1. Minor Leagues

2. Major League
    New York Mets  Atlanta Braves  Cincinnati Reds  Baltimore Orioles  Career 

3. Post career

4. References

5. External links

• New York Mets ({{mlby|1972}})
• Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1975}}, {{mlby|1977}}–{{mlby|1980}})
• Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1980}}–{{mlby|1981}})
• Baltimore Orioles ({{mlby|1982}}–{{mlby|1985}})

• World Series champion ({{wsy|1983}})

Joseph William Nolan (born May 12, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher, who played for the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Minor Leagues

Selected in the second round of the 1969 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets, he turned down a football scholarship at the University of Missouri to sign with the Mets. He is one of only a few Major League catchers to have worn glasses.^[1]

Major League

New York Mets

In 1972, Nolan appeared in 4 games for the New York Mets On April 4, 1975, he was traded by the New York Mets to the Atlanta Braves for Leo Foster^[2]

Atlanta Braves

In 1975 and 1977-1980, Nolan appeared in 267 games before his June 12, 1980 granting of Free Agency status.^[3]

Cincinnati Reds

On June 13, 1980, he was signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds. For the rest of that year and 1981, he appeared in 134 games for the Reds. During the strike-shortened {{baseball year|1981}} season, Nolan supplanted Hall of Famer Johnny Bench as the Reds' regular catcher. Bench, then 33, had played 13 consecutive years as Cincinnati's starting backstop, but he shifted to first base in 1981 and only caught in seven games that season. (Bench would catch in only six more games in 1982–1983 as his career wound down.) Nolan started 62 games behind the plate in 1981 (the Reds played in 108 games total), and appeared in 81 games as a receiver. He batted a career-high .309 with 73 hits.

Baltimore Orioles

On March 26, 1982, he was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league player Brooks Carey and Dallas Williams. Nolan said he was disappointed but not surprised by the trade. (The Reds traded 4 of their starters from the 1981 team in addition to Nolan, they traded Ray Knight, George Foster, and Ken Griffey Sr) and ^[4] He played 3½ seasons and finished his pro career. and was the backup catcher to Rick Dempsey when the Orioles won the 1983 World Series. He appeared in two games against the Philadelphia Phillies and drew a base on balls in three plate appearances.

Career

Nolan played in 621 Major League games over 11 seasons, finishing with a career batting average of .263.

He was part of the 1983 World Series Championship Team.

Post career

Nolan worked for several years as a manufacturers representative. He had several surgeries, lives with his wife of over 50 years and has three grown daughters. He is an avid outdoorsman.^[5]

References

External links

• The Fighting Seabees
• The Fighting Temeraire
• The Fight Network (UK & Ireland)
• The Fight Of The Millenium
• The Figtree
• The Figure in the Carpet
• The figures of the zodiac
• The File on H.
• The Filipino Channel
• The Filipino Channel (TFC)
• The Fillmore
• The Fillmore Concerts
• The Film Crew
• The Filson Historical Society
• The filter design
• The Filth and The Fury
• The Filth (comics)
• The Filthy Animals
• The Filthy Critic
• The Final Arrears
• The Final Arrears 7" vinyl
• The Final Arrears CD 1
• The Final Arrears CD 2
• The Final Cartridge III
• The Final Countdown (album)