Joe Thurston

Born: 9/29/1979 in Fairfield, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 2002-09-02 | Final Game: 2011-08-05

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 225 lbs

Full name: Joseph William Thurston

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Biography

Joe Thurston, born in 1979, was a professional baseball player who enjoyed a career spanning from 2002 to 2011. Primarily serving as a position player, Thurston played in a total of 184 games over his career. He was known for his versatility on the field, contributing to various teams primarily as an infielder. Throughout his time in Major League Baseball, he accumulated 76 hits, including one home run, and drove in 27 runs, finishing his career with a batting average of .226. He also showcased his speed on the base paths, stealing five bases. Thurston's time in baseball coincided with an era marked by significant changes in the game, including the rise of advanced statistics and a focus on player conditioning. While he may not have been a star, his contributions to the teams he played for highlighted the importance of role players in achieving team success. His career, though not lengthy by some standards, exemplified the journey of many athletes who dedicated themselves to the sport and made meaningful impacts in their own right. After retiring in 2011, Thurston left behind a legacy as a reliable teammate and a player who embraced the competitive spirit of baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
184	337	34	76	20	5	1	27	5	35	67	0.226	0.305	0.323	0.629	-727.7

Career AVG .226 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 14.3% below league average.

Career OBP .305 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.

Career SLG .323 vs. league average .419 across their career seasons — 22.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.629 vs. league average 0.751 across their career seasons — 16.2% 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
2002	LAD	NL	8	13	1	6	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0.462	—	—	—	—	0.0
2003	LAD	NL	12	10	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0
2004	LAD	NL	17	17	1	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	5	0.176	—	—	—	—	0.0
2006	PHI	NL	18	18	3	4	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0.222	—	—	—	—	0.0
2008	BOS	AL	4	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
2009	STL	NL	124	267	27	60	17	4	1	25	4	33	56	0.225	.262 (-14%)	.332 (-5%)	.417 (-21%)	.750 (-14%)	-727.7
2011	MIA	NL	1	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2009	NLDS1	SLN	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	63	9	49	67	3	21
3B	68	55	38	109	10	11
OF	12	5	13	1	0	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2002	LAN	2B	4	1	4	6	0	3
2003	LAN	2B	3	0	2	4	1	2
2004	LAN	2B	4	0	2	3	0	1
2006	PHI	2B	4	0	6	2	0	1
2006	PHI	OF	3	2	5	1	0	0
2008	BOS	OF	4	1	5	0	0	0
2009	SLN	2B	47	7	32	48	2	13
2009	SLN	3B	68	55	38	109	10	11
2009	SLN	OF	5	2	3	0	0	0
2011	FLO	2B	1	1	3	4	0	1