Ginsberg, Joe

Myron Nathan Ginsberg

Ginsberg was a good defensive catcher who didn't hit much (lifetime .241 average), but who played between 1948-1962 for seven major league teams. Primarily a backup catcher for most of his career, Ginsberg nonetheless managed to finish 20th among all major league catchers for plate appearances in the 1950s! In 1962, Joe was the New York Mets' starting catcher in the franchise's first-ever home game. He played 2 games for the Mets that year before retiring.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. October 11, 1926

Career Highlights:
In 1948, his rookie year with the Detroit Tigers, Joe hit .361 (okay, it was in only 11 games, but still...). In 1951 and 1952, he was the regular catcher for the Tigers and hit 14 home runs over that time. He hit only 6 more home runs in the other 11 years he played, but one of them spoiled Vic Raschi's no-hit bid in 1952. Ginsberg batted .290 for two teams (Detroit and Cleveland) in 1953, and played for another 8 seasons. He caught for the Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City A's, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox, ending his career in 1962 with the expansion New York Mets.

Career Dates:
Ginsburg played for the Detroit Tigers, 1948, 1950-1953, the Cleveland Indians, 1953-1954, the Kansas City A's, 1956, the Baltimore Orioles, 1956-1960, the Chicago White Sox, 1960-1961, the Boston Red Sox, 1961, and the New York Mets, 1962.

Position:
Catcher

Physical description:
5'11", 180 pounds
Throws right, bats left

Career Statistics:
Games: 695
Batting Avg.: .241
Slugging Avg.: .320

At-bats: 1716
Hits: 414
Doubles: 59
Triples: 8

Home Runs: 20
Home Run %: 1.2
Runs: 168
RBI: 182

BB: 226
Strike Outs: 125
Stolen Bases: 7

Pinch Hitting
At-bats: 121
Hits: 22

Fielding Statistics
Put-outs: 2304
Assists: 234
Errors: 44
Double-plays: 40

Total Chances per Game: 4.5
Fielding Avg: .983

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