Joe Burns, baseball player, 1943-1945

Joe Burns

Born: 6/17/1916 in Bryn Mawr, PA, USA

Died: 6/24/1974 in Bryn Mawr, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1943-04-24 | Final Game: 1945-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Joseph James Burns

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Biography

Joe Burns was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball during the early years of the 1940s. Born in 1916, Burns played as a position player in a career that spanned from 1943 to 1945. His playing years came during a challenging time for the sport, as many players were serving in the military during World War II, which led to a unique era of baseball often filled with less experienced players stepping into major roles. Over the course of his career, Burns appeared in 111 games, recording a total of 69 hits and finishing with a batting average of .23. He contributed to his teams with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs, alongside 2 stolen bases. Despite the limitations in his offensive output, Burns was part of the fabric of baseball during a pivotal time, when the game was not only a source of entertainment but also a means of lifting the spirits of a nation at war. His dedication to the sport during these years reflects the resilience and adaptability that characterized baseball in the 1940s.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
111 300 24 69 6 1 2 16 2 16 50 0.230 0.274 0.277 0.550 -936.9

Career AVG .230 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.

Career OBP .274 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 16.2% below league average.

Career SLG .277 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — 21.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.550 vs. league average 0.679 across their career seasons — 19.0% 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
1943 BSN NL 52 135 12 28 3 0 1 5 2 8 25 0.207 .255 (-19%) .324 (-19%) .346 (-27%) .671 (-23%) -519.3
1944 PHA AL 28 75 5 18 2 0 1 8 0 4 8 0.240 .261 (-8%) .325 (-15%) .357 (-14%) .683 (-14%) -179.3
1945 PHA AL 31 90 7 23 1 1 0 3 0 4 17 0.256 .260 (-2%) .328 (-13%) .354 (-19%) .683 (-16%) -238.3

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 5 1 0 0
2B 9 0 14 17 4 3
3B 56 0 48 90 12 8
OF 23 0 30 2 0 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1943 BSN 3B 34 0 33 65 7 6
1943 BSN OF 4 0 4 1 0 0
1944 PHA 2B 9 0 14 17 4 3
1944 PHA 3B 17 0 14 20 3 2
1945 PHA 1B 1 0 5 1 0 0
1945 PHA 3B 5 0 1 5 2 0
1945 PHA OF 19 0 26 1 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1
Second Base 9
Third Base 56
Left Field 1
Center Field 1
Right Field 21