Joe Astroth

Joseph Henry Astroth (September 1, 1922 – May 3, 2013) was a right-handed catcher who spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Philadelphia Athletics and, after the franchise relocated, the Kansas City Athletics beginning in 1955. Born in East Alton, Illinois, Astroth attended Wood River High School before competing in baseball, football, and basketball at the University of Illinois. He served with the United States Coast Guard during World War II from 1942 until his honorable discharge in 1945. Astroth made his major league debut on August 13, 1945 at age 22, signing directly with Philadelphia without ever playing in the minor leagues.