Joe Zdeb

Joseph Edmund Zdeb

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Illinois
• High School Maine South High School
• Debut April 7, 1977
• Final Game May 29, 1979
• Born June 27, 1953 in Compton, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"Mr. Gorman, if I cut my hair, will I become a better ballplayer?" - question posed by Joe Zdeb to Lou Gorman after being told that he couldn't play with long hair, as related in the book High and Inside, by Gorman

Joe Zdeb, as of 2009, is the only player in Major League history with a last name that starts with "Zde". There are no players in the minor leagues currently that have a chance of threatening this title any time soon.

Zdeb played three years with the Kansas City Royals, hitting .297 as a rookie in 1977.

Zdeb was drafted out of Maine South High School in Park Ridge, IL, the same school that Hillary Clinton had attended.

Zdeb's minor league career ran from 1971-1980. In 1973 he hit .355 with the Waterloo Royals in the Midwest League.

Related Sites

• Joe Zdeb at the SABR Bio Project