Joe Lillard
Left Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Joe Lillard was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago American Giants and the Cincinnati Tigers. In 62 career games, he hit .253 with 47 hits, 2 home runs, and 17 RBI. He also pitched in 15 games, going 4-3 with a 6.30 ERA. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 959.3.
- 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
- Left Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- Died
- 9/18/1978 in New York, NY, USA
Full name: Joseph Johnny Lillard
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 186 | 19 | 47 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 1 | .253 | .284 | .339 | .622 | -679 |
Career AVG .253 vs. league average .275 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.
Career OBP .284 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career SLG .339 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 13.2% below league average.
Career OPS .622 vs. league average .727 across their career seasons — 14.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | CAG | NSL | 12 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1933 | CAG | NN2 | 13 | 38 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .395 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1934 | CAG | NN2 | 35 | 120 | 11 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | .200 | .278 (-28%) | .340 (-30%) | .392 (-38%) | .733 (-35%) | -679.2 |
| 1937 | CT | NAL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | CAG | NAL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 62 | 186 | 19 | 47 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 1 | .253 | — | — | — | — | -679 | ||
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.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | CAG | NSL | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23.2 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 3.04 | 4.13 (+26%) | 820.6 |
| 1933 | CAG | NN2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 30 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 6.00 | 3.86 (-56%) | 138.6 |
| 1934 | CAG | NN2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 12.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | CAG | NAL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 12.91 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 4 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 64.1 | 78 | 45 | 25 | 33 | 6.30 | — | 959 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .750 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 7.0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Away | 1 | 7.2 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 12.91 |
Last 4 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944-05-30 | CIA | MEM | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-06-29 | CAG | DT2 | L | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-06-22 | CAG | CI1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-05-22 | CI1 | KCM | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 3 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944-05-30 | CIA | MEM | L | 7.0 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1937-06-29 | CAG | DT2 | L | 7.2 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1937-06-22 | CAG | CI1 | — | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 15 |
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 40 |
| Right Field | 2 |
Joe Lillard: the record in brief
Joe Lillard's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1932 to 1937. By club, Lillard's seasons break down as the Chicago American Giants (1932 to 1937) and the Cincinnati Tigers (1937). Lillard played primarily as a left fielder and switch-hit and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on June 15, 1905, in Tulsa, OK, USA and a listed size of 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. The bio records the death on September 18, 1978, in New York, NY, USA. The given name on file is Joseph Johnny Lillard.
Across 62 games at the plate, Lillard's career line reads 47 hits in 186 at bats for a .253 average; the totals also include 2 home runs and 17 RBI. Lillard got on base at a .284 rate and slugged .339 (.622 OPS). Over the seasons Lillard played, league hitters batted .275; the .253 career figure is 8.1% below that. The highest hit total in a season was 24, in 1934.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Lillard
- Was Joe Lillard a pitcher?
- Both. Joe Lillard pitched in 15 games, going 4-3 with a 6.3 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Left Fielder.
- How many home runs did Joe Lillard hit?
- Joe Lillard hit 2 career home runs with 47 hits.
- What teams did Joe Lillard play for?
- Joe Lillard played for 2 teams: the Chicago American Giants (1932–1934, 1937) and the Cincinnati Tigers (1937).
- What were Joe Lillard's career stats?
- In 62 games, Joe Lillard had 47 hits, 2 home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .253 batting average. As a pitcher, in 15 games, he went 4-3 with a 6.30 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and 64.1 innings pitched.
- What position did Joe Lillard play?
- Joe Lillard played primarily as a left fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Lillard and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Lillard was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Lillard hit each season?
- Joe Lillard's home runs by season: 0 in 1932, 2 in 1933, 0 in 1934, and 0 in 1937. His most in one season was 2, in 1933.
- What was Joe Lillard's career batting average?
- Joe Lillard batted .253 over his career, with 47 hits in 186 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Lillard have?
- Joe Lillard drove in 17 runs in his career.
- What was Joe Lillard's career ERA?
- Joe Lillard finished with a 6.30 career ERA, going 4-3 with 33 strikeouts.
- Is Joe Lillard in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Lillard has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.