Gene Tenace Stats

Gene Tenace was born on Thursday, October 10, 1946, in Russellton, Pennsylvania. Tenace was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 29, 1969, with the Oakland Athletics. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Gene Tenace baseball stats page.

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"A versatile, power-hitting ball players, Gene Tenace has been consistently among the league leaders in getting bases on balls, leading the American League in this department in 1974. Tenace, however, will always be remembered as the man who virtually single-handedly tore apart the 1972 World Series. Seldom has a player so completely dominated a Series. His four home runs (hit in the first give games) tied a Series record. Tenace led all hitters in home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, total bases, and posted an incredibly .913 slugging average. The most impressive single statistic from that Series, however, is that Gene Tenace drove home nine runs while no other Oakland batter drove in more than one." - Honig, Donald. The October Heroes: Great World Series Games Remembered by the Men Who Played Them. Bison Books. 28 August 1996. Page 57.

Gene Tenace

Gene Tenace Autograph on a 1982 Donruss Baseball Card (#152)

Gene Tenace Autograph on a 1982 Donruss Baseball Card (#152)

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Birth Name:   Fury Gene Tenace
Nickname:   Gene
Born On:   10-10-1946  (Libra)
Place of Birth Data Born In:   Russellton, Pennsylvania
Year of Death Data Died On:   Still Living (1,000 Oldest Living)
Place of Death Data Died In:   Still Living
Cemetery:   n/a
High School:   Valley High School (Lucasville, OH)
College:   None Attended
Batting Stances Chart Bats:   Right   Throwing Arms Chart Throws:   Right
Player Height Chart Height:   6-00   Player Weight Chart Weight:   190
First Game:   05-29-1969 (Age 22)
Last Game:   09-30-1983
Draft:   1965 : 20th Round (399th) / Signing Bonus = $1,500

Gene Tenace

Gene Tenace Pitching Stats

- - Did Not Pitch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gene Tenace

Gene Tenace Hitting Stats

1969 23 Athletics 16 38 1 6 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 15 0 0 1 0 .158 .200 .237
1970 24 Athletics 38 105 19 32 6 0 7 0 20 23 2 30 0 0 0 2 .305 .430 .562
1971 25 Athletics 65 179 26 49 7 0 7 0 25 29 0 34 1 0 2 3 .274 .381 .430
1972 26 Athletics 82 227 22 51 5 3 5 0 32 24 2 42 2 0 3 4 .225 .307 .339
1973 27 Athletics 160 510 83 132 18 2 24 2 84 101 8 94 8 7 10 13 .259 .387 .443
1974 28 Athletics 158 484 71 102 17 1 26 3 73 110 6 105 2 4 12 10 .211 .367 .411
1975 29 Athletics 158 498 83 127 17 0 29 1 87 106 2 127 3 4 12 8 .255 .395 .464
1976 30 Athletics 128 417 64 104 19 1 22 0 66 81 2 91 1 5 4 7 .249 .373 .458
1977 31 Padres 147 437 66 102 24 4 15 1 61 125 10 119 2 4 13 5 .233 .415 .410
1978 32 Padres 142 401 60 90 18 4 16 0 61 101 8 98 0 2 11 5 .224 .392 .409
1979 33 Padres 151 463 61 122 16 4 20 0 67 105 4 106 1 6 7 7 .263 .403 .445
1980 34 Padres 133 316 46 70 11 1 17 0 50 92 11 63 0 4 4 11 .222 .399 .424
1981 35 Cardinals 58 129 26 30 7 0 5 0 22 38 2 26 1 2 4 1 .233 .416 .403
1982 36 Cardinals 66 124 18 32 9 0 7 0 18 36 1 31 0 1 4 1 .258 .436 .500
1983 37 Pirates 53 62 7 11 5 0 0 0 6 12 0 17 0 0 4 0 .177 .346 .258
15 Years 1,555 4,390 653 1,060 179 20 201 7 674 984 58 998 21 39 91 77 .241 .388 .429

