Joe Gates
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1979)
Joe Gates was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1979 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 2 seasons. In 24 career games, he hit .175 with 7 hits and 2 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 175 lb
- Died
- 3/28/2010 in Gary, IN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1978-09-12
- Last Game
- 1979-06-24
Full name: Joseph Daniel Gates
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 40 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | .175 | .298 | .225 | .523 | 0 |
Career AVG .175 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 33.1% below league average.
Career OBP .298 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.
Career SLG .225 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 42.0% below league average.
Career OPS .523 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — 26.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | CHA | AL | 8 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | CHA | AL | 16 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | .062 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 24 | 40 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | .175 | — | — | — | — | 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 (24 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 13 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .100 |
| Away | 11 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-06-24 | CHW | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-06-24 | CHW | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-06-23 | CHW | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979-06-21 | CHW | SEA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-06-20 | CHW | SEA | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979-06-16 | CHW | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979-06-13 | CHW | BAL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-06-12 | CHW | BAL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-06-09 | CHW | MIL | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-06-03 | CHW | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 16 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| State College of Florida - Manatee-Sarasota | Bradenton | FL | 1973 |
Joe Gates: the record in brief
According to the bio, Joe Gates debuted on September 12, 1978 and played a final game on June 24, 1979. The team column never changes: it is the Chicago White Sox from 1978 to 1979. Gates is listed as a second baseman at 5'7" and 175 pounds. The bio says Gates threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The recorded birth is October 3, 1954, in Gary, IN, USA. Gates's death is recorded on March 28, 2010, in Gary, IN, USA. The bio lists the given name Joseph Daniel.
Across 24 games at the plate, Gates's career line reads 7 hits in 40 at bats for a .175 average, along with 2 RBI. Gates's career OPS of .523 combines a .298 on-base mark with .225 slugging. Set against a .262 league average for the same years, Gates's .175 average sits 33.1% below it. The OPS comparison is .523 to a league .715, 26.8% below average. Gates collected a career-high 6 hits in 1978. The best average in the busiest seasons was .250, in 1978.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Gates
- What years did Joe Gates play?
- Joe Gates played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1979.
- Was Joe Gates a pitcher?
- No. Joe Gates was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Gates hit?
- Joe Gates hit 0 career home runs with 7 hits.
- What was Joe Gates's career batting average?
- Joe Gates batted .175 over his career, with 7 hits in 40 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Gates have?
- Joe Gates drove in 2 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Gates in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Gates has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.