Joe Coleman, baseball player, 1942-1955

Joe Coleman

Born: 7/30/1922 in Medford, MA, USA

Died: 4/9/1997 in Fort Myers, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1942-09-19 | Final Game: 1955-09-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Joseph Patrick Coleman

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Biography

Joe Coleman was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1955. Born in 1922, he made his debut during an era marked by World War II, which saw many players enlist and serve in the military, impacting the league significantly. Coleman established himself as a reliable arm on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 52-76 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.38. Throughout his time in the majors, he recorded a total of 444 strikeouts and collected 6 saves, showcasing his ability to handle pressure situations. Coleman's peak came during the 1950 season when he earned an All-Star selection, a testament to his skill and performance among his peers. His style of play was characterized by a competitive spirit and a determination to excel, traits that resonated with fans during the post-war era of baseball, which was seeing a resurgence in popularity. Though his win-loss record may not reflect a dominant career, Coleman left a lasting impression on those who witnessed his contributions to the teams he pitched for, embodying the resilience and tenacity of a generation of players navigating the complexities of a changing sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
52 76 223 140 60 11 6 1134.0 1172 552 92 566 444 4.38 0

Career ERA 4.38 vs. league average 3.97 across their career seasons — 10.5% worse 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
1942 PHA AL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.0 8 2 1 0 3.00 — 0.0
1946 PHA AL 0 2 4 2 0 0 0 13.0 19 8 8 8 5.54 3.59 (-54%) -199.1
1947 PHA AL 6 12 32 21 9 2 1 160.3 171 77 62 65 4.32 3.97 (-9%) -1874.9
1948 PHA AL 14 13 33 29 13 3 0 215.7 224 98 90 86 4.09 4.10 (avg) 1119.2
1949 PHA AL 13 14 33 30 18 1 1 240.3 249 103 127 109 3.86 4.12 (+6%) 1530.5
1950 PHA AL 0 5 15 6 2 0 0 54.0 74 51 50 12 8.50 4.36 (-95%) -3722.2
1951 PHA AL 1 6 28 9 1 0 1 96.3 117 64 59 34 5.98 4.04 (-48%) -3156.1
1953 PHA AL 3 4 21 9 2 1 0 90.0 85 40 49 18 4.00 4.14 (+3%) -2009.5
1954 BAL AL 13 17 33 32 15 4 0 221.3 184 86 96 103 3.50 3.90 (+10%) 860.1
1955 BAL AL 0 1 6 2 0 0 0 11.7 19 14 10 4 10.80 4.00 (-170%) -1778.9
1955 DET AL 2 1 17 0 0 0 3 25.3 22 9 14 5 3.20 4.00 (+20%) -168.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
223 363 20 66 16 0 4 26 1 22 133 0.182 0.229 0.259 0.488 -1933.3

Career AVG .182 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 30.3% below league average.

Career OBP .229 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 31.9% below league average.

Career SLG .259 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 31.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.488 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 31.9% 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
1942 PHA AL 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1946 PHA AL 4 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.400 — — — — 0.0
1947 PHA AL 32 48 3 7 2 0 0 1 0 4 25 0.146 — — — — -359.6
1948 PHA AL 33 74 2 9 2 0 0 7 0 5 29 0.122 .263 (-54%) .340 (-48%) .379 (-61%) .719 (-55%) -695.3
1949 PHA AL 33 79 4 14 3 0 1 5 0 5 29 0.177 .262 (-33%) .343 (-34%) .384 (-34%) .727 (-34%) -480.5
1950 PHA AL 15 17 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 0.059 — — — — 0.0
1951 PHA AL 28 27 2 7 3 0 0 5 0 2 12 0.259 — — — — 0.0
1953 PHA AL 21 28 1 8 2 0 0 1 0 1 7 0.286 — — — — 0.0
1954 BAL AL 33 74 4 13 3 0 2 5 1 3 22 0.176 .261 (-33%) .333 (-38%) .390 (-24%) .723 (-30%) -397.9
1955 BAL AL 6 3 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.667 — — — — 0.0
1955 DET AL 17 4 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.750 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 223 34 44 145 10 13

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1942 PHA P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1946 PHA P 4 0 0 1 0 0
1947 PHA P 32 0 5 16 1 0
1948 PHA P 33 0 6 33 3 3
1949 PHA P 33 0 7 23 2 3
1950 PHA P 15 0 0 3 0 0
1951 PHA P 28 0 7 9 1 1
1953 PHA P 21 0 1 10 0 1
1954 BAL P 33 32 15 41 3 5
1955 BAL P 6 2 0 2 0 0
1955 DET P 17 0 3 6 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 223

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1954 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 6.0 336 0