John Bissant
Left Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
John Bissant was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Tigers and the Chicago American Giants. In 144 career games, he hit .279 with 139 hits, 3 home runs, and 50 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 306.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Left Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/1/2006 in Houston, TX, USA
Full name: John Lawrence Bissant
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 144 | 498 | 79 | 139 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 50 | 8 | 36 | 3 | .279 | .329 | .376 | .704 | 306 |
Career AVG .279 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +6.2% above league average.
Career OBP .329 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .376 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .704 vs. league average .698 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | CT | NAL | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | CAG | NAL | 17 | 60 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .283 | .274 (+3%) | .342 (-4%) | .393 (+14%) | .735 (+6%) | 43.6 |
| 1942 | CAG | NAL | 14 | 48 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1943 | CAG | NAL | 29 | 107 | 20 | 31 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 0 | .290 | .255 (+13%) | .324 (+6%) | .346 (+19%) | .671 (+13%) | 183.9 |
| 1944 | CAG | NAL | 21 | 82 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .293 | .261 (+12%) | .325 (-5%) | .357 (+16%) | .683 (+6%) | 28.4 |
| 1945 | CAG | NAL | 32 | 119 | 29 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | .269 | .260 (+3%) | .328 (+4%) | .354 (+2%) | .683 (+3%) | 49.9 |
| 1946 | CAG | NAL | 11 | 43 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .233 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | CAG | NAL | 16 | 33 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .424 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 144 | 498 | 79 | 139 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 50 | 8 | 36 | 3 | .279 | — | — | — | — | 306 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (141 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 85 | 223 | 53 | 72 | 5 | 24 | .323 |
| Away | 56 | 191 | 27 | 54 | 1 | 17 | .283 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-14 | CAG | BIR | W | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-09-05 | CAG | IN9 | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-31 | CAG | IN9 | W | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-11 | CAG | CVB | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-07-30 | CAG | KCM | L | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-07-25 | CAG | KCM | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-07-02 | CAG | MEM | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-06-22 | CAG | BIR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-25 | CAG | CVB | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-05-25 | CAG | CVB | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 21 | 17 | 34 | 51 | 10 | 3 |
| 3B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 115 | 106 | 164 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | CT | OF | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | CAG | 2B | 4 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 1939 | CAG | 3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | CAG | OF | 10 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | CAG | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | CAG | OF | 12 | 11 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943 | CAG | 2B | 5 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 1943 | CAG | OF | 24 | 23 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | CAG | 2B | 6 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 1944 | CAG | OF | 16 | 16 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1945 | CAG | 2B | 4 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 1945 | CAG | OF | 29 | 27 | 41 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 1946 | CAG | 2B | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1946 | CAG | OF | 9 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947 | CAG | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947 | CAG | OF | 12 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 21 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Left Field | 108 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 5 |
John Bissant: the record in brief
John Bissant's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1937 to 1947. Bissant played for the Cincinnati Tigers (1937) and the Chicago American Giants (1939 through 1947). The bio lists Bissant as a left fielder who threw and hit right-handed. Bissant is listed at 5'8" and 180 pounds. Bissant was born on February 19, 1914, in New Orleans, LA, USA. Bissant's death is recorded on April 1, 2006, in Houston, TX, USA. Bissant's full given name, per the bio, is John Lawrence Bissant.
Bissant collected 139 hits in 498 at bats across 144 games, good for a .279 batting average, plus 3 homers and 50 RBI. The on-base percentage is .329 and the slugging percentage .376, for an OPS of .704. Bissant's .279 average ran 6.2% above the .263 that the league posted over the same seasons. No season topped the 32 hits of 1945.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Bissant
- Was John Bissant a pitcher?
- No. John Bissant was a position player (Left Fielder).
- How many home runs did John Bissant hit?
- John Bissant hit 3 career home runs with 139 hits.
- What teams did John Bissant play for?
- John Bissant played for 2 teams: the Cincinnati Tigers (1937) and the Chicago American Giants (1939, 1942–1947).
- What were John Bissant's career stats?
- In 144 games, John Bissant had 139 hits, 3 home runs, 50 RBI, 79 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .279 batting average.
- What position did John Bissant play?
- John Bissant played primarily as a left fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John Bissant and how much did he weigh?
- John Bissant was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did John Bissant hit each season?
- John Bissant's home runs by season: 0 in 1937, 2 in 1939, 0 in 1942, 1 in 1943, 0 in 1944, 0 in 1945, 0 in 1946, and 0 in 1947. His most in one season was 2, in 1939.
- What was John Bissant's career batting average?
- John Bissant batted .279 over his career, with 139 hits in 498 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Bissant have?
- John Bissant drove in 50 runs in his career.
- Is John Bissant in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Bissant has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.