Joe Clarence Hague (April 25, 1944 – November 5, 1994) was a professional baseball player. Over his eight-year career, Hague spent six in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
. In 430 major league games, Hague
batted .239 with 141 runs, 286 hits, 41 doubles, 10 triples, 40 home runs, and 163 runs batted in (RBIs). Over his major league career, Hague played
first base
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
(232 games), and
outfield
The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
In cricket, baseball and ...
(272 games). Hague played for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
and the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
in his six-year major league career.
Over his
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
career, Hague batted .279 with 515 hits, 109 doubles, 18 triples, and 75 home runs in 510 games. Like in his major league career, Hague played both first base (352 games) and outfield (20 games) in the minors. Hague played with four different teams that three levels of the minor leagues in his career. His first professional team was the Class-A
Cedar Rapids Cardinals
Cedar may refer to:
Trees and plants
*''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae
*Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar
Places United States
* Cedar, Arizona
* ...
followed by the Double-A
Arkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are affiliated with the Seattle Mariners as members of the Texas League.
History
The team succeeded ...
, and eventually the Triple-A
Tulsa Oilers
The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tuls ...
. Hague made his major league debut on September 19, 1968. He went on to play for the Triple-A Tulsa Oilers for a second time (1969) and the Triple-A
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...
(1973) in the minors.
Amateur career
Hague attended Bel Air High School in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
. At Bel Air, Hague played football, baseball, and basketball.
He stated that he only played basketball for the coordination.
After high school, Hague was pursued by the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, however, no deal ever formed.
He went on to attend the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
(UT Austin) in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. At UT Austin, Hague was described as a "top college prospect" by the Associated Press in 1965. Hague began his career at UT Austin as a
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
and
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
on the
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
before giving it up after one season to pursue opportunities in baseball.
Hague was one of the top hitters in the country leading the country in doubles, home runs, and runs batted in through April 11, 1965. It was speculated by the Associated Press that Hague would be selected in the
1965 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1965 Major League Baseball Draft is the first year in which a draft took place for Major League Baseball. It was held on June 8–9 in New York City.
In Major League Baseball's first Free Agent Amateur Draft, the Kansas City Athletics selec ...
; however, he went undrafted. Hague spent the summer starring with Galesburg in the
Central Illinois Collegiate League
The Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) was a collegiate wooden bat summer baseball league. It was composed of five teams from Illinois and Indiana. The CICL was founded in 1963 as a charter member of National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...
, and on August 31, 1965, he signed a contract with the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
, receiving a bonus in excess of $10,000. He then returned to school until beginning his career the following year.
Professional career
St. Louis Cardinals
Hague began his professional career in 1966 with the Class-A
Cedar Rapids Cardinals
Cedar may refer to:
Trees and plants
*''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae
*Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar
Places United States
* Cedar, Arizona
* ...
of the
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. In his first professional
at-bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...
, Hague hit a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
.
With Cedar Rapids, Hague
batted .251 with 109
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
, 24
doubles, six
triples
TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
, and nine
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
in 119 games. On the defensive side, Hague played exclusively at first base. Hague was first on the Cardinals in
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Basebal ...
; second in at-bats (435), doubles, and triples; and third in hits.
Hague was promoted to the Double-A
Arkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are affiliated with the Seattle Mariners as members of the Texas League.
History
The team succeeded ...
in 1967, his second professional season. In 140 games, Hague batted .271 with 73
runs, 141 hits, 28 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs, 95 runs batted in (RBIs), and 10 stolen bases. On the Travelers, Hague was first in games played,
plate appearances
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...
(569), at-bats (521), runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs,
walks (48), batting average,
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
(.484),
on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
(.816), and
total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, while ...
(252). Hague was first in the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
in games played, and RBIs; tied for second in home runs; third in doubles, plate appearances, and at-bats; and fourth in hits. He played all 140 games at first base and committed 14
errors in 1391
total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...
. In October 1967, Hague was added to the St. Louis Cardinals'
40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
.
Before the start of the 1968 season, the St. Louis Cardinals re-signed Hague. After spending
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
with the Cardinals, Hague was optioned to the Triple-A
Tulsa Oilers
The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tuls ...
of the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
. With the Oilers, Hague batted .293 with 81 runs, 155 hits, 34 doubles, eight triples, 23 home runs, 99 RBIs, and four stolen bases in 147 games. He was first on the Oilers in games played, plate appearances (589), at-bats (529), hits, triples, and total bases (274); tied for first in home runs; second in RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage (.518), and on-base plus slugging (.883). Hague led the Pacific Coast League in games played, and total bases; was second in RBIs; was tied for second in home runs; and was third in hits, and doubles. That season, Hague made his major league debut. His first major league game was on September 19, against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
where he scored one run after he was walked once.
Hague's first hit was a home run, coming on September 20 against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
.
In his first season at the major league level, he batted .235 with two runs, four hits, one home run, one RBI, and two walks in seven games.
Originally at the start of the 1969 season, it looked as if there would be little chance that Hague would get playing time behind then-first baseman
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes (; born September 17, 1937), nicknamed "the Baby Bull" and "Peruchin", is a Puerto Rican former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for six teams from 1958 to 1974, primarily the San Francisco Giants. A ...
