Johnny Blatnik, baseball player, 1948-1950

Johnny Blatnik

Born: 3/10/1921 in Bridgeport, OH, USA

Died: 1/21/2004 in Lansing, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1948-04-21 | Final Game: 1950-05-14

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: John Louis Blatnik

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Biography

Johnny Blatnik was a professional baseball player born in 1921, who played as a position player from 1948 until his final game on May 14, 1950. He made his mark in Major League Baseball during a transitional period, just after World War II, when the game began to see a resurgence in popularity and talent. Over the course of his brief career, Blatnik appeared in 138 games, showcasing his abilities primarily as a utility player. Throughout his time in the majors, Blatnik accumulated 113 hits in 447 at-bats, resulting in a batting average of .253. He hit six home runs and drove in 46 runs, demonstrating his capacity to contribute to his team's offensive efforts. His speed on the bases was highlighted by three stolen bases, which complemented his overall playing style. Although his career was relatively short, Blatnik's contributions to the teams he played for during the late 1940s remain a part of baseball history, reflecting the dynamics of a post-war era that was beginning to evolve in terms of player talent and competition.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
138 447 59 113 27 8 6 46 3 40 83 0.253 0.317 0.389 0.706 -149.7

Career AVG .253 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .317 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Career SLG .389 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.706 vs. league average 0.731 across their career seasons — near 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
1948 PHI NL 121 415 56 108 27 8 6 45 3 31 77 0.260 .263 (-1%) .340 (-7%) .379 (+7%) .719 (avg) -149.7
1949 PHI NL 6 8 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1950 PHI NL 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1950 STL NL 7 20 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 0.150 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 115 0 231 10 14 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1948 PHI OF 105 0 220 9 13 1
1949 PHI OF 2 0 3 0 0 0
1950 PHI OF 1 0 2 0 0 0
1950 SLN OF 7 0 6 1 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 108
Right Field 7