Joe Hicks (minors02)

Joseph D. Hicks

• Height 6' 3", Weight 170 lb.
• Bats Right, Throws Right
• High School San Pedro High School

• Born ~1956

BR minors page

Biographical Information

The father of Aaron Hicks, Joe Hicks spent 7 years in the minor leagues.

Hicks was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 12th round of the 1975 amateur draft. Joe debuted with the Walla Walla Padres and hit .240/.332/.351 in a regular outfield role. In 1976, Hicks returned to Walla Walla and batted .267/.381/.362 with 9 steals in 10 tries. He was 1 for 11 with a walk, triple and five strikeouts for the Reno Silver Sox.

Hicks produced at a .279/.380/.426 clip for the 1977 Silver Sox, with 10 home runs, 71 RBI, 68 walks and 14 steals (in 21 tries). He had 14 outfield assists but also made 18 errors, second to Rickey Henderson among California League outfielders.

In 1978, Joe moved up to AA with the Amarillo Gold Sox of the Texas League and batted .277/.368/.413. The next season, Hicks hit .281/.383/.454 in a return engagement with Amarillo. He scored 77 runs, homered 13 times, drew 63 walks and stole 25 bases in 34 attempts. One night in San Antonio, a pitch hit him in the left eye and injured the orbital bone. He never fully recovered. The injury made him skeptical of baseball for his kids and he tried to steer his son Aaron to other sports for a time.

In a third season with the Gold Sox, the outfielder batted .250/.340/.351 with 78 walks and 25 steals (in 39 tries). He finished up in 1981 with the Jacksonville Suns, a Kansas City Royals affiliate, hitting .212/.256/.260 in 43 games.

Sources

• 1976-1982 Baseball Guides
• Article on Joe's career and how it influenced his son