Joe Kuhel
Encyclopedia
Joseph Anthony Kuhel was a first baseman
and manager
in Major League Baseball
. From 1930 through 1946, Kuhel played for the Washington Senators
(1930–37, 1944-1946[start]) and Chicago White Sox
(1938–43, 1946[end]-1944). He batted and threw left-handed. Following his playing career, Kuhel managed the Washington Senators (1948–49). He was born in Cleveland, Ohio
.
In a 18-season career, Kuhel was a .277 hitter
with 131 home run
s and 1049 RBI
in 2104 games played
.
Kuhel was the best defensive first baseman in the American League
during the 1930s, but also was an inconsistent player who struggled with injuries most of his career. Hampered by playing in Griffith Stadium
most of his career, his power numbers were never as good as they may have been in a less unpleasant hitters park.
Kuhel started his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1930 and replaced Joe Judge
on a regular basis a year later. He appeared in 139 games, batting .269 with eight home runs and 85 RBI. In the Senators' pennant year of 1933, Kuhel hit 11 home runs with 107 RBIs and posted career-highs in batting average (.322) and hits
(194). He also led AL first basemen with 1,498 putout
s.
Kuhel seemed headed to another solid season in 1934, hitting .289 with three homers in 63 games, but he suffered a broken ankle in July and was out for the remainder of the season. He was healthy in 1935, hitting .261 with 74 RBIs in 151 games. His most productive season came in 1936, when he hit .321 with 16 home runs and set career-highs in doubles
(42), RBIs (118) and slugging percentage (.502), while swiped
15 bases and struck out
just 30 times. He finished sixth in the American League MVP Award
voting tied with Vern Kennedy
, behind Lou Gehrig
, Luke Appling
, Earl Averill
, Charlie Gehringer
and Bill Dickey
, and over Joe DiMaggio
, Tommy Bridges
, Hal Trosky
and Jimmie Foxx
.
After his stellar season, Kuhel slumped in 1937, batting .283 but with low numbers in home runs, RBIs and slugging (6, 61, .400). Before the 1938 season he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for slugger Zeke Bonura
in a swap of first basemen. In the more forgiving Comiskey Park
, Kuhel hit for more power, averaging 18 home runs from 1939–1941, and tying Bonura's franchise record with 27 homers in 1940. But after struggling to .249, four homers, 52 RBIs in 1942, and .213, 5, 46 in 1943, Kuhel was let go by Chicago.
Before the 1944 season Kuhel returned with Washington. He hit .282 in his first two seasons back in a Senators' uniform, but when Mickey Vernon
returned from World War II
in 1946, Kuhel was expendable and was sold back to the White Sox in the midseason. After three pinch-hit appearances in 1947 he retired as a player.
In 1948 Kuhel was brought back to Washington to manage the Senators. In two seasons, he had a 106-201 record that produced a seventh and eighth place finish. After being fired, he managed the Kansas City Blues
in the American Association
.
Kuhel died in Kansas City, Kansas
, at age of 77.
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. From 1930 through 1946, Kuhel played for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1930–37, 1944-1946[start]) and Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1938–43, 1946[end]-1944). He batted and threw left-handed. Following his playing career, Kuhel managed the Washington Senators (1948–49). He was born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
In a 18-season career, Kuhel was a .277 hitter
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 131 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 1049 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 2104 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
Kuhel was the best defensive first baseman in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
during the 1930s, but also was an inconsistent player who struggled with injuries most of his career. Hampered by playing in Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
most of his career, his power numbers were never as good as they may have been in a less unpleasant hitters park.
Kuhel started his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1930 and replaced Joe Judge
Joe Judge
Joseph Ignatius Judge was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Washington Senators...
on a regular basis a year later. He appeared in 139 games, batting .269 with eight home runs and 85 RBI. In the Senators' pennant year of 1933, Kuhel hit 11 home runs with 107 RBIs and posted career-highs in batting average (.322) and hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(194). He also led AL first basemen with 1,498 putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s.
