Joseph Martin Napoleon Munson (November 6, 1899 – February 24, 1991; born Joseph Martin Napoleon Carlson) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1925 and 1926. Listed at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and 184 pounds (83 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
| Joe Munson | |
|---|---|
 Munson, circa 1930 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: Joseph Martin Napoleon Carlson November 6, 1899 Renovo, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: February 24, 1991 (aged 91) Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 18, 1925, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 4, 1926, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .287 |
| Home runs | 3 |
| Runs batted in | 18 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Biography
editMunson attended Lehigh University, where he played college baseball.[1] He then played in the minor leagues from 1918 through 1932,[2] initially playing under the name "Joe Martin".[citation needed] With the Harrisburg Senators in 1925, he won the Eastern League triple crown,[citation needed] leading the league with a .400 batting average, 33 home runs and 129 RBIs, while also recording 188 hits, 132 runs scored, and 17 triples.[2] For the Tulsa Oilers in the Western League, he batted .383 in 1927, won the batting title with .385 in 1928, and then hit .369 in 1929.[2] After the 1932 season, he retired with a .335 minor league lifetime average and 2,050 hits.[citation needed]
Munson played in a total of 42 major league games, all with the Chicago Cubs.[3] In 1925, he played in nine games, batting .371 (13-for-35) with three RBIs.[4] In 1926, he played in 33 games, batting .257 (26-for-101) with three home runs and 15 RBIs.[4] Overall in MLB, Munson was a .287 hitter (39-for-136) with three home runs and 18 RBIs.[4] Defensively, he played 21 games in right field and 16 games in left field, with a .922 fielding average.[4]
Munson was born in Renovo, Pennsylvania.[3] A 1925 newspaper article noted that he was studying art in St. Louis during the baseball offseason.[5] On his draft registration card of February 1942, he listed his employer as the Union Tank Car Company in Philadelphia.[6] He died at the age of 91 in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and was buried under his birth name.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Lehigh University Baseball Players Who Made It to the Major Leagues". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Joe Munson Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Joe Munson". Retrosheet. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Joe Munson Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "An Artists As Well As a Hitter Is Joseph Martin Napoleon Carlson". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. November 20, 1925. p. 28. Retrieved July 30, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "WWII Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. February 1942. Retrieved July 30, 2020 – via fold3.com.
Further reading
edit- Cherry, Brice (June 10, 2013). "Recently discovered photo a tale of Waco's baseball past". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Joe Munson at Find a Grave