Joe Cunningham

Born: 8/27/1931 in Paterson, NJ, USA

Died: 3/25/2021 in Chesterfield, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1954-06-30 | Final Game: 1966-04-17

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Joseph Robert Cunningham

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Biography

Joe Cunningham was a notable American professional baseball player born in 1931, whose career spanned from 1954 until his retirement in 1966. Primarily a position player, Cunningham made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during a time characterized by the transition from the post-war era into a more modern style of play. Over his career, he played in 1,141 games, amassing 980 hits and demonstrating a consistent offensive presence with a career batting average of .291. His ability to contribute to his team's success was reflected in his total of 436 RBIs and 64 home runs. Cunningham was recognized for his talents as a two-time All-Star, showcasing his skills among the elite players of his time. Known for his versatility and keen batting eye, he also demonstrated speed on the bases with 16 stolen bases throughout his career. His playing style and performance helped pave the way for future generations, and he remains a respected figure in the annals of baseball history, particularly for his contributions during a dynamic period of the sport's evolution.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1141	3362	525	980	177	26	64	436	16	599	369	0.291	0.403	0.417	0.820	13128.2

Career AVG .291 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +14.8% above league average.

Career OBP .403 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — +25.8% above league average.

Career SLG .417 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — +7.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.820 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +16.0% above 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
1954	STL	NL	85	310	40	88	11	3	11	50	1	43	40	0.284	.261 (+9%)	.333 (+12%)	.390 (+14%)	.723 (+13%)	871.2
1956	STL	NL	4	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1957	STL	NL	122	261	50	83	15	0	9	52	3	56	29	0.318	.257 (+23%)	.323 (+36%)	.391 (+22%)	.715 (+28%)	1770.4
1958	STL	NL	131	337	61	105	20	3	12	57	4	82	23	0.312	.257 (+21%)	.324 (+38%)	.394 (+26%)	.719 (+31%)	2600.3
1959	STL	NL	144	458	65	158	28	6	7	60	2	88	47	0.345	.256 (+34%)	.323 (+40%)	.392 (+22%)	.715 (+30%)	3323.1
1960	STL	NL	139	492	68	138	28	3	6	39	1	59	59	0.280	.255 (+10%)	.323 (+12%)	.387 (avg)	.711 (+5%)	687.4
1961	STL	NL	113	322	60	92	11	2	7	40	1	53	32	0.286	.258 (+11%)	.328 (+23%)	.399 (avg)	.727 (+10%)	953.9
1962	CHW	AL	149	526	91	155	32	7	8	70	3	101	59	0.295	.257 (+14%)	.326 (+26%)	.393 (+9%)	.719 (+16%)	2189.8
1963	CHW	AL	67	210	32	60	12	1	1	31	1	33	23	0.286	.246 (+16%)	.308 (+26%)	.371 (-1%)	.680 (+11%)	551.5
1964	CHW	AL	40	108	13	27	7	0	0	10	0	14	15	0.250	.250 (avg)	.312 (+13%)	.377 (-17%)	.690 (-3%)	10.1
1964	WS2	AL	49	126	15	27	4	0	0	7	0	23	13	0.214	.250 (-14%)	.312 (+10%)	.377 (-35%)	.690 (-14%)	10.1
1965	WS2	AL	95	201	29	46	9	1	3	20	0	46	27	0.229	.245 (-7%)	.310 (+21%)	.371 (-12%)	.682 (+3%)	349.7
1966	WS2	AL	3	8	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.125	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	607	475	4564	299	34	424
OF	440	407	692	17	26	5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1954	SLN	1B	85	84	814	68	10	96
1956	SLN	1B	1	0	2	0	0	0
1957	SLN	1B	57	22	279	17	0	17
1957	SLN	OF	46	42	81	1	3	0
1958	SLN	1B	67	31	328	23	1	19
1958	SLN	OF	66	60	90	3	2	2
1959	SLN	1B	35	10	158	9	1	22
1959	SLN	OF	121	117	201	5	6	1
1960	SLN	1B	15	14	114	10	0	7
1960	SLN	OF	116	108	184	6	10	1
1961	SLN	1B	10	6	69	1	0	8
1961	SLN	OF	86	77	131	2	5	1
1962	CHA	1B	143	142	1282	90	8	118
1962	CHA	OF	5	3	5	0	0	0
1963	CHA	1B	58	57	535	24	6	39
1964	CHA	1B	33	30	264	16	1	25
1964	WS2	1B	41	33	316	13	1	28
1965	WS2	1B	59	43	393	24	6	44
1966	WS2	1B	3	3	10	4	0	1