Gene Tenace

Gene Tenace Fielding Stats

1969 Athletics C 13 8 256 67 5.2 67 61 6 0 0 2 5 2 1.000 7.07
1970 Athletics C 30 29 764 200 6.7 198 180 18 2 7 1 23 10 .990 7.00
1971 Athletics C 52 45 1,280 322 6.2 320 300 20 2 3 6 16 9 .994 6.75
1971 Athletics LF 1 1 24 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a .000 0.00
1972 Athletics 1B 7 6 165 52 7.4 52 49 3 0 4 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 8.51
1972 Athletics 2B 2 0 18 2 1.0 2 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 3.00
1972 Athletics 3B 2 1 30 4 2.0 3 1 2 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .750 2.70
1972 Athletics C 49 46 1,216 290 5.9 284 266 18 6 1 4 20 9 .979 6.31
1972 Athletics RF 9 6 174 11 1.2 11 11 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.71
1973 Athletics 1B 134 132 3,231 1,169 8.7 1,156 1,095 61 13 104 n/a n/a n/a .989 9.66
1973 Athletics 2B 1 0 6 1 1.0 1 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 4.50
1973 Athletics C 33 23 641 133 4.0 132 123 9 1 4 4 13 7 .992 5.56
1974 Athletics 1B 106 97 2,433 861 8.1 857 816 41 4 80 n/a n/a n/a .995 9.51
1974 Athletics 2B 3 0 3 1 0.3 1 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 9.00
1974 Athletics C 79 58 1,535 341 4.3 335 293 42 6 3 4 30 25 .982 5.89
1975 Athletics 1B 68 39 1,110 423 6.2 422 401 21 1 27 n/a n/a n/a .998 10.26
1975 Athletics C 125 114 2,797 614 4.9 604 541 63 10 10 11 66 33 .984 5.83
1976 Athletics 1B 70 62 1,689 611 8.7 608 577 31 3 47 n/a n/a n/a .995 9.72
1976 Athletics C 65 61 1,568 293 4.5 288 263 25 5 3 4 42 17 .983 4.96
1977 Padres 1B 36 28 810 308 8.6 307 280 27 1 20 n/a n/a n/a .997 10.23
1977 Padres 3B 14 13 321 44 3.1 41 17 24 3 4 n/a n/a n/a .932 3.45
1977 Padres C 99 89 2,374 596 6.0 584 523 61 12 9 14 73 50 .980 6.64
1978 Padres 1B 80 67 1,767 710 8.9 705 668 37 5 61 n/a n/a n/a .993 10.77
1978 Padres 3B 1 0 6 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a .000 0.00
1978 Padres C 71 56 1,470 321 4.5 318 276 42 3 7 4 42 23 .991 5.84
1979 Padres 1B 72 58 1,536 621 8.6 614 582 32 7 55 n/a n/a n/a .989 10.79
1979 Padres C 94 77 2,037 465 4.9 464 413 51 1 10 8 42 38 .998 6.15
1980 Padres 1B 19 11 333 136 7.2 135 125 10 1 9 n/a n/a n/a .993 10.95
1980 Padres C 104 82 2,257 471 4.5 461 415 46 10 7 3 80 39 .979 5.51
1981 Cardinals 1B 7 3 93 43 6.1 43 39 4 0 3 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 12.48
1981 Cardinals C 38 36 949 147 3.9 144 126 18 3 1 2 32 12 .980 4.10
1982 Cardinals 1B 7 4 105 42 6.0 42 39 3 0 4 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 10.80
1982 Cardinals C 37 33 839 171 4.6 170 149 21 1 0 6 30 15 .994 5.47
1983 Pirates 1B 19 10 243 89 4.7 88 83 5 1 6 n/a n/a n/a .989 9.78
1983 Pirates C 3 2 51 18 6.0 17 16 1 1 0 0 1 0 .944 9.00
1983 Pirates RF 1 0 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a .000 0.00
C Totals 892 759 20,034 4,449 5.0 4,386 3,945 441 63 65 73 515 289 .986 5.91
1B Totals 625 517 13,515 5,065 8.1 5,029 4,754 275 36 420 n/a n/a n/a .993 10.05
3B Totals 17 14 357 48 2.8 44 18 26 4 4 n/a n/a n/a .917 3.33
RF Totals 10 6 177 11 1.1 11 11 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.68
2B Totals 6 0 27 4 0.7 4 3 1 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 4.00
LF Totals 1 1 24 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a n/a .000 0.00
15 Years 1,551 1,297 34,134 9,577 6.2 9,474 8,731 743 103 489 73 515 289 .989 7.49

