Johnny Watwood, baseball player, 1929-1939

Johnny Watwood

Born: 8/17/1905 in Alexander City, AL, USA

Died: 3/1/1980 in Goodwater, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1929-04-16 | Final Game: 1939-05-29

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 186 lbs

Full name: John Clifford Watwood

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Biography

Johnny Watwood was a professional baseball player born in 1905, whose career spanned from 1929 to 1939. As a position player, he made a notable impact in Major League Baseball over the course of 469 games. Watwood was known for his solid batting skills, finishing his career with a .283 batting average, which reflected his ability to consistently make contact and get on base. He recorded a total of 403 hits, including 5 home runs and 158 runs batted in (RBIs), contributing to his teams' offensive efforts during a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more power-oriented game. In addition to his hitting prowess, Watwood showcased his speed on the basepaths, stealing 27 bases throughout his career. His playing style was emblematic of the era, where agility and batting average were highly valued. While he may not have reached the fame of some contemporaries, Watwood's contributions to the game during a decade of significant evolution in baseball history remain noteworthy. His career, which concluded on May 29, 1939, left a lasting impression on those who followed the game during the late 1920s and 1930s.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
469 1423 192 403 66 16 5 158 27 154 103 0.283 0.356 0.363 0.718 -530.3

Career AVG .283 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .356 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .363 vs. league average .400 across their career seasons — 9.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.718 vs. league average 0.743 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
1929 CHW AL 85 278 33 84 12 6 2 28 6 22 21 0.302 .289 (+4%) .353 (+1%) .415 (-1%) .769 (avg) -41.5
1930 CHW AL 133 427 75 129 25 4 2 51 5 52 35 0.302 .293 (+3%) .354 (+8%) .429 (-8%) .784 (-1%) 59.7
1931 CHW AL 128 367 51 104 16 6 1 47 9 56 30 0.283 .276 (+3%) .338 (+12%) .388 (-5%) .726 (+3%) 409.7
1932 CHW AL 13 49 5 15 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.306 — — — — -47.9
1932 BOS AL 95 266 26 66 11 0 0 30 7 20 11 0.248 .275 (-10%) .335 (-10%) .391 (-26%) .726 (-19%) -47.9
1933 BOS AL 13 30 2 4 0 0 0 2 0 3 3 0.133 — — — — 0.0
1939 PHI NL 2 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.167 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 86 0 771 58 15 77
OF 299 0 707 29 40 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1929 CHA OF 77 0 188 7 12 2
1930 CHA 1B 62 0 590 41 7 59
1930 CHA OF 52 0 117 5 4 0
1931 CHA 1B 4 0 18 1 0 1
1931 CHA OF 102 0 259 13 16 2
1932 CHA OF 13 0 23 1 1 0
1932 BOS 1B 18 0 149 16 7 17
1932 BOS OF 46 0 101 3 6 0
1933 BOS OF 9 0 19 0 1 0
1939 PHI 1B 2 0 14 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 85
Left Field 21
Center Field 197
Right Field 90

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Auburn University Auburn AL 1927, 1928