Joe Tinker
Shortstop · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1902-1916)
Joe Tinker was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1902 to 1916 for the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Chicago Whales, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,806 career games, he hit .262 with 1,690 hits, 31 home runs, and 783 RBI. Joe Tinker was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,779.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 175 lb
- Died
- 7/27/1948 in Orlando, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1902-04-17
- Last Game
- 1916-09-22
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1946 (BBWAA)
Full name: Joseph Bert Tinker
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,806 | 6,441 | 774 | 1,690 | 263 | 114 | 31 | 783 | 336 | 416 | 526 | .262 | .308 | .353 | .661 | 1,779 |
Career AVG .262 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .308 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .353 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — +6.6% above league average.
Career OPS .661 vs. league average .647 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | CHN | NL | 133 | 501 | 55 | 132 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 55 | 27 | 26 | 61 | .263 | .266 (-1%) | .321 (-7%) | .343 (-3%) | .665 (-5%) | -429.2 |
| 1903 | CHN | NL | 124 | 460 | 67 | 134 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 70 | 27 | 37 | 57 | .291 | .261 (+11%) | .316 (+9%) | .345 (+10%) | .662 (+10%) | 827.7 |
| 1904 | CHN | NL | 141 | 488 | 55 | 108 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 41 | 41 | 29 | 53 | .221 | .246 (-10%) | .300 (-11%) | .321 (-1%) | .622 (-6%) | -505.5 |
| 1905 | CHN | NL | 149 | 547 | 70 | 135 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 66 | 31 | 34 | 49 | .247 | .248 (-1%) | .307 (-5%) | .322 (-1%) | .629 (-3%) | -293.9 |
| 1906 | CHN | NL | 148 | 523 | 75 | 122 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 64 | 30 | 43 | 43 | .233 | .247 (-6%) | .307 (-5%) | .315 (-8%) | .622 (-7%) | -472.3 |
| 1907 | CHN | NL | 117 | 402 | 36 | 89 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 36 | 20 | 25 | 31 | .221 | .245 (-10%) | .304 (-12%) | .308 (-12%) | .613 (-12%) | -694.5 |
| 1908 | CHN | NL | 157 | 548 | 67 | 146 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 68 | 30 | 32 | 38 | .266 | .240 (+11%) | .298 (+3%) | .306 (+27%) | .605 (+15%) | 1199.8 |
| 1909 | CHN | NL | 143 | 516 | 56 | 132 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 57 | 23 | 17 | 45 | .256 | .244 (+5%) | .306 (-9%) | .312 (+19%) | .618 (+5%) | 131.4 |
| 1910 | CHN | NL | 134 | 473 | 48 | 136 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 69 | 20 | 24 | 35 | .288 | .249 (+15%) | .317 (+1%) | .326 (+22%) | .644 (+12%) | 766.2 |
| 1911 | CHN | NL | 144 | 536 | 61 | 149 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 69 | 30 | 39 | 31 | .278 | .266 (+4%) | .336 (-3%) | .356 (+9%) | .693 (+3%) | 179.3 |
| 1912 | CHN | NL | 142 | 550 | 80 | 155 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 75 | 25 | 38 | 21 | .282 | .268 (+5%) | .335 (-2%) | .358 (-2%) | .694 (-2%) | -203.5 |
| 1913 | CIN | NL | 110 | 382 | 47 | 121 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 57 | 10 | 20 | 26 | .317 | .259 (+22%) | .325 (+8%) | .345 (+29%) | .670 (+19%) | 1123.7 |
| 1914 | CHF | FL | 126 | 438 | 50 | 112 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 46 | 19 | 38 | 30 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .322 (-2%) | .339 (+3%) | .661 (+1%) | -9.5 |
| 1915 | CHF | FL | 31 | 67 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 5 | .269 | .250 (+7%) | .318 (+22%) | .332 (-1%) | .651 (+10%) | 159.6 |
| 1916 | CHN | NL | 7 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 1,806 | 6,441 | 774 | 1,690 | 263 | 114 | 31 | 783 | 336 | 416 | 526 | .262 | — | — | — | — | 1,779 | ||
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
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1809 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 885 | 3017 | 350 | 762 | 16 | 336 | .253 |
