Joe Strong

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Joe Strong was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 8 teams, including the Cleveland Tate Stars. Across 235 career appearances, he went 77-72 with a 4.13 ERA and 540 strikeouts. He also batted .259 with 11 home runs. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 282.

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

W–L 77–72
ERA 4.13
WHIP 1.45
SO 540
Pitcher PIV 4451.5
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 176 lb
Born
8/4/1902 in Jackson, KY, USA
Died
11/12/1986 in Middletown, OH, USA

Full name: Joseph Talton Strong

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Career Pitching Statistics

Joe Strong — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
77 72 235 160 89 6 9 1320.1 1,435 606 58 479 540 4.13 4451.5

Career ERA 4.13 vs. league average 4.27 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Strong (b. 1902) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1922 CTS NNL 2 4 12 8 4 0 0 54.2 69 36 26 29 5.93 4.18 (-42%) 450.6
1923 MB NNL 4 14 27 17 11 0 1 155.1 189 83 57 57 4.81 4.03 (-19%) -596.0
1923 CAG NNL 3 1 4 4 2 1 0 32.1 33 6 9 11 1.67 4.03 (+59%) 611.7
1924 BBS ECL 3 2 9 5 2 0 0 50.1 47 24 16 30 4.29 4.13 (-4%) 261.8
1925 BBS ECL 11 10 30 17 11 2 4 156.1 149 69 43 42 3.97 4.55 (+13%) 2131.6
1926 BBS ECL 3 5 17 11 6 0 1 103.1 115 49 36 28 4.27 4.11 (-4%) -944.4
1927 BBS ECL 7 9 23 15 8 0 0 132.0 136 46 39 45 3.14 4.08 (+23%) 1285.5
1928 BBS ECL 1 1 5 5 1 0 0 21.2 31 13 13 8 5.40 4.13 (-31%) -736.8
1928 HIL EAS 3 3 9 8 4 0 0 64.0 85 35 20 15 4.92 4.13 (-19%) -61.4
1929 HIL ANL 9 2 20 12 8 1 0 109.2 106 34 37 45 2.79 4.60 (+39%) 1580.5
1929 HG ANL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0.1 4 4 2 0 108.00 — 0.0
1930 SLS NNL 9 4 19 12 7 0 1 100.0 110 46 54 51 4.14 4.80 (+14%) -1493.4
1931 SLS NNL 4 3 11 8 4 0 1 60.1 52 21 22 38 3.13 4.10 (+24%) 1164.3
1932 HG EWL 4 4 8 6 6 0 0 61.0 48 14 25 39 2.07 4.13 (+50%) 556.7
1933 HG NN2 2 1 6 3 2 0 1 29.1 25 8 14 14 2.45 3.86 (+36%) 18.1
1934 HG IND 5 2 9 9 6 2 0 66.2 70 34 22 33 4.59 4.29 (-7%) 821.5
1935 HG NN2 5 5 17 14 5 0 0 88.1 118 61 33 46 6.22 4.35 (-43%) -945.4
1936 HG NN2 1 0 3 1 1 0 0 11.0 16 6 3 3 4.91 4.59 (-7%) 263.6
1937 HG NN2 1 0 3 2 1 0 0 17.0 21 8 3 3 4.24 4.34 (+2%) 83.1
1937 PC NN2 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 6.2 11 9 5 3 12.15 — 0.0
Career · 20 seasons 77 72 235 160 89 6 9 1,320.1 1,435 606 479 540 4.13 — 4,451

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

Joe Strong — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
332 715 102 185 39 7 11 99 4 82 7 .259 .339 .379 .718 282

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .282 across their career seasons — 8.2% below league average.

