Joe Quest
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1871-1886)
Joe Quest was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1886 for 7 teams, including the Cleveland Forest Citys, a span of 16 seasons. In 596 career games, he hit .217 with 499 hits, 1 home runs, and 161 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'6" / 150 lb
- Died
- 11/14/1924 in San Diego, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1871-08-30
- Last Game
- 1886-07-13
Full name: Joseph L. Quest
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 596 | 2,295 | 300 | 499 | 78 | 17 | 1 | 161 | 5 | 104 | 161 | .217 | .252 | .268 | .520 | -4,178 |
Career AVG .217 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 12.8% below league average.
Career OBP .252 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 11.5% below league average.
Career SLG .268 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 19.3% below league average.
Career OPS .520 vs. league average .617 across their career seasons — 15.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | CL1 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | |
| 1878 | IN1 | NL | 62 | 278 | 45 | 57 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 24 | .205 | .259 (-21%) | .278 (-15%) | .319 (-28%) | .597 (-22%) | -740.4 |
| 1879 | CHN | NL | 83 | 334 | 38 | 69 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 33 | .207 | .255 (-19%) | .270 (-16%) | .328 (-21%) | .599 (-19%) | -789.6 |
| 1880 | CHN | NL | 82 | 300 | 37 | 71 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 8 | 16 | .237 | .244 (-3%) | .267 (-4%) | .319 (-11%) | .586 (-8%) | -281.8 |
| 1881 | CHN | NL | 78 | 293 | 35 | 72 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 29 | .246 | .260 (-6%) | .290 (-14%) | .338 (-18%) | .628 (-16%) | -643.0 |
| 1882 | CHN | NL | 42 | 159 | 24 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 16 | .201 | .248 (-19%) | .275 (-13%) | .329 (-22%) | .605 (-18%) | -362.8 |
| 1883 | DTN | NL | 37 | 137 | 22 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 18 | .234 | .257 (-9%) | .285 (avg) | .345 (-7%) | .631 (-4%) | -53.7 |
| 1883 | SL4 | AA | 19 | 78 | 12 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .256 | .257 (avg) | .285 (-7%) | .345 (-7%) | .631 (-7%) | -53.7 |
| 1884 | SL4 | AA | 81 | 310 | 46 | 64 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | .206 | .243 (-15%) | .278 (-8%) | .327 (-18%) | .606 (-13%) | -520.2 |
| 1884 | PT1 | AA | 12 | 43 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .209 | — | — | — | — | -520.2 |
| 1885 | DTN | NL | 55 | 200 | 24 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 25 | .195 | .244 (-20%) | .287 (-14%) | .325 (-22%) | .613 (-18%) | -477.7 |
| 1886 | PH4 | AA | 42 | 150 | 14 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 20 | 0 | .207 | .246 (-16%) | .302 (-1%) | .331 (-26%) | .634 (-14%) | -226.1 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 596 | 2,295 | 300 | 499 | 78 | 17 | 1 | 161 | 5 | 104 | 161 | .217 | — | — | — | — | -4,669 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 530 | 2 | 1597 | 1739 | 370 | 212 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 66 | 1 | 80 | 213 | 54 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | CL1 | 2B | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 1871 | CL1 | SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1878 | IN1 | 2B | 62 | 0 | 228 | 196 | 60 | 27 |
| 1879 | CHN | 2B | 83 | 0 | 263 | 331 | 48 | 30 |
| 1880 | CHN | 2B | 80 | 0 | 223 | 270 | 58 | 26 |
| 1880 | CHN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1880 | CHN | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1881 | CHN | 2B | 77 | 0 | 238 | 249 | 37 | 28 |
| 1881 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | CHN | 2B | 41 | 0 | 113 | 127 | 33 | 18 |
| 1882 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1883 | DTN | 2B | 37 | 0 | 114 | 112 | 26 | 25 |
| 1883 | SL4 | 2B | 19 | 0 | 48 | 49 | 12 | 4 |
| 1884 | SL4 | 2B | 81 | 0 | 234 | 244 | 57 | 39 |
| 1884 | PT1 | 2B | 7 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 3 | 4 |
| 1884 | PT1 | SS | 5 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 2 |
| 1885 | DTN | 2B | 39 | 0 | 107 | 122 | 26 | 10 |
| 1885 | DTN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | DTN | SS | 15 | 0 | 10 | 46 | 11 | 3 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 2B | 2 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| 1886 | PH4 | SS | 41 | 0 | 56 | 138 | 35 | 15 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 530 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Shortstop | 66 |
| Left Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Quest (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Joe Quest: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 30, 1871 and the final game on July 13, 1886, Joe Quest built the record summarized on this page. By club, Quest's seasons break down as the Cleveland Forest Citys (1871), the Indianapolis Blues (1878), the Chicago White Stockings (1879 through 1882), the Detroit Wolverines (1883 to 1885), the St. Louis Browns (1883 through 1884), the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1884), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1886). Quest played primarily as a second baseman and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on November 16, 1852, in New Castle, PA, USA and a listed size of 5 feet, 6 inches and 150 pounds. Quest's death is recorded on November 14, 1924, in San Diego, CA, USA. Quest's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph L. Quest.
In 596 games and 2,295 at bats, Quest batted .217 with 499 hits, plus 1 home run and 161 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .252 clip and slugging .268, Quest finished with a .520 OPS. The league as a whole hit .249 across Quest's seasons, which puts the .217 career mark 12.8% below average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Quest
- What years did Joe Quest play?
- Joe Quest played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1886.
- Was Joe Quest a pitcher?
- No. Joe Quest was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Quest hit?
- Joe Quest hit 1 career home runs with 499 hits.
- What was Joe Quest's career batting average?
- Joe Quest batted .217 over his career, with 499 hits in 2,295 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Quest have?
- Joe Quest drove in 161 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Quest in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Quest has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.