Joe Orrell

Forrest Gordon Orrell

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 210 lb.

• Debut August 12, 1943
• Final Game August 6, 1945
• Born March 6, 1917 in National City, CA USA
• Died January 12, 1993 in Chula Vista, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Right-hander Joe Orrell pitched 21 seasons in professional baseball from 1936 to 1957. He appeared in 467 Minor League games, winning 167 and losing 170, for a .496 percentage. He had eight double-digit-winning years and in 1952 at the age of 35, pitching for the Tijuana Potros of the Southwest International League, he built a 21-3 record with a 2.01 ERA. This performance put Joe on the League All-Star team as he led the league in ERA and winning percentage plus helping his team to the league title.

Orrell also pitched pretty well as a war-time player from 1943 to 1945, posting a 4-4 record while appearing in 32 games with a 3.01 ERA for the Detroit Tigers in 1943, 1944 and 1945. The Tigers won the 1945 World Series but Orrell's last major league appearance was on August 6th, and he did not play in the Series.

After his long run in professional baseball, Orrell was self-employed in the swimming pool maintenance business. Orrell died from pneumonia on January 12, 1993 at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in Chula Vista, CA. He was 76.

Related Sites

• BR Minors page