Joe Vance

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Joe Vance

|position=Pitcher

|image=Joe Vance.jpg

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1905|9|16|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Devine, Texas, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1978|7|4|1905|9|16}}

|death_place=Devine, Texas, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 18

|debutyear=1935

|debutteam=Chicago White Sox

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=August 10

|finalyear=1938

|finalteam=New York Yankees

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=3–2

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=17

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=5.81

|teams=

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1935}})
New York Yankees ({{mlby|1937}}–{{mlby|1938}})

}}

Joseph 'Sandy' Albert Vance (September 16, 1905 – July 4, 1978) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched parts of three seasons in the majors between {{mlby|1935}} and {{mlby|1938}} for the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.

Vance was born in Devine, Texas, and went to Devine High School and then Southwest Texas State Teachers College where he lettered in five sports including football (1927), basketball (1928-29), baseball and track (1927).{{cite web |title=Joe Vance |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=vancejo01 |access-date=27 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=Texas State 2004 media guide |url=https://dc.library.txstate.edu/sites/default/files/2024-05/UA_FB-2004.pdf |access-date=28 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=Texas State basketball Fact Book |url=https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/txstate.sidearmsports.com/documents/2011/10/26/2012_MBB_Fact_Book_for_Web.pdf |access-date=28 August 2024}}

While he didn't have much success as a pitcher, Vance was known for being fast - and likely the fastest person in baseball at one point. In 1929, he set the world record for running the bases at 13 seconds. Speaking in 1943, pitcher Max Macon of the baseball Dodgers, against whom Vance had competed in both the American Association and International League,[http://www.mediafire.com/view/qikyieoohjqbaku "Slaughter Has Wide Lead for AA Hit Honors"]{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. St. Cloud Daily Times. September 11, 1937. Retrieved March 15, 2020.Griffith, Owen. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/o4r14kd0tq0uevc "Graham Sets Record for Four-Baggers as Royals Win Two"]. The Montreal Gazette. August 11, 1941. Retrieved March 15, 2020. called his former mound opponent the fastest man he'd ever seen.Murphy, Jim. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/nyv5h957bx2ste6 "In the Diocese; Sportswhirl"]. The Tablet. July 17, 1943. Retrieved March 15, 2020. He turned down a chance to compete in the 1928 Olympics in track to concentrate on baseball.{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Dan |title=The Broadway Bugle |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1938-08-01/ed-1/seq-12/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+pitcher+Vance&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=12&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+pitcher&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=The Waterbury Democrat |date=1 August 1938}}

He started his career in the minors and played 13 seasons of minor league baseball between 1930 and 1942. He finished with a win-loss record at that level of 108-101, and a 3.53 earned run average.{{cite web |title=Joe Vance Was an Early Two-Sport Guy |date=November 12, 2013 |url=https://bill37mccurdy.com/2013/11/12/13499/ |access-date=28 August 2024}}

Vance also played 11 games for the football Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931 as a running back.[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/V/VancJo20.htm Joe Vance's page at Pro Football Reference]

In 1933 Vance played for the Dallas Steers in the Texas League where he was named the best all-around player in the Texas League.{{cite news |title=Big Leagues Get Ready |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92070146/1935-02-05/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+Sox+Vance+White&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=1&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+White+Sox&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=Imperial Valley Press |date=5 February 1935}} In 1934 he was signed by the Chicago White Sox in September but continued to play for the Steers and also played football for the Dallas Rams of the 1934 American Football League.{{cite news |title=Another Vance Coming |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1934-09-22/ed-1/seq-13/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+Sox+Vance+White&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+White+Sox&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=The Waterbury Democrat |date=22 September 1934}}{{cite news |title=Turns to Football |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1934-10-30/ed-1/seq-21/#date1=1756&index=0&rows=20&words=FOOTBALL+Joe+Vance&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+football&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=The Washington Times |date=30 October 1934}} In June of 1935 he was released by the White Sox to Toronto.{{cite news |title=Vance to Toronto |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015313/1935-06-08/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+pitcher+Vance&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=1&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+pitcher&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=The Indianapolis Times |date=8 June 1935}} By 1936, he was playing for the Kansas City Blues.{{cite news |title=Blue Take 6th Extra Inning Tilt |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042243/1936-05-05/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+pitcher+Vance&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=4&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+pitcher&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=The Bismarck Tribune |date=5 May 1936}}

Late in the 1937 season, Vance was called up to the Yankees and started the 1938 season with them before spending a short time back with the Blues.{{cite news |title=Yanks Collect Six from Farm Clubs |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1937-09-12/ed-1/seq-28/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+Pitchers+Vance&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=5&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+pitcher&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=Evening Star |date=12 September 1937}}{{cite news |title=Yankees Release Hurler Joe Beggs |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014085/1938-07-25/ed-1/seq-10/#date1=1756&sort=date&rows=20&words=Joe+Pitcher+Vance&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=11&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=%22Joe+Vance%22+pitcher&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=2 |access-date=27 August 2024 |work=The Waterbury Democrat |date=25 July 1938}} In 1938, Vance's season was cut short when he came down with appendicitis, which led the Yankees to trade Myril Hoag to the Nationals for Wes Ferrell. The Yankees won the World Series in both 1937 and 1938, but Vance did not play in those games.

In Panama he met his wife, Helen Liddy and the two were married in New York City in 1938. During World War II, he served in the Navy.