Kuhel seemed headed to another solid season in 1934, hitting .289 with three homers in 63 games, but he suffered a broken ankle in July and was out for the remainder of the season. He was healthy in 1935, hitting .261 with 74 RBIs in 151 games. His most productive season came in 1936, when he hit .321 with 16 home runs and set career-highs in doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(42), RBIs (118) and slugging percentage (.502), while swiped
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
15 bases and struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
just 30 times. He finished sixth in the American League MVP Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting tied with Vern Kennedy
Vern Kennedy
Lloyd Vernon Kennedy was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1934 through 1945, he played for the Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds...
, behind Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, Luke Appling
Luke Appling
Lucius Benjamin Appling was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago White Sox . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964....
, Earl Averill
Earl Averill
Howard Earl Averill was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a center fielder from 1929 to 1941...
, Charlie Gehringer
Charlie Gehringer
Charles Leonard Gehringer , nicknamed “The Mechanical Man,” was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played 19 seasons for the Detroit Tigers...
and Bill Dickey
Bill Dickey
William Malcolm Dickey was a Major League Baseball catcher and manager.He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the New York Yankees . During Dickey's playing career, the Yankees went to the World Series nine times, winning eight championships...
, and over Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, Tommy Bridges
Tommy Bridges
Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers from 1930 to 1946...
, Hal Trosky
Hal Trosky
Harold Arthur Trosky, Sr., born Harold Arthur Trojovsky , was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox . Trosky was born in Norway, Iowa. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.Trosky had a career .302 batting average, with a...
and Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
.
After his stellar season, Kuhel slumped in 1937, batting .283 but with low numbers in home runs, RBIs and slugging (6, 61, .400). Before the 1938 season he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for slugger Zeke Bonura
Zeke Bonura
Henry John Bonura was a first baseman in Major League Baseball. From through , he played for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs . Bonura batted and threw right-handed...
in a swap of first basemen. In the more forgiving Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
, Kuhel hit for more power, averaging 18 home runs from 1939–1941, and tying Bonura's franchise record with 27 homers in 1940. But after struggling to .249, four homers, 52 RBIs in 1942, and .213, 5, 46 in 1943, Kuhel was let go by Chicago.
Before the 1944 season Kuhel returned with Washington. He hit .282 in his first two seasons back in a Senators' uniform, but when Mickey Vernon
Mickey Vernon
James Barton "Mickey" Vernon was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators for the majority of his career, as well as four other teams: the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates...
returned from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1946, Kuhel was expendable and was sold back to the White Sox in the midseason. After three pinch-hit appearances in 1947 he retired as a player.
In 1948 Kuhel was brought back to Washington to manage the Senators. In two seasons, he had a 106-201 record that produced a seventh and eighth place finish. After being fired, he managed the Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
in the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
.
Kuhel died in Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, at age of 77.
Highlights
- In a game against the TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
had the only hit off Tommy BridgesTommy BridgesThomas Jefferson Davis Bridges was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers from 1930 to 1946...
, a home run. It was the first time in the American League that a pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
allowed a home run in a one-hitter game (May 24, 1933) - Led American League first basemen in putouts (1933)
- Tied an AL record with three triplesTriple (baseball)In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in a game (August 22, 1936) - Finished sixth in the American League MVP Award voting (1936)
- In a doubleheader against the Philadelphia AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
recorded 40 putouts –17 in the first game, and 23 in the second–, eclipsing a 35-year-old record for putouts by a first baseman in a doubleheader held by Hal ChaseHal ChaseHarold Homer Chase , nicknamed "Prince Hal", was a first baseman in Major League Baseball, widely viewed as the best fielder at his position...
(July 20, 1941) - Hit a inside-the-park home runInside-the-park home runIn baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
at Griffith Stadium, for the only HR hit by a Washington player at home in a season (September 7, 1945) - In his career collected 2,212 hits and a 1.60 walk-to-strikeout ratioWalk-to-strikeout ratioIn baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
(980-to-612)
See also
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases