Joe Ardner

Joseph A. Ardner
(Old Hoss)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7½", Weight 160 lb.

• Debut May 1, 1884
• Final Game August 18, 1890
• Born February 27, 1858 in Mount Vernon, OH USA
• Died September 15, 1935 in Cleveland, OH USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"They call me 'Old Joe' Ardner, when the fact is I am the youngest man in the business, as I have only had nine birthdays. I was born February 29, 1860, and did not come out of the ark, as some envious rivals say." - Joe Ardner, quoted in Sporting Life, May 2, 1896, and just possibly lying about the date of his birth in an effort to seem less old

Joe "Old Hoss" Ardner was an Ohio boy who played twice for the Cleveland team in the National League. He came up first in 1884 with the Cleveland Blues, a year of three leagues, and then a second time in 1890, this time with the Cleveland Spiders in another year when there were three major leagues. A second baseman, he was the regular in 1890.

The Old Hoss also played many years in the minors, from 1883 through 1896. He managed for part of the 1889 season.

It was reported that he played indoor baseball in the winter of 1893, when it was very popular in Cleveland. A number of other major leaguers were on a team that may have been put together for one contest. Another of his offseason activities was working as a scene shifter at the Cleveland Opera House. He had typhoid fever in 1904 and died in Ohio in 1935.

Related Sites

• Joe Ardner at the SABR Bio Project
• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Joe Ardner

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