John Bateman

Born: 7/21/1940 in Fort Sill, OK, USA

Died: 12/3/1996 in Sand Springs, OK, USA

MLB Debut: 1963-04-19 | Final Game: 1972-10-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: John Alvin Bateman

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Biography

John Bateman was a professional baseball player born in 1940, who had a noteworthy career spanning from 1963 to 1972. Primarily known as a position player, Bateman made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded play of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,017 games, showcasing his durability and commitment to the game. Bateman finished his career with 765 hits, 81 home runs, and 375 runs batted in, bringing a reliable power presence to the lineup. His batting average stood at 0.23, reflecting the challenges many hitters faced during a time when pitching was dominant. In addition to his offensive contributions, he also demonstrated speed on the bases, recording 10 stolen bases. Bateman's career, marked by perseverance and adaptability, left a lasting impression on the teams he played for and reflected the evolving dynamics of baseball during a significant period in the sport's history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1017	3330	250	765	123	18	81	375	10	172	610	0.230	0.271	0.350	0.621	-6018.2

Career AVG .230 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — 6.9% below league average.

Career OBP .271 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 13.4% below league average.

Career SLG .350 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.621 vs. league average 0.680 across their career seasons — 8.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1963	HOU	NL	128	404	23	85	8	6	10	59	0	13	103	0.210	.246 (-15%)	.308 (-19%)	.371 (-10%)	.680 (-14%)	-1206.7
1964	HOU	NL	74	221	18	42	8	0	5	19	0	17	48	0.190	.250 (-24%)	.312 (-20%)	.377 (-22%)	.690 (-21%)	-841.6
1965	HOU	NL	45	142	15	28	3	1	7	14	0	12	37	0.197	.245 (-20%)	.310 (-18%)	.371 (+2%)	.682 (-7%)	-205.3
1966	HOU	NL	131	433	39	121	24	3	17	70	0	20	74	0.279	.248 (+12%)	.309 (+2%)	.376 (+24%)	.685 (+14%)	946.2
1967	HOU	NL	76	252	16	48	9	0	2	17	0	17	53	0.190	.242 (-21%)	.306 (-20%)	.357 (-30%)	.663 (-25%)	-1080.2
1968	HOU	NL	111	350	28	87	19	0	4	33	1	23	46	0.249	.236 (+5%)	.298 (avg)	.340 (-1%)	.638 (-1%)	-78.8
1969	WSN	NL	74	235	16	49	4	0	8	19	0	12	44	0.209	.248 (-16%)	.320 (-22%)	.369 (-11%)	.689 (-16%)	-704.6
1970	WSN	NL	139	520	51	123	21	5	15	68	8	28	75	0.237	.253 (-7%)	.325 (-15%)	.385 (-1%)	.711 (-7%)	-976.6
1971	WSN	NL	139	492	34	119	17	3	10	56	1	19	87	0.242	.249 (-3%)	.316 (-14%)	.365 (-4%)	.682 (-9%)	-991.0
1972	WSN	NL	18	29	0	7	1	0	0	3	0	3	4	0.241	—	—	—	—	0.0
1972	PHI	NL	82	252	10	56	9	0	3	17	0	8	39	0.222	.243 (-9%)	.310 (-21%)	.353 (-17%)	.664 (-19%)	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
C	953	923	5686	491	113	81

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1963	HOU	C	115	111	690	81	23	7
1964	HOU	C	72	67	400	43	6	4
1965	HOU	C	39	38	234	26	4	3
1966	HOU	C	121	120	731	63	15	14
1967	HOU	C	71	70	483	46	6	5
1968	HOU	C	108	105	690	49	11	6
1969	MON	C	66	64	433	26	7	5
1970	MON	C	137	136	824	62	15	19
1971	MON	C	137	133	726	56	12	12
1972	MON	C	7	5	28	1	0	0
1972	PHI	C	80	74	447	38	14	6