Joe Hoover
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1943-1945)
Joe Hoover was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1945 for the Detroit Tigers, a span of 3 seasons. In 338 career games, he hit .243 with 301 hits, 5 home runs, and 84 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 9/2/1965 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1943-04-21
- Last Game
- 1945-09-23
Full name: Robert Joseph Hoover
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 338 | 1,238 | 178 | 301 | 45 | 15 | 5 | 84 | 19 | 92 | 202 | .243 | .300 | .316 | .616 | -1,815 |
Career AVG .243 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.
Career OBP .300 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 8.2% below league average.
Career SLG .316 vs. league average .353 across their career seasons — 10.5% below league average.
Career OPS .616 vs. league average .679 across their career seasons — 9.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | DET | AL | 144 | 575 | 78 | 140 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 38 | 6 | 36 | 101 | .243 | .255 (-5%) | .324 (-11%) | .346 (-8%) | .671 (-10%) | -920.0 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 120 | 441 | 67 | 104 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 7 | 35 | 66 | .236 | .261 (-10%) | .325 (-8%) | .357 (-19%) | .683 (-14%) | -869.5 |
| 1945 | DET | AL | 74 | 222 | 33 | 57 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 21 | 35 | .257 | .260 (-2%) | .328 (-2%) | .354 (+2%) | .683 (avg) | -25.1 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 338 | 1,238 | 178 | 301 | 45 | 15 | 5 | 84 | 19 | 92 | 202 | .243 | — | — | — | — | -1,815 | ||
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 (338 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 170 | 580 | 92 | 133 | 3 | 38 | .229 |
| Away | 168 | 658 | 85 | 168 | 2 | 46 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-23 | DET | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-19 | DET | CLE | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-18 | DET | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-16 | DET | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-16 | DET | MIN | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-15 | DET | MIN | W | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-15 | DET | MIN | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-14 | DET | PHA | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1945-09-13 | DET | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-12 | DET | PHA | L | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Shortstop | 332 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Hoover (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Joe Hoover: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 21, 1943 and the final game on September 23, 1945, Joe Hoover built the record summarized on this page. Every season row on the page belongs to the Detroit Tigers, from 1943 through 1945. Born on April 15, 1915, in Brawley, CA, USA, Hoover is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 11 inches and 175 pounds. Hoover died on September 2, 1965, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. On the record, Joe Hoover was born Robert Joseph Hoover.
The batting record for Hoover: 338 games, 301 hits in 1,238 at bats, and a .243 average, along with 5 homers and 84 RBI. Hoover got on base at a .300 rate and slugged .316 (.616 OPS). Hoover's .243 average ran 6.3% below the .259 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .616 to a league .679, 9.4% below average. Hoover collected a career-high 140 hits in 1943. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .243 in 1943, did not top the league's .255.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Hoover
- What years did Joe Hoover play?
- Joe Hoover played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1945.
- Was Joe Hoover a pitcher?
- No. Joe Hoover was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Joe Hoover hit?
- Joe Hoover hit 5 career home runs with 301 hits.
- What teams did Joe Hoover play for?
- Joe Hoover played for one team, the Detroit Tigers (1943–1945).
- What were Joe Hoover's career stats?
- In 338 games, Joe Hoover had 301 hits, 5 home runs, 84 RBI, 178 runs, and 19 stolen bases, with a .243 batting average.
- What position did Joe Hoover play?
- Joe Hoover played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Hoover and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Hoover was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Hoover hit each season?
- Joe Hoover's home runs by season: 4 in 1943, 0 in 1944, and 1 in 1945. His most in one season was 4, in 1943.
- What was Joe Hoover's career batting average?
- Joe Hoover batted .243 over his career, with 301 hits in 1,238 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Hoover have?
- Joe Hoover drove in 84 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Hoover in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Hoover has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.