Joe DeSa
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1980-1985)
Joe DeSa was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1980 to 1985 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 6 seasons. In 35 career games, he hit .200 with 11 hits, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- Died
- 12/20/1986 in San Juan, P.R.
- MLB Debut
- 1980-09-06
- Last Game
- 1985-10-03
Full name: Joseph DeSa
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 55 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .200 | .241 | .345 | .587 | 0 |
Career AVG .200 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 23.3% below league average.
Career OBP .241 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 25.7% below league average.
Career SLG .345 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.
Career OPS .587 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 17.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | SLN | NL | 7 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | CHA | AL | 28 | 44 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 35 | 55 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (35 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 18 | 35 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | .171 |
| Away | 17 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-10-03 | CHW | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-10-01 | CHW | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-28 | CHW | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-26 | CHW | OAK | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-21 | CHW | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-13 | CHW | SEA | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-07 | CHW | TEX | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-05 | CHW | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-04 | CHW | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-03 | CHW | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 10 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 4 |
Joe DeSa: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 6, 1980 and the final game on October 3, 1985, Joe DeSa built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the St. Louis Cardinals (1980) and the Chicago White Sox (1985). DeSa is listed as a first baseman at 170 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. DeSa batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. DeSa was born on July 27, 1959, in Honolulu, HI, USA. DeSa died on December 20, 1986, in San Juan, P.R. Joe DeSa was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph.
The batting record for DeSa: 35 games, 11 hits in 55 at bats, and a .200 average, plus 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .241 and the slugging percentage .345, for an OPS of .587. Measured against the leagues DeSa played in, the .200 career average compares with a .261 league average over the same seasons, 23.3% below the league. The OPS comparison is .587 to a league .714, 17.8% below average. No season topped the 8 hits of 1985.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe DeSa
- What years did Joe DeSa play?
- Joe DeSa played in Major League Baseball from 1980 to 1985.
- Was Joe DeSa a pitcher?
- No. Joe DeSa was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe DeSa hit?
- Joe DeSa hit 2 career home runs with 11 hits.
- What teams did Joe DeSa play for?
- Joe DeSa played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1980) and the Chicago White Sox (1985).
- What were Joe DeSa's career stats?
- In 35 games, Joe DeSa had 11 hits, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, and 5 runs, with a .200 batting average.
- What position did Joe DeSa play?
- Joe DeSa played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe DeSa and how much did he weigh?
- Joe DeSa was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe DeSa hit each season?
- Joe DeSa's home runs by season: 0 in 1980 and 2 in 1985. His most in one season was 2, in 1985.
- What was Joe DeSa's career batting average?
- Joe DeSa batted .200 over his career, with 11 hits in 55 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe DeSa have?
- Joe DeSa drove in 7 runs in his career.
- Is Joe DeSa in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe DeSa has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.