Joe Sewell
Inducted:
1977

Stats
5-6, 155lb (168cm, 70kg)
Born
October 9, 1898
Titus, Alabama, U.S.
Died:
March 6, 1990
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Position:
Shortstop
Third Baseman
College:
University of Alabama (1917-1919)
Joe Sewell was one of the finest contact hitters and defensive shortstops of his era. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 after a 14-year MLB career with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees. Sewell joined Cleveland in 1920 after the death of shortstop Ray Chapman and immediately helped the club win the World Series. He became known for exceptional bat control and an extraordinary ability to avoid strikeouts.
In 1925, he struck out only four times in 608 at-bats, while his 114 career strikeouts remain among the lowest totals for a player with a long everyday career. Sewell batted .312 over 1,903 games, collecting 2,226 hits, 436 doubles and 1,054 RBIs. He won a second World Series with the Yankees in 1932. After retiring, Sewell returned to Alabama, where he later coached the University of Alabama baseball team.
Sewell's Awards and Honors
- 2× World Series champion (1920, 1932)
- Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame
- American League leader in doubles (1924)
- Led AL shortstops in fielding percentage three times
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, 1970
- SEC champion as Alabama baseball coach (1968)
- Played 1,103 consecutive games from 1922–1930
- Helped Cleveland win the 1920 World Series
- Helped the Yankees win the 1932 World Series
MLB Teams
Cleveland Indians (1920–1930)
New York Yankees (1931–1933)
Number Worn
0, 27, 21
MLB Stats
Seasons:
14 (1920–1933)
Games:
1,903
Hits:
2,226
Home Runs:
49
Runs Batted In:
1,636
Batting Average:
.274
Runs Scored:
1,054
Doubles:
436
Triples:
68
Stolen Bases:
74
Batting Average:
.312

