Johnny Callison
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1958-1973)
Johnny Callison was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1958 to 1973 for 4 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,886 career games, he hit .264 with 1,757 hits, 226 home runs, and 840 RBI. Johnny Callison was a 3-time All-Star and an All-Star Game MVP. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 14,904.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- Died
- 10/12/2006 in Abington, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1958-09-09
- Last Game
- 1973-08-17
- Awards
- 3× All-Star · All-Star Game MVP
Full name: John Wesley Callison
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,886 | 6,652 | 926 | 1,757 | 321 | 89 | 226 | 840 | 74 | 650 | 1,064 | .264 | .331 | .441 | .773 | 14,904 |
Career AVG .264 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — +5.6% above league average.
Career OBP .331 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .441 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — +17.7% above league average.
Career OPS .773 vs. league average .692 across their career seasons — +11.7% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | CHA | AL | 18 | 64 | 10 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 14 | .297 | .257 (+15%) | .324 (+8%) | .394 (+19%) | .719 (+14%) | 128.2 |
| 1959 | CHA | AL | 49 | 104 | 12 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 20 | .173 | .256 (-33%) | .323 (-16%) | .392 (-26%) | .715 (-22%) | -342.8 |
| 1960 | PHI | NL | 99 | 288 | 36 | 75 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 30 | 0 | 45 | 70 | .260 | .255 (+2%) | .323 (+11%) | .387 (+10%) | .711 (+11%) | 665.9 |
| 1961 | PHI | NL | 138 | 455 | 74 | 121 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 47 | 10 | 69 | 76 | .266 | .258 (+3%) | .328 (+11%) | .399 (+5%) | .727 (+7%) | 759.8 |
| 1962 | PHI | NL | 157 | 603 | 107 | 181 | 26 | 10 | 23 | 83 | 10 | 54 | 96 | .300 | .257 (+16%) | .326 (+11%) | .393 (+25%) | .719 (+19%) | 2258.1 |
| 1963 | PHI | NL | 157 | 626 | 96 | 178 | 36 | 11 | 26 | 78 | 8 | 50 | 111 | .284 | .246 (+15%) | .308 (+10%) | .371 (+35%) | .680 (+23%) | 2643.6 |
| 1964 | PHI | NL | 162 | 654 | 101 | 179 | 30 | 10 | 31 | 104 | 6 | 36 | 95 | .274 | .250 (+9%) | .312 (+1%) | .377 (+30%) | .690 (+17%) | 1916.2 |
| 1965 | PHI | NL | 160 | 619 | 93 | 162 | 25 | 16 | 32 | 101 | 6 | 57 | 117 | .262 | .245 (+7%) | .310 (+5%) | .371 (+37%) | .682 (+23%) | 2468.0 |
| 1966 | PHI | NL | 155 | 612 | 93 | 169 | 40 | 7 | 11 | 55 | 8 | 56 | 83 | .276 | .248 (+11%) | .309 (+9%) | .376 (+11%) | .685 (+10%) | 1197.5 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 149 | 556 | 62 | 145 | 30 | 5 | 14 | 64 | 6 | 55 | 63 | .261 | .242 (+8%) | .306 (+7%) | .357 (+14%) | .663 (+11%) | 1143.9 |
| 1968 | PHI | NL | 121 | 398 | 46 | 97 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 40 | 4 | 42 | 70 | .244 | .236 (+3%) | .298 (+7%) | .340 (+22%) | .638 (+15%) | 1014.1 |
| 1969 | PHI | NL | 134 | 495 | 66 | 131 | 29 | 5 | 16 | 64 | 2 | 49 | 73 | .265 | .248 (+7%) | .320 (+4%) | .369 (+19%) | .689 (+12%) | 1025.2 |
| 1970 | CHN | NL | 147 | 477 | 65 | 126 | 23 | 2 | 19 | 68 | 7 | 60 | 63 | .264 | .253 (+4%) | .325 (+7%) | .385 (+14%) | .711 (+11%) | 1076.5 |
| 1971 | CHN | NL | 103 | 290 | 27 | 61 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 38 | 2 | 36 | 55 | .210 | .249 (-16%) | .316 (-6%) | .365 (-7%) | .682 (-6%) | -272.2 |
| 1972 | NYA | AL | 92 | 275 | 28 | 71 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 3 | 18 | 34 | .258 | .243 (+6%) | .310 (-4%) | .353 (+11%) | .664 (+4%) | 97.6 |
| 1973 | NYA | AL | 45 | 136 | 10 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 24 | .176 | .256 (-31%) | .325 (-39%) | .378 (-40%) | .703 (-40%) | -875.5 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 1,886 | 6,652 | 926 | 1,757 | 321 | 89 | 226 | 840 | 74 | 650 | 1,064 | .264 | — | — | — | — | 14,904 | ||
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 (1886 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 950 | 3275 | 481 | 896 | 110 | 423 | .274 |
