Johnny Groth

Born: 7/23/1926 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 8/7/2021 in Palm Beach, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1946-09-05 | Final Game: 1960-07-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 182 lbs

Full name: John Thomas Groth

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Biography

Johnny Groth was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1960. Born in 1926, Groth made his debut in an era that was beginning to emerge from the shadows of World War II and saw the integration of baseball, which marked a significant transitional period in the sport. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,248 games and established himself as a reliable hitter, finishing with a batting average of .279. He recorded 1,064 hits, 60 home runs, and drove in 486 runs, showcasing his all-around offensive capabilities. Groth was known for his speed and agility on the base paths, contributing 19 stolen bases to his career totals. His playing style reflected the characteristics of the post-war era, where speed and contact hitting were particularly valued. Throughout his time in the league, Groth played for several teams, demonstrating versatility and adaptability in various outfield positions. His contributions to the game left a lasting impact, and he remains a notable figure from a time when baseball was evolving into the modern era. Groth's legacy is preserved not only in his statistics but also in the memories of the fans who watched him play during his decade-long career.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1248	3808	480	1064	197	31	60	486	19	419	329	0.279	0.352	0.395	0.746	2295.6

Career AVG .279 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +7.6% above league average.

Career OBP .352 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +5.7% above league average.

Career SLG .395 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.746 vs. league average 0.719 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
1946	DET	AL	4	9	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1947	DET	AL	2	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1948	DET	AL	6	17	3	8	3	0	1	5	0	1	1	0.471	—	—	—	—	0.0
1949	DET	AL	103	348	60	102	19	5	11	73	3	65	27	0.293	.262 (+12%)	.343 (+19%)	.384 (+23%)	.727 (+21%)	1543.1
1950	DET	AL	157	566	95	173	30	8	12	85	1	95	27	0.306	.265 (+15%)	.346 (+18%)	.401 (+12%)	.747 (+15%)	2030.1
1951	DET	AL	118	428	41	128	29	1	3	49	1	31	32	0.299	.260 (+15%)	.336 (+4%)	.385 (+2%)	.721 (+3%)	188.4
1952	DET	AL	141	524	56	149	22	2	4	51	2	51	39	0.284	.252 (+13%)	.326 (+6%)	.369 (-3%)	.696 (+1%)	186.2
1953	SLA	AL	141	557	65	141	27	4	10	57	5	42	53	0.253	.264 (-4%)	.335 (-8%)	.397 (-7%)	.733 (-8%)	-959.9
1954	CHW	AL	125	422	41	116	20	0	7	60	3	42	37	0.275	.261 (+5%)	.333 (+2%)	.390 (-5%)	.723 (-1%)	-57.5
1955	CHW	AL	32	77	13	26	7	0	2	11	1	6	13	0.338	.258 (+31%)	.332 (+13%)	.393 (+29%)	.726 (+22%)	256.2
1955	WSN	AL	63	183	22	40	4	5	2	17	2	18	18	0.219	.258 (-15%)	.332 (-14%)	.393 (-17%)	.726 (-15%)	256.2
1956	KC1	AL	95	244	22	63	13	3	5	37	1	30	31	0.258	.258 (avg)	.331 (+1%)	.397 (avg)	.728 (avg)	-3.1
1957	KC1	AL	55	59	10	15	0	0	0	2	0	7	6	0.254	.257 (-1%)	.323 (+3%)	.391 (-35%)	.715 (-18%)	-147.8
1957	DET	AL	38	103	11	30	10	0	0	16	0	6	7	0.291	.257 (+13%)	.323 (+3%)	.391 (-1%)	.715 (+1%)	-147.8
1958	DET	AL	88	146	24	41	5	2	2	11	0	13	19	0.281	.257 (+9%)	.324 (+5%)	.394 (-3%)	.719 (+1%)	28.5
1959	DET	AL	55	102	12	24	7	1	1	10	0	7	14	0.235	.256 (-8%)	.323 (-12%)	.392 (-10%)	.715 (-11%)	-215.2
1960	DET	AL	25	19	3	7	1	0	0	2	0	3	1	0.368	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	1155	343	2566	82	36	23

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1946	DET	OF	4	0	6	0	0	0
1947	DET	OF	1	0	5	0	0	0
1948	DET	OF	4	0	8	1	1	1
1949	DET	OF	99	0	247	8	9	3
1950	DET	OF	157	0	374	9	6	0
1951	DET	OF	112	0	266	12	2	3
1952	DET	OF	139	0	329	14	5	3
1953	SLA	OF	141	0	425	18	4	5
1954	CHA	OF	125	121	314	7	4	3
1955	CHA	OF	26	21	61	1	0	0
1955	WS1	OF	48	46	122	2	2	1
1956	KC1	OF	84	61	140	8	0	3
1957	KC1	OF	50	16	37	0	1	0
1957	DET	OF	36	24	73	0	0	0
1958	DET	OF	80	31	95	2	1	1
1959	DET	OF	41	21	58	0	1	0
1960	DET	OF	8	2	6	0	0	0