Joe Strain
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1979-1981)
Joe Strain was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1981 for the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 3 seasons. In 169 career games, he hit .250 with 130 hits, 1 home runs, and 29 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
- 5'10" / 169 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1979-06-28
- Last Game
- 1981-06-02
Full name: Joseph Allan Strain
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 169 | 520 | 60 | 130 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 9 | 28 | 38 | .250 | .292 | .288 | .581 | -1,510 |
Career AVG .250 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .292 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.
Career SLG .288 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — 25.4% below league average.
Career OPS .581 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — 18.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | SFN | NL | 67 | 257 | 27 | 62 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 21 | .241 | .265 (-9%) | .329 (-14%) | .397 (-27%) | .727 (-21%) | -838.6 |
| 1980 | SFN | NL | 77 | 189 | 26 | 54 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 10 | .286 | .264 (+8%) | .326 (-2%) | .387 (-18%) | .714 (-11%) | -301.0 |
| 1981 | CHN | NL | 25 | 74 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | .189 | .255 (-26%) | .320 (-22%) | .368 (-45%) | .688 (-34%) | -370.8 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 169 | 520 | 60 | 130 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 9 | 28 | 38 | .250 | — | — | — | — | -1,510 | ||
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 (169 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 86 | 263 | 35 | 70 | 0 | 15 | .266 |
| Away | 83 | 257 | 25 | 60 | 1 | 14 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-06-02 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981-05-31 | CHC | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981-05-26 | CHC | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981-05-25 | CHC | PIT | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1981-05-24 | CHC | WSN | W | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981-05-23 | CHC | WSN | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981-05-22 | CHC | WSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981-05-21 | CHC | CIN | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981-05-20 | CHC | CIN | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981-05-19 | CHC | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 129 |
| Third Base | 7 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley | CO | 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 |
Joe Strain: the record in brief
June 28, 1979 and June 2, 1981 bracket Joe Strain's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the San Francisco Giants (1979 through 1980) and the Chicago Cubs (1981). Strain played primarily as a second baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Born on April 30, 1954, in Denver, CO, USA, Strain was listed at 5-foot-10 and 169 pounds. Joe Strain was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph Allan.
The batting record for Strain: 169 games, 130 hits in 520 at bats, and a .250 average, adding 1 home run and 29 RBI. Strain got on base at a .292 rate and slugged .288 (.581 OPS). The .250 career average is close to the .263 the league hit across the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .581 to a league .713, 18.5% below average. Strain collected a career-high 62 hits in 1979. 1980 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .286 against a league .264, an 8% edge.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Strain
- What years did Joe Strain play?
- Joe Strain played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1981.
- Was Joe Strain a pitcher?
- No. Joe Strain was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Strain hit?
- Joe Strain hit 1 career home run with 130 hits.
- What teams did Joe Strain play for?
- Joe Strain played for 2 teams: the San Francisco Giants (1979–1980) and the Chicago Cubs (1981).
- What were Joe Strain's career stats?
- In 169 games, Joe Strain had 130 hits, 1 home runs, 29 RBI, 60 runs, and 9 stolen bases, with a .250 batting average.
- What position did Joe Strain play?
- Joe Strain played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Strain and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Strain was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 169 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Strain hit each season?
- Joe Strain's home runs by season: 1 in 1979, 0 in 1980, and 0 in 1981. His most in one season was 1, in 1979.
- What was Joe Strain's career batting average?
- Joe Strain batted .250 over his career, with 130 hits in 520 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Strain have?
- Joe Strain drove in 29 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Strain in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Strain has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.