Joe Gordon, baseball player, 253 home runs, 1938-1950

Joe Gordon

⭐ Hall of Fame 2009

Born: 2/18/1915 in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Died: 4/14/1978 in Sacramento, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1938-04-18 | Final Game: 1950-09-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Joseph Lowell Gordon

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Biography

Joe Gordon, born in 1915, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1938 to 1950. A skilled position player, Gordon played in 1,566 games, accumulating 1,530 hits and showcasing his power with 253 home runs and 975 RBIs. He finished his career with a batting average of .268 and demonstrated his speed on the bases with 89 stolen bases. Gordon was known for his strong defensive capabilities and played a pivotal role in the success of the teams he was part of, particularly during the era when the game was transitioning from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach. Over the course of his career, Gordon earned recognition as a nine-time All-Star and received the TSN Guide MVP award, highlighting his impact on the field. His contributions to the game were officially recognized when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, solidifying his legacy as one of the greats of the sport. Gordon’s blend of power, speed, and defensive prowess made him a key figure in baseball history, and his accomplishments continue to resonate with fans and players alike.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1566 5707 914 1530 264 52 253 975 89 759 702 0.268 0.357 0.466 0.822 18060.7

Career AVG .268 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .357 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.

Career SLG .466 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +23.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.822 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — +15.6% 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
1938 NYY AL 127 458 83 117 24 7 25 97 11 56 72 0.255 .272 (-6%) .341 (avg) .392 (+28%) .734 (+15%) 1249.3
1939 NYY AL 151 567 92 161 32 5 28 111 11 75 57 0.284 .274 (+4%) .342 (+8%) .393 (+29%) .735 (+19%) 2267.4
1940 NYY AL 155 616 112 173 32 10 30 103 18 52 57 0.281 .267 (+5%) .335 (+1%) .387 (+32%) .722 (+18%) 2014.4
1941 NYY AL 156 588 104 162 26 7 24 87 10 72 80 0.276 .262 (+5%) .332 (+8%) .373 (+25%) .705 (+17%) 2007.1
1942 NYY AL 147 538 88 173 29 4 18 103 12 79 95 0.322 .253 (+27%) .323 (+27%) .349 (+40%) .672 (+34%) 3686.9
1943 NYY AL 152 543 82 135 28 5 17 69 4 98 75 0.249 .255 (-3%) .324 (+12%) .346 (+19%) .671 (+16%) 1923.4
1946 NYY AL 112 376 35 79 15 0 11 47 2 49 72 0.210 .256 (-18%) .328 (-6%) .358 (-6%) .687 (-6%) -376.0
1947 CLE AL 155 562 89 153 27 6 29 93 7 62 49 0.272 .262 (+4%) .336 (+3%) .376 (+32%) .712 (+18%) 1917.2
1948 CLE AL 144 550 96 154 21 4 32 124 5 77 68 0.280 .263 (+6%) .340 (+9%) .379 (+34%) .719 (+22%) 2489.6
1949 CLE AL 148 541 74 136 18 3 20 84 5 83 33 0.251 .262 (-4%) .343 (+3%) .384 (+6%) .727 (+5%) 637.6
1950 CLE AL 119 368 59 87 12 1 19 57 4 56 44 0.236 .265 (-11%) .346 (-2%) .401 (+7%) .747 (+3%) 243.8

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
29 103 12 25 5 1 4 16 12 17 0.243

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1948 WS CLE 6 22 3 4 0 0 1 2 1 2 0.182
1943 WS NYA 5 17 2 4 1 0 1 2 3 3 0.235
1942 WS NYA 5 21 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 7 0.095
1941 WS NYA 5 14 2 7 1 1 1 5 7 0 0.500
1939 WS NYA 4 14 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 0.143
1938 WS NYA 4 15 3 6 2 0 1 6 1 3 0.400

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 30 0 224 17 4 35
2B 1519 0 3600 4706 260 1160
SS 2 0 2 3 0 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1938 NYA 2B 126 0 290 450 31 98
1939 NYA 2B 151 0 370 461 28 116
1940 NYA 2B 155 0 374 505 23 116
1941 NYA 1B 30 0 224 17 4 35
1941 NYA 2B 131 0 332 397 32 109
1942 NYA 2B 147 0 354 442 28 121
1943 NYA 2B 152 0 407 490 29 114
1946 NYA 2B 108 0 281 346 17 87
1947 CLE 2B 155 0 341 466 18 110
1948 CLE 2B 144 0 330 436 23 97
1948 CLE SS 2 0 2 3 0 1
1949 CLE 2B 145 0 297 430 15 123
1950 CLE 2B 105 0 224 283 16 69

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 30
Second Base 1518
Shortstop 3

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1948 TSN All-Star 2B
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1947 TSN All-Star 2B
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1942 Most Valuable Player
1942 TSN All-Star 2B
1942 TSN Guide MVP
1941 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1941 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1941 TSN All-Star 2B
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1940 TSN All-Star 2B
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star 2B
1939 TSN All-Star 2B

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Oregon Eugene OR 1934, 1935

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 63.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 59.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player AL 25th 4.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 270.0 336 12
1941 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 60.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 3.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 43.0 336 0
1938 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 23.0 336 0