Joe Staton (baseball) facts for kids

Joseph "Joe" Staton (born March 8, 1948 – died June 20, 2022) was an American baseball player. He played as a first baseman for the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball. Joe played in 15 games during the 1972 and 1973 seasons. He batted and threw with his left hand. Joe was quite tall, standing 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) and weighing 175 pounds (79 kg).

Joe Staton's Baseball Journey

Starting His Career

Joe Staton joined the Detroit Tigers in 1970. He was not chosen in the regular player draft. Instead, he signed as an amateur free agent. This means he was a talented player who was not drafted but still got a chance to play.

Before playing in the Major Leagues, Joe spent five seasons in the Tigers' "farm system." A farm system is like a training ground for young players. They play for smaller teams to get better and prepare for the big leagues. During his time in the farm system, Joe played in 518 games. He had a good batting average of .301. This means he got a hit about 30% of the times he tried to hit the ball.

Playing in the Big Leagues

Joe Staton got his first chance to play for the Detroit Tigers in September 1972. He played in six games that year. He was often used as a pinch runner. A pinch runner is a fast player who runs the bases for another player who just got a hit. Joe also played as a defensive replacement at first base late in games. This means he would come into the game to help the team play better defense.

In 1973, Joe got another chance with the Tigers in September. He played in nine games and started three of them. During this time, he got his first four hits in Major League Baseball. All of his hits were singles, which means he reached first base safely. After the 1974 minor league season, Joe decided to retire from baseball.