Joe Lafata
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1947-1949)
Joe Lafata was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1949 for the New York Giants, a span of 3 seasons. In 127 career games, he hit .229 with 54 hits, 5 home runs, and 34 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
- 6'0" / 163 lb
- Died
- 5/6/2004 in Roseville, MI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1947-04-17
- Last Game
- 1949-09-25
Full name: Joseph Joseph Lafata
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | 236 | 31 | 54 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 34 | 2 | 24 | 42 | .229 | .303 | .322 | .625 | -491 |
Career AVG .229 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.
Career OBP .303 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 11.0% below league average.
Career SLG .322 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 15.2% below league average.
Career OPS .625 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — 13.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | NY1 | NL | 62 | 95 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 15 | 18 | .221 | .262 (-16%) | .336 (-1%) | .376 (-22%) | .712 (-12%) | -136.0 |
| 1948 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1949 | NY1 | NL | 64 | 140 | 18 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 23 | .236 | .262 (-10%) | .343 (-18%) | .384 (-11%) | .727 (-14%) | -355.2 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 127 | 236 | 31 | 54 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 34 | 2 | 24 | 42 | .229 | — | — | — | — | -491 | ||
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 (127 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 62 | 118 | 16 | 22 | 2 | 7 | .186 |
| Away | 65 | 118 | 15 | 32 | 3 | 27 | .271 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-09-25 | NY1 | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-25 | NY1 | BSN | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-21 | NY1 | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-21 | NY1 | CIN | L | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-19 | NY1 | PIT | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-18 | NY1 | PIT | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-16 | NY1 | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-13 | NY1 | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-10 | NY1 | BRO | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1949-09-04 | NY1 | BRO | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 48 |
| Left Field | 20 |
| Center Field | 1 |
Joe Lafata: the record in brief
April 17, 1947 and September 25, 1949 bracket Joe Lafata's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Every season row on the page belongs to the New York Giants, from 1947 through 1949. Lafata played primarily as a first baseman and batted and threw left-handed. Born on August 3, 1921, in Detroit, MI, USA, Lafata was listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 163 pounds. Lafata died on May 6, 2004, in Roseville, MI, USA. The given name on file is Joseph Joseph Lafata.
Lafata finished with 54 hits from 236 at bats in 127 games, which works out to .229, plus 5 homers and 34 RBI. Lafata got on base at a .303 rate and slugged .322 (.625 OPS). Set against a .263 league average for the same years, Lafata's .229 average sits 13.0% below it. By OPS the gap is 13.2% below league average (.625 against .719). 1949 produced Lafata's most hits, 33 of them for the New York Giants. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .236 in 1949, did not top the league's .262.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Lafata
- What years did Joe Lafata play?
- Joe Lafata played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1949.
- Was Joe Lafata a pitcher?
- No. Joe Lafata was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Lafata hit?
- Joe Lafata hit 5 career home runs with 54 hits.
- What teams did Joe Lafata play for?
- Joe Lafata played for one team, the New York Giants (1947–1949).
- What were Joe Lafata's career stats?
- In 127 games, Joe Lafata had 54 hits, 5 home runs, 34 RBI, 31 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .229 batting average.
- What position did Joe Lafata play?
- Joe Lafata played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Lafata and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Lafata was listed at 6 feet and 163 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Lafata hit each season?
- Joe Lafata's home runs by season: 2 in 1947, 0 in 1948, and 3 in 1949. His most in one season was 3, in 1949.
- What was Joe Lafata's career batting average?
- Joe Lafata batted .229 over his career, with 54 hits in 236 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Lafata have?
- Joe Lafata drove in 34 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Lafata in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Lafata has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.