. During spring training, however, the Cardinal traded Cepeda for
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball executive, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief baseb ...
and it was noted that Hague might get more playing time in the majors. Hague made the Cardinals' 25-man roster out of spring training. In his first eight games, Hague went hitless.
Hague was sent down to the Triple-A Tulsa Oilers in June. With the Oilers, Hague batted .332 with 63 runs, 95 hits, 20 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, and 53 RBIs in 84 games. Hague was a
September call-up
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
for the Cardinals late in the season along with five other players. In the majors that season, Hague batted .170 with eight runs, 17 hits, two doubles, one triple, two home runs, and eight RBIs in 40 games.
Going into the 1970 season, the Cardinals'
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst (; February 2, 1923 – June 6, 2018) was an American professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB), and is largely known for his coaching, managing, and playing years wit ...
stated that he would give the starting first baseman job to Hague. It was also noted that Hague would get playing time in right field. Hague re-signed with the Cardinals in February 1970. In a Cardinals' 9–2 win over the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
on May 29, Hague had four hits and drove in five runs. On the season, Hague batted .271 with 58 runs, 122 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 68 RBIs, and two stolen bases in 139 games. On the defensive side, Hague played 82 games at first base where he committed four errors in 724 chances, and 52 games in the outfield where he committed one error in 81 chances. Hague was third on the Cardinals in home runs, and walks (63). That season, Hague set career highs in games played, plate appearances, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, stolen bases, walks,
strikeouts
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
, batting average,
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
,
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
, and
on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
.
In December 1970, Hague re-signed with the Cardinals. Hague stated that he wasn't satisfied with his performance during the 1970 season.
Hague also acknowledged he had a weight problem and attempted to address it by showing up to spring training early.
On June 5, 1971, Hague hit two home runs against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
in a 5–3 Cardinals victory. Hague batted .226 with 46 runs, 86 hits, nine doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, and 54 RBIs in 129 games with the Cardinals. Hague was second on the team home runs, and was third in walks (63), and strikeouts (69) in 1971. On the defensive side, Hague played 91 games at first base, and committed three errors in 671 chances; and 36 games in the outfield, and committed two errors in 60 chances. He set a career high in home runs in 1971.
In February 1972, Hague re-signed with the Cardinals. During the 1972 offseason, the Cardinals were in trade negotiations with the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
to get
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...
Dave Roberts in exchange for left fielder
Luis Meléndez and
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
Milt Ramirez.
Hague was disappointed that the trade fell through because he felt the Cardinals could win the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
with Roberts, and without Meléndez, Hague would have a starting spot on the team.
On May 19, Hague was traded to the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
for outfielder
Bernie Carbo
Bernardo Carbo (born August 5, 1947) is an American former outfielder and designated hitter who played from through for the Cincinnati Reds (1969–72), St. Louis Cardinals (1972–73, 1979–80), Boston Red Sox (1974–76, 1977–78), Milwaukee ...
. Hague played 27 games with the Cardinals that season and batted .237 with eight runs, 18 hits, five doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 11 RBIs.
Cincinnati Reds
After the trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, it was noted by the ''
Christian Science Monitor
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
'' that Hague was expected to be a key in the Reds' success. On the season with the Reds, Hague batted .246 with 17 runs, 34 hits, seven doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 20 RBIs in 69 games. Hague played in the
1972 National League Championship Series
The 1972 National League Championship Series was played between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates from October 7 to 11. It was the fourth NLCS. Cincinnati won the series three games to two to advance to the World Series against th ...
with the Reds and went hitless in one at-bat and two walks. He also played three games in the
1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1972 season. The 69th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League champion Oakland Athletics and the National League ...
, going hitless in three at-bats. Hague returned to the Reds in 1973 and split time between the majors and minors. On June 9, 1973, Hague was placed on the disabled list after suffering a dislocated bone in his right hand. With the Reds that season, Hague batted .152 with two runs, five hits, two doubles, one home run, and one RBI in 19 games. He played 20 games with the Triple-A
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...
in the minor leagues and batted .203 with 15 hits, and three doubles. On March 28, 1974, Hague was placed on waivers by the Reds and eventually released.
Personal
Hague was born in
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and the largest city in the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A h ...
, however, as a child his family moved to
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
.
Hague had a wife, Mickey, whom he had a daughter with.
His father was a Chief Master Sergeant in the United States Army.
As a player, Hague made it a personal preference not to use profanity and instead replaced it in his speech with the word ''mullet''.
Hague, who said that he used profanity a lot as a kid, stated that he stopped because "you don't gain anything from it".
He took up golf during his early professional baseball career.
Hague died from cancer at age 50 in San Antonio, Texas.
References
;General references
#
#
;Inline citations
External links
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hague, Joe
1944 births
1994 deaths
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Arkansas Travelers players
Baseball players from West Virginia
Cedar Rapids Cardinals players
Cincinnati Reds players
Deaths from cancer in Texas
Florida Instructional League Cardinals players
Indianapolis Indians players
Industriales de Valencia players
Leones de Yucatán players
Major League Baseball first basemen
Major League Baseball left fielders
Major League Baseball right fielders
Sportspeople from Huntington, West Virginia
St. Louis Cardinals players
Texas Longhorns baseball players
Texas Longhorns football players
Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players