Career OBP .339 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .379 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .718 vs. league average .742 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Strong (b. 1902) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1922 CTS NNL 15 22 4 7 4 0 0 4 0 2 0 .318 — — — — 0.0
1923 MB NNL 34 68 12 17 1 0 2 5 0 4 0 .250 .282 (-12%) .344 (-15%) .390 (-10%) .734 (-12%) -139.3
1923 CAG NNL 4 13 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 .154 — — — — -139.3
1924 BBS ECL 18 35 9 9 3 0 0 7 1 10 1 .257 — — — — 0.0
1925 BBS ECL 31 64 11 17 3 2 0 7 1 6 0 .266 .288 (-8%) .349 (-6%) .407 (-8%) .756 (-7%) -83.5
1926 BBS ECL 19 40 3 8 2 0 0 2 0 2 2 .200 — — — — 0.0
1927 BBS ECL 25 48 2 8 4 1 0 5 0 7 0 .167 — — — — -191.2
1928 BBS ECL 6 11 2 6 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 .545 — — — — 0.0
1928 HIL EAS 13 35 2 7 2 0 0 1 1 2 1 .200 — — — — 0.0
1929 HIL ANL 22 45 6 9 2 0 2 8 0 4 2 .200 — — — — 0.0
1929 HG ANL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1930 SLS NNL 24 37 7 8 1 2 1 4 0 10 0 .216 — — — — 0.0
1931 SLS NNL 13 30 3 8 1 0 0 5 0 2 0 .267 — — — — 0.0
1932 HG EWL 28 85 15 34 10 1 1 18 1 16 0 .400 .275 (+45%) .335 (+48%) .391 (+47%) .726 (+47%) 750.4
1933 HG NN2 21 60 9 17 0 0 2 10 0 5 0 .283 .270 (+5%) .329 (+3%) .377 (+2%) .707 (+2%) 30.2
1934 HG IND 17 51 6 10 1 1 1 7 0 4 1 .196 .278 (-29%) .340 (-25%) .392 (-20%) .733 (-22%) -196.2
1935 HG NN2 24 44 8 14 2 0 1 13 0 5 0 .318 — — — — 111.1
1936 HG NN2 11 16 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .188 — — — — 0.0
1937 HG NN2 3 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .143 — — — — 0.0
1937 PC NN2 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 20 seasons 332 715 102 185 39 7 11 99 4 82 7 .259 — — — — 142

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.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Joe Strong — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Joe Strong — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1930 NNC SLS 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Joe Strong — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 1 1 0 6.0 14 7 1 8 10.50

Playoff Pitching by Year

Joe Strong — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1930 NNC SLS 0 1 1 1 0 6.0 14 7 1 8 10.50

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (68 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Joe Strong — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home16245708.292
Away274781210.255

Pitching — Home / Away

Joe Strong — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home953.0411015301.70
Away1671.0991520251.90

Last 10 Games — Batting

Joe Strong — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1937-06-12 PTCNY5W 000000000
1937-06-07 PTCHOML 120000000
1937-06-05 PTCHOML 100000000
1937-05-20 HOMNW2L 110000000
1937-05-18 HOMNW2L 000000000
1936-09-07 HOMPTCL 101000000
1936-09-07 HOMPTCW 000000000
1936-08-19 HOMPH5L 000000000
1936-08-18 HOMPH5W 200000000
1936-08-07 HOMPH5L 300000010

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Joe Strong — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1937-06-12 PTCNY5 — 1.0120200
1937-06-07 PTCHOM L 4.0670331
1937-05-18 HOMNW2 — 1.0210000
1936-09-07 HOMPTC — 0.1320110
1936-08-19 HOMPH5 — 7.0040000
1935-09-02 HOMPTC W 7.11044240
1935-08-31 HOMPTC L 1.1070000
1935-08-25 HOMPH5 W 9.0940000
1935-08-17 HOMPTC W 8.0740230
1935-08-13 HOMBRN L 9.0742290

