Joe Abernethy
Joseph Ray Abernethy
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
- High School Newton-Conover High School
- Born May 21, 1934 in Newton, NC USA
- Died July 18, 2011 in Newton, NC USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Joe Abernethy played ten seasons of minor league ball, mostly in the Washington Senators organization. Later in his career, he was a player/manager on several teams.
Abernethy debuted in 1953, playing for the Lincolnton Cardinals, Statesville Sports (a combined .196/?/.275 in 63 G) and the Harlan Smokies (.241/?/.389 in 54 G). In 1954, he hit .235 and slugged .351 for the Oak Ridge Pioneers. For the '55 Erie Senators, he improved to .281 with a .473 slugging. He spent 1956-1957 Missoula Timberjacks, batting .305 with 29 doubles the first year and .338/?/.466 the second. Had he qualified in 1957, he would have tied for third in the Pioneer League in average. The year before, he was 7th in the circuit in doubles. He did not play in the minors in 1958
Joe split 1959 between the Sanford Greyhounds (.217/?/.294 in 47 G) and Missoula Timberjacks (.288/?/.409 in 73 G). The North Carolina native spent 1960 with the Hickory Rebels (.319/?/.440 in 74 G) and the Wilson Tobs (3 for 10). As player-manager of his hometown Newton-Conover Twins in 1961, he hit .244 and slugged .297. He spent 1962 with the Shelby Colonels, he put up a .280/.341/.381 line. He ended up in 1963, going 2 for 8 for the Statesville Owls.
After 10 seasons, he had hit .276 in 717 games. He also pitched in 19 games.
After baseball, he was a business owner and farmer.
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Sanford Greyhounds | Florida State League | 6th | Washington Senators | replaced Ed Barbarito July 17 | ||
| 1960 | Hickory Rebels | Western Carolina League | -- | none | -- | replaced by Marc Hoy September 1 | |
| 1961 | Newton-Conover Twins | Western Carolina League | 36-58 | 6th | Milwaukee Braves | ||
| 1962 | Shelby Colonels | Western Carolina League | 19-29 | -- | none | -- | replaced by Cloyd Boyer (21-30) June 26 |
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