| Away | 924 | 3420 | 425 | 928 | 15 | 424 | .271 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-09-22 | CHC | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-16 | CHC | PHI | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-07-04 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-07-01 | CHC | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-06-29 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-06-28 | CHC | PIT | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1916-05-14 | CHC | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-08-21 | CHF | BUF | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915-08-20 | CHF | BUF | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1915-08-18 | CHF | BLF | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 5 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 3B | 43 | 1 | 45 | 82 | 11 | 1 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 1745 | 979 | 3768 | 5856 | 635 | 671 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | CHN | 3B | 8 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 1902 | CHN | SS | 126 | 0 | 253 | 461 | 72 | 49 |
| 1903 | CHN | 3B | 19 | 0 | 17 | 38 | 6 | 0 |
| 1903 | CHN | SS | 107 | 0 | 229 | 362 | 61 | 37 |
| 1904 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1904 | CHN | SS | 140 | 140 | 327 | 465 | 64 | 54 |
| 1905 | CHN | SS | 149 | 149 | 345 | 527 | 56 | 67 |
| 1906 | CHN | 3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1906 | CHN | SS | 147 | 147 | 288 | 472 | 45 | 55 |
| 1907 | CHN | SS | 113 | 113 | 215 | 390 | 39 | 45 |
| 1908 | CHN | SS | 157 | 157 | 314 | 570 | 39 | 48 |
| 1909 | CHN | SS | 143 | 142 | 320 | 470 | 50 | 49 |
| 1910 | CHN | SS | 132 | 131 | 277 | 411 | 42 | 54 |
| 1911 | CHN | SS | 143 | 0 | 333 | 486 | 55 | 56 |
| 1912 | CHN | SS | 142 | 0 | 354 | 470 | 50 | 73 |
| 1913 | CIN | 3B | 9 | 0 | 14 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 1913 | CIN | SS | 101 | 0 | 223 | 320 | 18 | 34 |
| 1914 | CHF | SS | 125 | 0 | 271 | 408 | 38 | 48 |
| 1915 | CHF | 2B | 5 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 1915 | CHF | 3B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915 | CHF | SS | 16 | 0 | 16 | 37 | 5 | 2 |
| 1916 | CHN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916 | CHN | SS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 43 |
| Shortstop | 1745 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 22.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1911 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 11.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Tinker (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Joe Tinker
Joe Tinker: the record in brief
Joe Tinker's major league career runs from a debut on April 17, 1902 to a final game on September 22, 1916. By club, Tinker's seasons break down as the Chicago Orphans (1902), the Chicago Cubs (1903 through 1916), the Cincinnati Reds (1913), the Chicago Chi-Feds (1914), and the Chicago Whales (1915). Tinker played primarily as a shortstop and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on July 27, 1880, in Muscotah, KS, USA and a listed size of 175 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. Tinker's death is recorded on July 27, 1948, in Orlando, FL, USA. The given name on file is Joseph Bert Tinker.
Tinker's career batting table shows 1,806 games, 6,441 at bats and 1,690 hits, a .262 average, plus 31 home runs, 783 RBI, and 336 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .308 and the slugging percentage .353, for an OPS of .661. Against a .253 league average for those years, Tinker's .262 average was near the norm.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Tinker
- What years did Joe Tinker play?
- Joe Tinker played in Major League Baseball from 1902 to 1916.
- Was Joe Tinker a pitcher?
- No. Joe Tinker was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Joe Tinker hit?
- Joe Tinker hit 31 career home runs with 1,690 hits.
- Is Joe Tinker in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Joe Tinker was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
- What teams did Joe Tinker play for?
- Joe Tinker played for 3 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1902–1912, 1916), the Cincinnati Reds (1913), and the Chicago Whales (1914–1915).
- What were Joe Tinker's career stats?
- In 1,806 games, Joe Tinker had 1,690 hits, 31 home runs, 783 RBI, 774 runs, and 336 stolen bases, with a .262 batting average.
- What position did Joe Tinker play?
- Joe Tinker played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Tinker and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Tinker was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Tinker hit each season?
- Joe Tinker's home runs by season: 2 in 1902, 2 in 1903, 3 in 1904, 2 in 1905, 1 in 1906, 1 in 1907, 6 in 1908, 4 in 1909, 3 in 1910, 4 in 1911, 0 in 1912, 1 in 1913, 2 in 1914, 0 in 1915, and 0 in 1916. His most in one season was 6, in 1908.
- What was Joe Tinker's career batting average?
- Joe Tinker batted .262 over his career, with 1,690 hits in 6,441 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Tinker have?
- Joe Tinker drove in 783 runs in his career.