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Joe Strong — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 69 49 70 8 7 1
P 235 159 41 322 19 23
SS 2 1 3 3 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Joe Strong — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1922 CTS OF 2 1 1 0 0 0
1922 CTS P 12 8 2 16 0 3
1923 MB P 27 17 9 53 6 1
1923 CAG P 4 4 2 3 0 0
1924 BBS OF 7 6 9 0 0 0
1924 BBS P 9 5 2 19 0 0
1925 BBS OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1925 BBS P 30 16 0 0 1 0
1926 BBS OF 2 0 0 0 0 0
1926 BBS P 17 11 1 31 0 1
1927 BBS P 23 15 5 34 4 5
1928 BBS P 5 5 0 10 0 1
1928 HIL OF 2 1 3 0 0 0
1928 HIL P 9 8 1 20 2 2
1928 HIL SS 1 1 3 3 0 0
1929 HIL P 20 12 5 26 4 2
1929 HG P 1 1 0 0 0 0
1930 SLS OF 2 0 0 0 0 0
1930 SLS P 19 13 4 30 1 1
1931 SLS OF 1 1 1 0 1 0
1931 SLS P 11 8 1 18 0 1
1932 HG OF 21 19 30 0 1 0
1932 HG P 8 6 3 13 0 1
1933 HG OF 15 12 15 6 3 0
1933 HG P 6 2 0 7 0 1
1934 HG OF 8 5 4 2 1 1
1934 HG P 9 9 3 22 1 1
1935 HG OF 3 1 1 0 1 0
1935 HG P 17 14 3 14 0 3
1935 HG SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1936 HG OF 5 3 6 0 0 0
1936 HG P 3 1 0 0 0 0
1937 HG P 3 2 0 6 0 0
1937 PC P 2 2 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Joe Strong (b. 1902) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 235
Shortstop 2
Left Field 18
Center Field 10
Right Field 41

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

  1. 98
    Jumbo Elliott
    63-74, 4.24 ERA
  2. 86
    Elmer Myers
    55-72, 4.06 ERA
  3. 82
    Eggie Hensley
    85-45, 4.17 ERA
  4. 81
    Rick Waits
    79-92, 4.25 ERA
  5. 80
    Max Surkont
    61-76, 4.38 ERA
  6. 80
    Tony Kaufmann
    64-62, 4.18 ERA

Joe Strong: the record in brief

The season rows for Joe Strong begin in 1922. The season rows list, in order, the Cleveland Tate Stars (1922), the Milwaukee Bears (1923), the Chicago American Giants (1923), the Baltimore Black Sox (1924 through 1928), the Hilldale Club (1928 through 1929), the Homestead Grays (1929 through 1937), the St. Louis Stars (1930 through 1931), and the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1937). Strong, born on August 4, 1902, in Jackson, KY, USA, is listed as a pitcher and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5'11" and 176 pounds. Strong died on November 12, 1986, in Middletown, OH, USA. On the record, Joe Strong was born Joseph Talton Strong.

Across 235 games (160 starts), Strong recorded 77 wins against 72 losses with a 4.13 ERA. Also on Strong's record: 540 strikeouts, 89 complete games, and 6 shutouts. Strong's 4.13 ERA was close to the 4.27 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 11 wins of 1925. Strong struck out 57 batters in 1923, a career high.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Strong

Was Joe Strong a pitcher?
Yes. Joe Strong pitched in the major leagues, recording 77 wins and 540 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Joe Strong hit?
Joe Strong hit 11 career home runs with 185 hits.
What teams did Joe Strong play for?
Joe Strong played for 8 teams: the Cleveland Tate Stars (1922), the Milwaukee Bears (1923), the Chicago American Giants (1923), the Baltimore Black Sox (1924–1928), the Hilldale Club (1928–1929), the Homestead Grays (1929, 1932–1937), the St. Louis Stars (1930–1931), and the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1937).
What were Joe Strong's career stats?
In 235 games, Joe Strong went 77-72 with a 4.13 ERA, 540 strikeouts, 1,320.1 innings pitched, and 9 saves. At the plate he had 185 hits and 11 home runs.
What position did Joe Strong play?
Joe Strong played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Joe Strong and how much did he weigh?
Joe Strong was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 176 pounds.
What was Joe Strong's career ERA?
Joe Strong finished with a 4.13 career ERA, going 77-72 with 540 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Joe Strong have?
Joe Strong recorded 540 career strikeouts.
Is Joe Strong in the Hall of Fame?
No. Joe Strong has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.