Joe McClain
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1961-1962)
Joe McClain was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1962 for the Washington Senators, a span of 2 seasons. Across 43 career appearances, he went 8-22 with a 4.42 ERA and 82 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 183 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1961-04-14
- Last Game
- 1962-06-01
Full name: Joseph Fred McClain
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | WS2 | AL | 8 | 18 | 33 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 212.0 | 221 | 91 | 48 | 76 | 3.86 | 4.03 (+4%) | 467.2 |
| 1962 | WS2 | AL | 0 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.0 | 33 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 9.38 | 3.96 (-137%) | -2472.2 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 8 | 22 | 43 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 236.0 | 254 | 116 | 59 | 82 | 4.42 | — | -2,005 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 75 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .200 | .208 | .253 | .461 | -393 |
Career AVG .200 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 22.5% below league average.
Career OBP .208 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 36.5% below league average.
Career SLG .253 vs. league average .396 across their career seasons — 36.0% below league average.
Career OPS .461 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — 36.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | WS2 | AL | 33 | 68 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .206 | .258 (-20%) | .328 (-35%) | .399 (-34%) | .727 (-34%) | -393.5 |
| 1962 | WS2 | AL | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 43 | 75 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .200 | — | — | — | — | -393 | ||
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 (86 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 22 | 34 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 2 | .265 |
| Away | 21 | 41 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | .146 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 22 | 120.0 | 124 | 59 | 30 | 40 | 4.42 |
| Away | 21 | 116.0 | 130 | 57 | 29 | 42 | 4.42 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-06-01 | TEX | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-27 | TEX | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-22 | TEX | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-19 | TEX | KC1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-15 | TEX | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-09 | TEX | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-03 | TEX | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-29 | TEX | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-24 | TEX | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-18 | TEX | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-06-01 | TEX | MIN | — | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-27 | TEX | CLE | — | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1962-05-22 | TEX | MIN | L | 2.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-05-19 | TEX | KC1 | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962-05-15 | TEX | CHW | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-09 | TEX | CHW | — | 0.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-05-03 | TEX | BOS | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962-04-29 | TEX | NYY | L | 4.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1962-04-24 | TEX | BOS | L | 7.1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1962-04-18 | TEX | DET | L | 3.2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 43 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville | TN | 1952 |
Joe McClain: the record in brief
The profile opens with Joe McClain's first major league game on April 14, 1961; the last one listed came on June 1, 1962. McClain's only club in the season tables is the Washington Senators. At 6 feet, 0 inches and 183 pounds, McClain is listed as a pitcher. The bio says McClain batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is May 5, 1933, in Johnson City, TN, USA. Joe McClain was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph Fred.
McClain's career pitching line is 8 wins, 22 losses and a 4.42 ERA over 43 appearances. The same table counts 82 strikeouts. Against a 3.99 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.42 mark was 10.9% worse. McClain won 8 games in 1961, the most of any season listed. 1961 was McClain's sharpest full season, a 3.86 ERA against the league's 4.03.
The batting table for McClain shows 15 hits in 75 at bats (.200).
Every defensive appearance on record for McClain, 43 games, came at pitcher. On the mound, McClain's fielding totals are 16 putouts, 29 assists and 1 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe McClain
- What years did Joe McClain play?
- Joe McClain played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1962.
- Was Joe McClain a pitcher?
- Yes. Joe McClain pitched in the major leagues, recording 8 wins and 82 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Joe McClain hit?
- Joe McClain hit 0 career home runs with 15 hits.
- What teams did Joe McClain play for?
- Joe McClain played for one team, the Washington Senators (1961–1962).
- What were Joe McClain's career stats?
- In 43 games, Joe McClain went 8-22 with a 4.42 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 236.0 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
- What position did Joe McClain play?
- Joe McClain played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe McClain and how much did he weigh?
- Joe McClain was listed at 6 feet and 183 pounds.
- What was Joe McClain's career ERA?
- Joe McClain finished with a 4.42 career ERA, going 8-22 with 82 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Joe McClain have?
- Joe McClain recorded 82 career strikeouts.
- Is Joe McClain in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe McClain has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.