Joe Stephenson
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1943-1947)
Joe Stephenson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1947 for the New York Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 5 seasons. In 29 career games, he hit .179 with 12 hits and 4 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 185 lb
- Died
- 9/20/2001 in Fullerton, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1943-09-19
- Last Game
- 1947-07-11
Full name: Joseph Chester Stephenson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 67 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | .179 | .225 | .194 | .419 | 0 |
Career AVG .179 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 31.1% below league average.
Career OBP .225 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 31.5% below league average.
Career SLG .194 vs. league average .360 across their career seasons — 46.1% below league average.
Career OPS .419 vs. league average .689 across their career seasons — 39.1% 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 | NY1 | NL | 9 | 24 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | CHN | NL | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | CHA | AL | 16 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 29 | 67 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (29 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 11 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .056 |
| Away | 18 | 49 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4 | .224 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-07-11 | CHW | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-09 | CHW | NYY | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-02 | CHW | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-05-30 | CHW | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-30 | CHW | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-27 | CHW | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1947-05-25 | CHW | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-05-24 | CHW | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-23 | CHW | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-21 | CHW | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 22 |
Joe Stephenson: the record in brief
Joe Stephenson played a first major league game on September 19, 1943 and a last one on July 11, 1947. By club, Stephenson's seasons break down as the New York Giants (1943), the Chicago Cubs (1944), and the Chicago White Sox (1947). Stephenson, a catcher by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. Stephenson is listed at 185 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. The birth record reads June 30, 1921, in Detroit, MI, USA. The bio records the death on September 20, 2001, in Fullerton, CA, USA. Joe Stephenson was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph Chester.
Stephenson finished with 12 hits from 67 at bats in 29 games, which works out to .179, plus 4 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .225 and the slugging percentage .194, for an OPS of .419. Set against a .260 league average for the same years, Stephenson's .179 average sits 31.1% below it. The highest hit total in a season was 6, in 1943. The best average in the busiest seasons was .250, in 1943.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Stephenson
- What years did Joe Stephenson play?
- Joe Stephenson played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1947.
- Was Joe Stephenson a pitcher?
- No. Joe Stephenson was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Joe Stephenson hit?
- Joe Stephenson hit 0 career home runs with 12 hits.
- What teams did Joe Stephenson play for?
- Joe Stephenson played for 3 teams: the New York Giants (1943), the Chicago Cubs (1944), and the Chicago White Sox (1947).
- What were Joe Stephenson's career stats?
- In 29 games, Joe Stephenson had 12 hits, 4 RBI, 8 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .179 batting average.
- What position did Joe Stephenson play?
- Joe Stephenson played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Stephenson and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Stephenson was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 185 pounds.
- What was Joe Stephenson's career batting average?
- Joe Stephenson batted .179 over his career, with 12 hits in 67 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Stephenson have?
- Joe Stephenson drove in 4 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Stephenson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Stephenson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.