Johnny Rizzo

Born: 7/30/1912 in Houston, TX, USA

Died: 12/4/1977 in Houston, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1938-04-19 | Final Game: 1942-09-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: John Costa Rizzo

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Johnny Rizzo was an American professional baseball player born in 1912, who made a notable impact in Major League Baseball between 1938 and 1942. Primarily a position player, Rizzo played in a total of 557 games throughout his career, where he showcased his offensive skills and versatility on the field. He finished his career with 497 hits, including 61 home runs and 289 RBIs, while maintaining a respectable batting average of .27. Rizzo also demonstrated speed on the bases, accumulating 7 stolen bases during his time in the league. Rizzo's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, as the sport was navigating the challenges posed by the Great Depression and the onset of World War II. His contributions as a reliable hitter and an impactful presence on the field helped solidify his place in the game. Although his career was relatively short, Rizzo remains a part of baseball history, remembered for his performance and the passion he brought to the diamond.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
557	1842	268	497	90	16	61	289	7	200	197	0.270	0.345	0.435	0.781	3102.3

Career AVG .270 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .345 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .435 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — +14.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.781 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — +9.3% above 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
1938	PIT	NL	143	555	97	167	31	9	23	111	1	54	61	0.301	.272 (+10%)	.341 (+8%)	.392 (+31%)	.734 (+20%)	2187.2
1939	PIT	NL	94	330	49	86	23	3	6	55	0	42	27	0.261	.274 (-5%)	.342 (+2%)	.393 (+3%)	.735 (+2%)	178.6
1940	PIT	NL	9	28	1	5	1	0	0	2	0	5	5	0.179	—	—	—	—	0.0
1940	CIN	NL	31	110	17	31	6	0	4	17	1	14	14	0.282	.267 (+5%)	.335 (+8%)	.387 (+15%)	.722 (+12%)	0.0
1940	PHI	NL	103	367	53	107	12	2	20	53	2	37	31	0.292	.267 (+9%)	.335 (+7%)	.387 (+29%)	.722 (+18%)	0.0
1941	PHI	NL	99	235	20	51	9	2	4	24	1	24	34	0.217	.262 (-17%)	.332 (-11%)	.373 (-13%)	.705 (-12%)	-545.7
1942	BRO	NL	78	217	31	50	8	0	4	27	2	24	25	0.230	.253 (-9%)	.323 (-5%)	.349 (-8%)	.672 (-6%)	-222.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
3B	9	0	7	28	5	2
OF	486	0	992	33	38	10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1938	PIT	OF	140	284	5	15	1
1939	PIT	OF	86	186	2	5	0
1940	PIT	OF	7	9	0	2	0
1940	CIN	OF	30	68	6	2	2
1940	PHI	3B	7	6	26	3	2
1940	PHI	OF	91	207	6	7	4
1941	PHI	3B	2	1	2	2	0
1941	PHI	OF	62	114	8	4	2
1942	BRO	OF	70	124	6	3	1