John Thornton, baseball player, 1889-1892

John Thornton

Born: 5/22/1869 in Washington, DC, USA

Died: 4/26/1935 in Washington, DC, USA

MLB Debut: 1889-08-14 | Final Game: 1892-09-15

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: John James Thornton

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Biography

John Thornton was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1889 to 1892. Born in 1869, he played during an era when baseball was evolving rapidly, transitioning from the deadball era towards a more competitive and organized sport. Thornton's career statistics reflect the challenges of the time; he finished with a record of 15 wins and 19 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 4.1, and amassed 57 strikeouts alongside 2 saves. Thornton's playing style was characterized by his ability to navigate the complexities of early baseball pitching, where strategy and endurance were crucial. Though his win-loss record did not highlight him as a dominant player, his contributions to the teams he played for were significant in the context of the game's development. His career, marked by resilience and determination, left a lasting impression as part of the fabric of late 19th-century baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
15 19 41 35 25 1 2 290.0 292 132 4 139 57 4.10 0

Career ERA 4.10 vs. league average 3.59 across their career seasons — 14.0% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1889 WS8 NL 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 8 5 7 3 5.00 3.93 (-27%) 0.0
1891 PHI NL 15 16 37 32 23 1 2 269.0 268 110 115 52 3.68 3.52 (-5%) -1107.3
1892 PHI NL 0 2 3 2 1 0 0 12.0 16 17 17 2 12.75 3.28 (-288%) -1248.7

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
46 143 8 22 3 0 0 9 1 2 13 0.154 0.166 0.175 0.340 -1097.7

Career AVG .154 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 39.6% below league average.

Career OBP .166 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 49.6% below league average.

Career SLG .175 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 49.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.340 vs. league average 0.672 across their career seasons — 49.4% 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
1889 WS8 NL 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1891 PHI NL 39 123 7 17 3 0 0 6 1 2 10 0.138 .254 (-46%) .331 (-54%) .343 (-53%) .675 (-53%) -1097.7
1892 PHI NL 5 13 1 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.385 — — — — 0.0
1892 STL NL 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 6 0 1 0 2 0
P 41 0 30 66 13 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1889 WS8 P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1891 PHI OF 3 0 0 0 1 0
1891 PHI P 37 0 28 61 12 4
1892 PHI OF 2 0 1 0 1 0
1892 PHI P 3 0 2 4 1 0
1892 SLN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 41
Left Field 1
Center Field 4
Right Field 1