Jack Bliss
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1912)
Jack Bliss was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1912 for the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 5 seasons. In 251 career games, he hit .219 with 143 hits, 3 home runs, and 61 RBI.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 185 lb
- Died
- 10/23/1968 in Temple City, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1908-05-10
- Last Game
- 1912-09-30
Full name: John Joseph Albert Bliss
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | 654 | 70 | 143 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 61 | 13 | 85 | 90 | .219 | .318 | .274 | .591 | -469 |
Career AVG .219 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 14.0% below league average.
Career OBP .318 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .274 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 17.7% below league average.
Career OPS .591 vs. league average .652 across their career seasons — 9.3% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | SLN | NL | 44 | 136 | 9 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 24 | .213 | .240 (-11%) | .298 (-10%) | .306 (-14%) | .605 (-12%) | -216.8 |
| 1909 | SLN | NL | 45 | 113 | 12 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 19 | .221 | .244 (-9%) | .306 (avg) | .312 (-9%) | .618 (-5%) | -41.4 |
| 1910 | SLN | NL | 16 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | .061 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1911 | SLN | NL | 97 | 258 | 36 | 59 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 42 | 25 | .229 | .266 (-14%) | .336 (+1%) | .356 (-17%) | .693 (-8%) | -223.8 |
| 1912 | SLN | NL | 49 | 114 | 11 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 19 | 14 | .246 | .268 (-9%) | .335 (+11%) | .358 (-19%) | .694 (-5%) | 13.2 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 251 | 654 | 70 | 143 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 61 | 13 | 85 | 90 | .219 | — | — | — | — | -469 | ||
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 (254 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 132 | 317 | 31 | 72 | 1 | 28 | .227 |
| Away | 122 | 340 | 38 | 71 | 2 | 31 | .209 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912-09-30 | STL | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-08-20 | STL | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-08-17 | STL | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-08-07 | STL | BRO | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1912-08-03 | STL | PHI | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1912-07-30 | STL | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-07-27 | STL | BSN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1912-07-23 | STL | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-07-20 | STL | BRO | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912-07-19 | STL | BRO | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 214 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | CA | 1903, 1904, 1905 |
Jack Bliss: the record in brief
According to the bio, Jack Bliss debuted on May 10, 1908 and played a final game on September 30, 1912. Every season row on the page belongs to the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1908 through 1912. Listed as a catcher, Bliss batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 5 feet, 9 inches and 185 pounds. The birth record reads January 9, 1882, in Vancouver, WA, USA. Bliss's death is recorded on October 23, 1968, in Temple City, CA, USA. The bio lists the given name John Joseph Albert.
Bliss's career batting table shows 251 games, 654 at bats and 143 hits, a .219 average, along with 3 home runs and 61 RBI. Bliss's career OPS of .591 combines a .318 on-base mark with .274 slugging. Set against a .254 league average for the same years, Bliss's .219 average sits 14.0% below it. No season topped the 59 hits of 1911. The RBI column peaks at 27 in 1911. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .229 in 1911, did not top the league's .266. In none of the compared seasons from 1908 to 1912 did Bliss top the league batting average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Bliss
- What years did Jack Bliss play?
- Jack Bliss played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1912.
- Was Jack Bliss a pitcher?
- No. Jack Bliss was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jack Bliss hit?
- Jack Bliss hit 3 career home runs with 143 hits.
- What was Jack Bliss's career batting average?
- Jack Bliss batted .219 over his career, with 143 hits in 654 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jack Bliss have?
- Jack Bliss drove in 61 runs in his career.
- Is Jack Bliss in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jack Bliss has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.