Joe Ginsberg

Born: 10/11/1926 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 11/2/2012 in West Bloomfield, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1948-09-15 | Final Game: 1962-04-15

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Myron Nathan Ginsberg

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Biography

Joe Ginsberg was a versatile position player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1962. Born in 1926, Ginsberg played during a transformative era in the sport, just before the expansion of the league and the explosion of offensive statistics that would characterize the 1960s and beyond. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 695 games, accumulating 414 hits with a batting average of .241. His power at the plate was evidenced by his 20 home runs and 182 RBIs, while he also demonstrated speed on the bases, recording 7 stolen bases. Ginsberg's playing style was marked by a strong defensive presence and the ability to contribute in various roles on the field. He was known for his adaptability, playing multiple positions throughout his career, which was particularly valuable during a time when rosters were smaller and players were often required to fill in wherever needed. His contributions to the teams he played for were significant, helping to pave the way for future generations of players who would benefit from the evolving game. Ginsberg's legacy remains a testament to the hard work and dedication that characterized the players of his era.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
695	1716	168	414	59	8	20	182	7	226	135	0.241	0.332	0.320	0.652	-1870.9

Career AVG .241 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 6.9% below league average.

Career OBP .332 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .320 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 18.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.652 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — 9.6% 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
1948	DET	AL	11	36	7	13	0	0	0	1	0	3	1	0.361	—	—	—	—	0.0
1950	DET	AL	36	95	12	22	6	0	0	12	1	11	6	0.232	.265 (-13%)	.346 (-8%)	.401 (-27%)	.747 (-18%)	-291.9
1951	DET	AL	102	304	44	79	10	2	8	37	0	43	21	0.260	.260 (avg)	.336 (+6%)	.385 (avg)	.721 (+3%)	228.2
1952	DET	AL	113	307	29	68	13	2	6	36	1	51	21	0.221	.252 (-12%)	.326 (+3%)	.369 (-9%)	.696 (-3%)	-60.4
1953	DET	AL	18	53	6	16	2	0	0	3	0	10	1	0.302	.264 (+14%)	.335 (+26%)	.397 (-15%)	.733 (+4%)	91.1
1953	CLE	AL	46	109	10	31	4	0	0	10	0	14	4	0.284	.264 (+8%)	.335 (+10%)	.397 (-19%)	.733 (-6%)	91.1
1954	CLE	AL	3	2	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0.500	—	—	—	—	0.0
1956	KC1	AL	71	195	15	48	8	1	1	12	1	23	17	0.246	.258 (-5%)	.331 (-3%)	.397 (-21%)	.728 (-13%)	-426.4
1956	BAL	AL	15	28	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	2	4	0.071	—	—	—	—	-426.4
1957	BAL	AL	85	175	15	48	8	2	1	18	2	18	19	0.274	.257 (+7%)	.323 (+5%)	.391 (-8%)	.715 (-2%)	-50.9
1958	BAL	AL	61	109	4	23	1	0	3	16	0	13	14	0.211	.257 (-18%)	.324 (-7%)	.394 (-23%)	.719 (-16%)	-285.9
1959	BAL	AL	65	166	14	30	2	0	1	14	1	21	13	0.181	.256 (-30%)	.323 (-17%)	.392 (-46%)	.715 (-33%)	-950.4
1960	BAL	AL	14	30	3	8	1	0	0	6	0	6	1	0.267	—	—	—	—	0.0
1960	CHW	AL	28	75	8	19	4	0	0	9	1	10	8	0.253	.255 (-1%)	.323 (+6%)	.387 (-21%)	.711 (-8%)	0.0
1961	CHW	AL	6	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1961	BOS	AL	19	24	1	6	0	0	0	5	0	0	2	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1962	NYN	NL	2	5	0	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
C	574	204	2304	234	44	40

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1948	DET	C	11	0	46	4	3	3
1950	DET	C	31	0	97	8	2	3
1951	DET	C	95	0	388	56	10	7
1952	DET	C	101	0	442	41	8	7
1953	DET	C	15	0	71	12	1	2
1953	CLE	C	39	0	130	10	5	2
1954	CLE	C	1	0	1	0	0	0
1956	KC1	C	57	50	238	28	3	3
1956	BAL	C	8	7	31	3	0	0
1957	BAL	C	66	46	252	20	4	6
1958	BAL	C	39	26	156	8	1	2
1959	BAL	C	62	40	241	29	2	4
1960	BAL	C	14	10	59	4	4	0
1960	CHA	C	25	21	129	8	1	0
1961	CHA	C	2	0	3	0	0	0
1961	BOS	C	6	2	11	1	0	0
1962	NYN	C	2	2	9	2	0	1