John Butler
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1901-1907)
John Butler was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1901 to 1907 for the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 7 seasons. In 44 career games, he hit .134 with 16 hits and 3 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
- 5'7" / 170 lb
- Died
- 2/2/1950 in Boston, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1901-09-28
- Last Game
- 1907-10-04
Full name: John Albert Butler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 119 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 14 | .134 | .231 | .151 | .383 | -438 |
Career AVG .134 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 46.8% below league average.
Career OBP .231 vs. league average .310 across their career seasons — 25.3% below league average.
Career SLG .151 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 53.6% below league average.
Career OPS .383 vs. league average .635 across their career seasons — 39.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | MLA | AL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1904 | SLN | NL | 12 | 37 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .162 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1906 | BRO | NL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1907 | BRO | NL | 30 | 79 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 7 | .127 | .245 (-48%) | .304 (-29%) | .308 (-55%) | .613 (-42%) | -438.2 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 44 | 119 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 14 | .134 | — | — | — | — | -438 | ||
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 (44 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 14 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .059 |
| Away | 30 | 83 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 4 | .169 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907-10-04 | BRO | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1907-06-15 | BRO | CHC | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1907-06-14 | BRO | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1907-06-13 | BRO | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1907-06-12 | BRO | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907-06-11 | BRO | PIT | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1907-06-10 | BRO | PIT | L | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907-06-09 | BRO | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907-06-01 | BRO | NY1 | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1907-05-31 | BRO | NY1 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 42 |
| Left Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordham University | New York | NY | 1901, 1902 |
John Butler: the record in brief
September 28, 1901 and October 4, 1907 bracket John Butler's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Milwaukee Brewers (1901), the St. Louis Cardinals (1904), and the Brooklyn Superbas (1906 to 1907). Butler is listed as a catcher at 170 pounds on a 5-foot-7 frame. Butler both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Butler was born on July 26, 1879, in Boston, MA, USA. Butler's death is recorded on February 2, 1950, in Boston, MA, USA. On the record, John Butler was born John Albert Butler.
The batting record for Butler: 44 games, 16 hits in 119 at bats, and a .134 average, plus 3 RBI. Reaching base at a .231 clip and slugging .151, Butler finished with a .383 OPS. Measured against the leagues Butler played in, the .134 career average compares with a .253 league average over the same seasons, 46.8% below the league. No season topped the 10 hits of 1907. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .127 in 1907, did not top the league's .245.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Butler
- What years did John Butler play?
- John Butler played in Major League Baseball from 1901 to 1907.
- Was John Butler a pitcher?
- No. John Butler was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Butler hit?
- John Butler hit 0 career home runs with 16 hits.
- What teams did John Butler play for?
- John Butler played for 3 teams: the Milwaukee Brewers (1901), the St. Louis Cardinals (1904), and the Brooklyn Superbas (1906–1907).
- What were John Butler's career stats?
- In 44 games, John Butler had 16 hits, 3 RBI, and 6 runs, with a .134 batting average.
- What position did John Butler play?
- John Butler played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John Butler and how much did he weigh?
- John Butler was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 170 pounds.
- What was John Butler's career batting average?
- John Butler batted .134 over his career, with 16 hits in 119 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Butler have?
- John Butler drove in 3 runs in his career.
- Is John Butler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Butler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.