Joe Page, baseball player, 1944-1954

Joe Page

Born: 10/28/1917 in Cherry Valley, PA, USA

Died: 4/21/1980 in Latrobe, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1944-04-19 | Final Game: 1954-05-25

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Joseph Francis Page

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Biography

Joe Page, born in 1917, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1944 until his retirement in 1954. Known for his powerful arm and competitive spirit, Page finished his career with a record of 57-49 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.53. Over the course of his career, he recorded 519 strikeouts and achieved a remarkable 76 saves, showcasing his ability to both start and close games effectively. Page's tenure in the league included three selections to the All-Star Game, highlighting his status as one of the top pitchers of his era. Competing during a time when baseball was evolving, Page's contributions were particularly valuable in an era marked by the transition from the deadball period to a more offensive-oriented game. His ability to strike out batters and secure saves placed him among the elite pitchers of his time. Page's legacy in baseball remains significant, as he paved the way for future generations of pitchers who would follow in his footsteps, demonstrating the importance of versatility on the mound.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
57 49 285 45 14 1 76 790.0 727 310 42 421 519 3.53 0

Career ERA 3.53 vs. league average 3.90 across their career seasons — 9.4% better 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
1944 NYY AL 5 7 19 16 4 0 0 102.7 100 52 52 63 4.56 3.57 (-28%) -
1945 NYY AL 6 3 20 9 4 0 0 102.0 95 32 46 50 2.82 3.67 (+23%) -
1946 NYY AL 9 8 31 17 6 1 3 136.0 126 54 72 77 3.57 3.59 (avg) -
1947 NYY AL 14 8 56 2 0 0 17 141.3 105 39 72 116 2.48 3.97 (+37%) -
1948 NYY AL 7 8 55 1 0 0 16 107.7 116 51 66 77 4.26 4.10 (-4%) -
1949 NYY AL 13 8 60 0 0 0 27 135.3 103 39 75 99 2.59 4.12 (+37%) -
1950 NYY AL 3 7 37 0 0 0 13 55.3 66 31 31 33 5.04 4.36 (-16%) -
1954 PIT NL 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 9.7 16 12 7 4 11.17 3.90 (-187%) 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
286 229 20 47 5 3 2 26 0 11 67 0.205 0.242 0.279 0.521 0.0

Career AVG .205 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 21.6% below league average.

Career OBP .242 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 27.9% below league average.

Career SLG .279 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 25.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.521 vs. league average 0.709 across their career seasons — 26.5% 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
1944 NYY AL 19 32 3 5 2 1 0 2 0 0 9 0.156 — — — — 0.0
1945 NYY AL 20 36 5 9 0 0 0 5 0 3 7 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1946 NYY AL 32 43 5 7 1 0 1 5 0 0 14 0.163 — — — — 0.0
1947 NYY AL 56 46 1 10 0 0 1 5 0 2 16 0.217 — — — — 0.0
1948 NYY AL 55 24 3 7 1 2 0 2 0 3 4 0.292 — — — — 0.0
1949 NYY AL 60 40 2 7 0 0 0 5 0 1 14 0.175 — — — — 0.0
1950 NYY AL 37 8 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1954 PIT NL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1949 WS NYA 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000
1947 WS NYA 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 1 7 0 2 22.0 18 8 5 15 3.27

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1949 WS NYA 1 0 3 0 1 9.0 6 2 3 8 2.00
1947 WS NYA 1 1 4 0 1 13.0 12 6 2 7 4.15

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 285 0 17 104 8 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1944 NYA P 19 0 3 14 1 1
1945 NYA P 20 0 2 12 1 1
1946 NYA P 31 0 2 23 5 1
1947 NYA P 56 0 2 18 0 0
1948 NYA P 55 0 3 14 0 0
1949 NYA P 60 0 4 15 1 1
1950 NYA P 37 0 1 6 0 0
1954 PIT P 7 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 285

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1949 Babe Ruth Award P
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1949 TSN All-Star P

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1949 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 166.0 336 3
1947 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 167.0 336 7