Joe Gantenbein

Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1940)

Joe Gantenbein was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1940 for the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 2 seasons. In 186 career games, he hit .272 with 148 hits, 8 home runs, and 59 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

AVG .272
HR 8
RBI 59
H 148
OPS .703
PIV -344
Position
Second Baseman
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 168 lb
Born
8/25/1915 in San Francisco, CA, USA
Died
8/2/1993 in Novato, CA, USA
MLB Debut
1939-04-20
Last Game
1940-09-28

Full name: Joseph Steven Gantenbein

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Career Batting Statistics

Joe Gantenbein — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
186 545 68 148 20 6 8 59 2 43 43 .272 .328 .374 .703 -344

Career AVG .272 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .328 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .374 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .703 vs. league average .729 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Gantenbein — 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
1939 PHA AL 111 348 47 101 14 4 4 36 1 32 22 .290 .274 (+6%) .342 (+3%) .393 (-1%) .735 (+1%) 83.5
1940 PHA AL 75 197 21 47 6 2 4 23 1 11 21 .239 .267 (-11%) .335 (-16%) .387 (-10%) .722 (-13%) -427.2
Career · 2 seasons 186 545 68 148 20 6 8 59 2 43 43 .272 — — — — -344

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 (186 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Joe Gantenbein — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home972713675334.277
Away892743273525.266

Last 10 Games — Batting

Joe Gantenbein — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1940-09-28 PHABOSL 300000001
1940-09-28 PHABOSL 300000010
1940-09-26 PHANYYL 300000001
1940-09-26 PHANYYL 411000100
1940-09-24 PHABOSL 411100200
1940-09-22 PHAMINL 402000101
1940-09-19 PHADETL 300000010
1940-09-19 PHADETL 200000001
1940-09-18 PHADETW 000000000
1940-09-18 PHADETL 200000010

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Joe Gantenbein — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 6 0 26 1 0 0
2B 76 0 165 179 19 26
3B 59 0 39 88 9 13
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 8 0 5 13 3 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Joe Gantenbein — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 PHA 2B 76 0 165 179 19 26
1939 PHA 3B 14 0 8 13 1 2
1939 PHA SS 5 0 5 11 3 2
1940 PHA 1B 6 0 26 1 0 0
1940 PHA 3B 45 0 31 75 8 11
1940 PHA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1940 PHA SS 3 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Joe Gantenbein — Career Games by Position
Position Games
First Base 6
Second Base 76
Third Base 59
Shortstop 8
Left Field 1

Joe Gantenbein: the record in brief

The profile opens with Joe Gantenbein's first major league game on April 20, 1939; the last one listed came on September 28, 1940. All of the seasons listed were played for the Philadelphia Athletics. At 5'9" and 168 pounds, Gantenbein is listed as a second baseman. Gantenbein threw right-handed and batted left-handed, per the bio block. Gantenbein was born on August 25, 1915, in San Francisco, CA, USA. The bio records the death on August 2, 1993, in Novato, CA, USA. Gantenbein's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph Steven Gantenbein.

Gantenbein's career batting table shows 186 games, 545 at bats and 148 hits, a .272 average; the totals also include 8 home runs and 59 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .328 and .374 give Gantenbein a career OPS of .703. Gantenbein hit .272 while the league hit .271 over the same span, a figure close to average. 1939 produced Gantenbein's most hits, 101 of them for the Philadelphia Athletics. 1939 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .290 against a league .274, a 6% edge.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Gantenbein

What years did Joe Gantenbein play?
Joe Gantenbein played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1940.
Was Joe Gantenbein a pitcher?
No. Joe Gantenbein was a position player (Second Baseman).
How many home runs did Joe Gantenbein hit?
Joe Gantenbein hit 8 career home runs with 148 hits.
What teams did Joe Gantenbein play for?
Joe Gantenbein played for one team, the Philadelphia Athletics (1939–1940).
What were Joe Gantenbein's career stats?
In 186 games, Joe Gantenbein had 148 hits, 8 home runs, 59 RBI, 68 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .272 batting average.
What position did Joe Gantenbein play?
Joe Gantenbein played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Joe Gantenbein and how much did he weigh?
Joe Gantenbein was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 168 pounds.
How many home runs did Joe Gantenbein hit each season?
Joe Gantenbein's home runs by season: 4 in 1939 and 4 in 1940. His most in one season was 4, in 1939 and 1940.
What was Joe Gantenbein's career batting average?
Joe Gantenbein batted .272 over his career, with 148 hits in 545 at bats.
How many RBI did Joe Gantenbein have?
Joe Gantenbein drove in 59 runs in his career.
Is Joe Gantenbein in the Hall of Fame?
No. Joe Gantenbein has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.