# Joe Presko

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{{Short description|American baseball player (1928–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{inline|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Joe Presko
|position=[Pitcher](/source/Pitcher)
|image=Joe Presko.jpg
|caption=
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1928|10|7}}
|birth_place=[Kansas City, Missouri](/source/Kansas_City%2C_Missouri), U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|2019|2|5|1928|10|7}}
|death_place=Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 3
|debutyear=1951
|debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 7
|finalyear=1958
|finalteam=Detroit Tigers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Win–loss record](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching))
|stat1value=25–37
|stat2label=[Earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average)
|stat2value=4.61
|stat3label=[Strikeouts](/source/Strikeouts)
|stat3value=202
|teams=
*[St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) ({{mlby|1951}}–{{mlby|1954}})
*[Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) ({{mlby|1957}}–{{mlby|1958}})
}}
'''Joseph Edward Presko''' (October 7, 1928 – February 5, 2019) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player. A right-handed [pitcher](/source/pitcher), he was signed by the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) in 1948 as an amateur free agent and made his [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) debut on May 3, 1951.

==Biography==
Used primarily as a starting pitcher in four seasons with St. Louis (1951–54) and as a reliever for parts of two seasons with the [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) (1957–58), Presko was known as "Baby Face" Presko, "Baby Joe", or "Little Joe." He was listed at {{convert|5|ft|9|in}}<!-- according to baseball-reference.com; mlb.com lists his height at 6'0" --> tall and {{convert|165|lb}}.<!-- according to baseball-reference.com; mlb.com lists his weight at 170 lbs --> He retired from professional baseball after the 1959 season, with a lifetime record of 25–37 in 128 games played including 5 [saves](/source/save_(baseball)) and a career [earned-run average](/source/earned-run_average) of 4.61.

After retirement, Presko [coached](/source/coach_(baseball)) [American Legion Baseball](/source/American_Legion_Baseball), mentoring a young [David Cone](/source/David_Cone), who went on to star with his hometown [Kansas City Royals](/source/Kansas_City_Royals), [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees), [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets), and [Toronto Blue Jays](/source/Toronto_Blue_Jays). Presko is featured in the initial launch for the Topps Company's 1952 Major League Baseball trading cards #220. He died at his home on February 5, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Joseph E. Presko Sr. Obituary - Kansas City, MO |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/kansas-city-mo/joseph-presko-8151270 |website=Dignity Memorial |accessdate=8 February 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{baseballstats|mlb=120754|espn=|br=p/preskjo01|fangraphs=|brm=presko001jos}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Presko, Joe}}
Category:1928 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:Baseball players from Kansas City, Missouri
Category:Charleston Senators players
Category:Detroit Tigers players
Category:Houston Buffaloes players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:Omaha Cardinals players
Category:St. Joseph Cardinals players
Category:St. Louis Cardinals players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen

{{US-baseball-pitcher-1920s-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Presko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Presko) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Presko?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.