Johnny Bucha
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1948-1953)
Johnny Bucha was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1953 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 6 seasons. In 84 career games, he hit .205 with 40 hits, 1 home runs, and 15 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
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- Died
- 4/28/1996 in Bethlehem, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1948-05-02
- Last Game
- 1953-09-25
Full name: John George Bucha
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 195 | 18 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 25 | 21 | .205 | .295 | .272 | .567 | -421 |
Career AVG .205 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 22.5% below league average.
Career OBP .295 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 13.3% below league average.
Career SLG .272 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 30.7% below league average.
Career OPS .567 vs. league average .733 across their career seasons — 22.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | SLN | NL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1950 | SLN | NL | 22 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | .139 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1953 | DET | AL | 60 | 158 | 17 | 35 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 20 | 14 | .222 | .264 (-16%) | .335 (-8%) | .397 (-25%) | .733 (-17%) | -420.9 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 84 | 195 | 18 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 25 | 21 | .205 | — | — | — | — | -421 | ||
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 (85 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 37 | 80 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 5 | .188 |
| Away | 48 | 115 | 9 | 25 | 1 | 10 | .217 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-09-25 | DET | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953-09-20 | DET | CLE | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-09-17 | DET | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-09-14 | DET | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953-09-13 | DET | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953-09-12 | DET | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-09-11 | DET | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1953-09-09 | DET | PHA | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-09-07 | DET | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953-09-05 | DET | SLA | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 75 |
Johnny Bucha: the record in brief
The profile opens with Johnny Bucha's first major league game on May 2, 1948; the last one listed came on September 25, 1953. The team column moves through the St. Louis Cardinals (1948 through 1950) and the Detroit Tigers (1953). Listed as a catcher, Bucha batted and threw right-handed. Bucha is listed at 190 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Bucha was born on January 22, 1925, in Allentown, PA, USA. Bucha died on April 28, 1996, in Bethlehem, PA, USA. Bucha's full given name, per the bio, is John George Bucha.
Across 84 games at the plate, Bucha's career line reads 40 hits in 195 at bats for a .205 average; the totals also include 1 home run and 15 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .295 and .272 give Bucha a career OPS of .567. The league as a whole hit .265 across Bucha's seasons, which puts the .205 career mark 22.5% below average. 1953 produced Bucha's most hits, 35 of them for the Detroit Tigers. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .222 in 1953, did not top the league's .264.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Bucha
- What years did Johnny Bucha play?
- Johnny Bucha played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1953.
- Was Johnny Bucha a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Bucha was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Johnny Bucha hit?
- Johnny Bucha hit 1 career home run with 40 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Bucha play for?
- Johnny Bucha played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1948, 1950) and the Detroit Tigers (1953).
- What were Johnny Bucha's career stats?
- In 84 games, Johnny Bucha had 40 hits, 1 home runs, 15 RBI, 18 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .205 batting average.
- What position did Johnny Bucha play?
- Johnny Bucha played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Bucha and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Bucha was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Johnny Bucha hit each season?
- Johnny Bucha's home runs by season: 0 in 1948, 0 in 1950, and 1 in 1953. His most in one season was 1, in 1953.
- What was Johnny Bucha's career batting average?
- Johnny Bucha batted .205 over his career, with 40 hits in 195 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Bucha have?
- Johnny Bucha drove in 15 runs in his career.
- Is Johnny Bucha in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Bucha has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.