Gene Tenace

Gene Tenace Miscellaneous Stats

1969 Athletics 0 0 .000 6 0 n/a 38.0 2.5 19.0 - - -
1970 Athletics 0 2 .000 8 0 n/a 15.0 3.5 5.3 - - -
1971 Athletics 2 1 .667 15 0 n/a 25.6 5.3 7.2 - - -
1972 Athletics 0 0 .000 21 0 n/a 45.4 5.4 7.1 - - -
1973 Athletics 2 2 .500 2 0 3 21.3 5.4 6.1 - - -
1974 Athletics 2 9 .182 0 0 0 18.6 4.6 6.6 - - -
1975 Athletics 7 4 .636 1 0 1 17.2 3.9 5.7 - - -
1976 Athletics 5 4 .556 4 0 2 19.0 4.6 6.3 - - -
1977 Padres 5 3 .625 12 1 n/a 29.1 3.7 7.2 - - -
1978 Padres 6 5 .545 12 0 n/a 25.1 4.1 6.6 - - -
1979 Padres 2 6 .250 12 0 n/a 23.2 4.4 6.9 - - -
1980 Padres 4 4 .500 22 4 n/a 18.6 5.0 6.3 - - -
1981 Cardinals 0 0 .000 18 0 n/a 25.8 5.0 5.9 - - -
1982 Cardinals 1 1 .500 26 0 n/a 17.7 4.0 6.9 - - -
1983 Pirates 0 1 .000 35 3 n/a 0.0 3.6 10.3 - - -
15 Years 36 42 .462 194 8 6 21.8 4.4 6.5 - - -

Gene Tenace

Gene Tenace Miscellaneous Items of Interest

1969 Oakland Athletics 24 $10,000.00 - -
1970 Oakland Athletics 54, 38 $12,500.00 - -
1971 Oakland Athletics 38 $14,750.00 - -
1972 Oakland Athletics 38 $20,000.00 - Stats
1973 Oakland Athletics 18 $33,000.00 - Stats
1974 Oakland Athletics 18 $45,000.00 - Stats
1975 Oakland Athletics 18 $51,000.00 Stats -
1976 Oakland Athletics 18 $40,800.00 - -
1977 San Diego Padres 18 $310,000.00 - -
1978 San Diego Padres 18 $310,000.00 - -
1979 San Diego Padres 18 $310,000.00 - -
1980 San Diego Padres 18 $310,000.00 - -
1981 St. Louis Cardinals 18 $310,000.00 - -
1982 St. Louis Cardinals 18 $265,000.00 - Stats
1983 Pittsburgh Pirates 18 "     "     - -

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Fury Gene Tenace was a Major League Baseball player with the Oakland Athletics (1969-1976), San Diego Padres (1977-1980), St. Louis Cardinals (1981-1982), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1983). When Gene, as he was commonly known, made his big league debut on May 29, 1969, he became the first former Valley High School (Lucasville, OH) student to play in the majors.

Gene Tenace Rookie Card | Baseball Almanac

Gene Tenace Rookie Card | 1970 Topps Baseball Card (#21 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library

Did you know that Gene Tenace hit a home run in Game 1 of the 1972 World Series, during his first at-bat? Eight players in baseball history had duplicated that feat during a Fall Classic, before Tenace. However, during his second at-bat, Tenace homered again, becoming the first player in World Series history to hit home runs in his first two at-bats!

Gene Tenace was a backup catcher up to that point in his career, but ended up going 8-for-23 in the 1972 World Series, with four home runs, 9 RBI, and a World Series Most Valuable Player Award. The following season, Tenace was still a reserve catcher (33 games), but also the starting first baseman.

On September 21, 1970, Vida Blue no-hit the Minnesota Twins, allowing just one walk to Harmon Killebrew. The catcher behind the plate was Gene Tenace.

The Kansas City Athletics played their home games in Municipal Stadium. The Kansas City Royals used the park as well, from 1969 through 1972. On September 30, 1972, Gene Tenace hit the twentieth home run of his career, during the top of the fourth inning, off Monty Montgomery – the last home run hit in Municipal Stadium history.

Gene Tenace won six World Series rings during his career, three playing with the Oakland Athletics (1972, 1973, 1974), one with the St. Louis Cardinals (1982), and two more while working as a coach with the Toronto Blue Jays (1992, 1993). Bill James, in The New Bill James Historical Abstract (Free Press Publishing. 13 June 2003. Page 299.), ranked Gene Tenace as the twenty-third greatest catcher in the entire history of Major League Baseball!