Joe Durham, baseball player, 1954-1959

Joe Durham

Born: 7/31/1931 in Newport News, VA, USA

Died: 4/28/2016 in Randallstown, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1954-09-10 | Final Game: 1959-05-06

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 186 lbs

Full name: Joseph Vann Durham

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Biography

Joe Durham, born in 1931, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in the Major Leagues during the mid-1950s. His career spanned from 1954 to 1959, during which he played primarily as a position player. Over the course of 93 games, Durham recorded 38 hits, including 5 home runs, and drove in 20 RBIs. He finished his career with a batting average of .188 and contributed 1 stolen base, reflecting his role as a player who provided power rather than contact hitting. Durham played in an era characterized by the transition from the post-war years into a more modern style of baseball, where power hitting began to gain prominence. While his individual statistics may not have placed him among the game’s elite, his contributions to the teams he played for are remembered as part of the broader tapestry of the era. His career, albeit brief, highlighted the challenges faced by players during this time as they navigated the competitive landscape of Major League Baseball.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
3.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 .000 0.333 .000 0.333

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1952 3.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 .000 0.333 .000 0.333

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
93 202 25 38 2 0 5 20 1 20 50 0.188 0.260 0.272 0.532 -718.3

Career AVG .188 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 27.2% below league average.

Career OBP .260 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 20.5% below league average.

Career SLG .272 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 30.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.532 vs. league average 0.718 across their career seasons — 25.9% 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
1954 BAL AL 10 40 4 9 0 0 1 3 0 4 7 0.225 — — — — 0.0
1957 BAL AL 77 157 19 29 2 0 4 17 1 16 42 0.185 .257 (-28%) .323 (-20%) .391 (-30%) .715 (-26%) -718.3
1959 STL NL 6 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 70 51 94 1 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 BAL OF 10 10 22 0 2 0
1957 BAL OF 59 40 70 1 0 0
1959 SLN OF 1 1 2 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 47
Center Field 7
Right Field 25

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Shaw University Raleigh NC 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953