Joe Benz, baseball player, 1911-1919

Joe Benz

Born: 1/21/1886 in New Alsace, IN, USA

Died: 4/22/1957 in Chicago, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1911-08-16 | Final Game: 1919-05-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 196 lbs

Full name: Joseph Louis Benz

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Biography

Joe Benz, born in 1886, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1911 to 1919. Known for his exceptional control and ability to induce ground balls, Benz made his mark in an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach in baseball. Over the course of his career, he achieved a win-loss record of 76-75 and posted an impressive earned run average of 2.43, reflecting his effectiveness on the mound. Benz recorded 539 strikeouts and secured 3 saves during his time in Major League Baseball. His contributions to the game were significant, as he played for teams that experienced the shifting dynamics of baseball in the 1910s, a period that saw the emergence of new strategies and styles of play. Despite the challenges of his era, Benz established himself as a reliable pitcher, leaving behind a legacy that speaks to the evolution of the game during a pivotal time in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
76 75 251 163 75 17 3 1359.7 1225 367 16 334 539 2.43 0

Career ERA 2.43 vs. league average 2.99 across their career seasons — 18.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1911 CHW AL 3 2 12 6 1 0 0 55.7 52 14 13 28 2.26 3.37 (+33%) -
1912 CHW AL 13 17 42 31 12 3 0 238.7 231 77 70 97 2.90 3.36 (+14%) -
1913 CHW AL 7 10 33 17 6 1 1 151.0 146 46 59 79 2.74 3.07 (+11%) -
1914 CHW AL 14 19 48 35 16 4 2 283.3 245 71 66 142 2.26 2.93 (+23%) -
1915 CHW AL 15 11 39 28 17 2 0 238.3 209 56 43 81 2.11 2.90 (+27%) -
1916 CHW AL 9 5 28 16 6 4 0 142.0 108 32 32 57 2.03 2.78 (+27%) -
1917 CHW AL 7 3 19 13 7 2 0 94.7 76 26 23 25 2.47 2.69 (+8%) -
1918 CHW AL 8 8 29 17 10 1 0 154.0 156 45 28 30 2.63 2.83 (+7%) -
1919 CHW AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 0 0 0 0.00 — -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
251 441 29 61 8 2 0 17 1 5 148 0.138 0.150 0.166 0.315 -2831.5

Career AVG .138 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 46.1% below league average.

Career OBP .150 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 53.5% below league average.

Career SLG .166 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 51.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.315 vs. league average 0.662 across their career seasons — 52.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1911 CHW AL 12 17 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.059 — — — — 0.0
1912 CHW AL 42 76 3 10 0 1 0 4 0 1 29 0.132 .268 (-51%) .335 (-57%) .358 (-56%) .694 (-57%) -736.9
1913 CHW AL 33 50 3 9 2 0 0 4 0 0 14 0.180 .259 (-31%) .325 (-45%) .345 (-36%) .670 (-40%) -334.9
1914 CHW AL 48 92 5 12 3 0 0 1 1 1 29 0.130 .255 (-49%) .322 (-57%) .339 (-52%) .661 (-54%) -829.6
1915 CHW AL 39 79 7 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 25 0.127 .250 (-49%) .318 (-53%) .332 (-54%) .651 (-54%) -683.6
1916 CHW AL 28 46 3 3 1 0 0 2 0 2 19 0.065 — — — — 0.0
1917 CHW AL 19 30 4 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1918 CHW AL 29 51 3 11 1 0 0 5 0 0 14 0.216 .255 (-15%) .318 (-32%) .326 (-28%) .645 (-30%) -246.5
1919 CHW AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 251 0 37 504 45 18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1911 CHA P 12 0 1 22 5 1
1912 CHA P 42 0 10 77 10 0
1913 CHA P 33 0 4 66 4 1
1914 CHA P 48 0 5 112 10 8
1915 CHA P 39 0 5 86 3 5
1916 CHA P 28 0 5 46 4 1
1917 CHA P 19 0 3 32 5 0
1918 CHA P 29 0 4 62 4 2
1919 CHA P 1 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 251