young Athletes

From 2007 to 2009, Joe worked as a field coach for the Frederick Keys. This team is part of the Baltimore Orioles organization. He helped young players improve their skills. Later, in 2015, Joe worked at a group home in Versailles, Kentucky. There, he helped and guided teenage boys. On many baseball cards, Joe Cannon is known as "J.J. Cannon."

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)