| Away | 936 | 3377 | 445 | 861 | 116 | 417 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-08-17 | NYY | TEX | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-08-15 | NYY | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-08-07 | NYY | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1973-08-06 | NYY | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-08-05 | NYY | DET | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1973-07-29 | NYY | MIL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-07-27 | NYY | MIL | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-07-26 | NYY | MIL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1973-07-22 | NYY | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1973-07-22 | NYY | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1777 | 1690 | 3349 | 175 | 57 | 34 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | CHA | OF | 18 | 18 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1959 | CHA | OF | 41 | 27 | 54 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960 | PHI | OF | 86 | 77 | 176 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 1961 | PHI | OF | 124 | 117 | 227 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| 1962 | PHI | OF | 152 | 147 | 327 | 24 | 7 | 7 |
| 1963 | PHI | OF | 157 | 152 | 298 | 26 | 2 | 4 |
| 1964 | PHI | OF | 162 | 159 | 319 | 19 | 4 | 3 |
| 1965 | PHI | OF | 159 | 154 | 313 | 21 | 6 | 2 |
| 1966 | PHI | OF | 154 | 150 | 275 | 12 | 3 | 2 |
| 1967 | PHI | OF | 147 | 144 | 286 | 12 | 7 | 1 |
| 1968 | PHI | OF | 109 | 107 | 187 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969 | PHI | OF | 129 | 128 | 273 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| 1970 | CHN | OF | 144 | 130 | 244 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| 1971 | CHN | OF | 89 | 82 | 158 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1972 | NYA | OF | 74 | 69 | 127 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1973 | NYA | OF | 32 | 29 | 46 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 199 |
| Center Field | 24 |
| Right Field | 1577 |
| Designated Hitter | 10 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | All-Star Game MVP |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 24th | 6.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1964 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 187.0 | 280 | 2 |
| 1963 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 15th | 11.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 5.0 | 280 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Johnny Callison (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Johnny Callison: the record in brief
Johnny Callison played a first major league game on September 9, 1958 and a last one on August 17, 1973. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1958 to 1959), the Philadelphia Phillies (1960 to 1969), the Chicago Cubs (1970 through 1971), and the New York Yankees (1972 through 1973). The bio lists Callison as an outfielder who threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Callison is listed at 5'10" and 175 pounds. Callison was born on March 12, 1939, in Qualls, OK, USA. Callison died on October 12, 2006, in Abington, PA, USA. Callison's full given name, per the bio, is John Wesley Callison.
Callison collected 1,757 hits in 6,652 at bats across 1,886 games, good for a .264 batting average, along with 226 homers, 840 RBI, and 74 stolen bases. Callison's career OPS of .773 combines a .331 on-base mark with .441 slugging. Callison's .264 average ran 5.6% above the .250 that the league posted over the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Callison
- What years did Johnny Callison play?
- Johnny Callison played in Major League Baseball from 1958 to 1973.
- Was Johnny Callison a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Callison was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Johnny Callison hit?
- Johnny Callison hit 226 career home runs with 1,757 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Callison play for?
- Johnny Callison played for 4 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1958–1959), the Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1969), the Chicago Cubs (1970–1971), and the New York Yankees (1972–1973).
- Did Johnny Callison win an MVP award?
- No. Johnny Callison did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Johnny Callison win?
- Johnny Callison was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Johnny Callison's career stats?
- In 1,886 games, Johnny Callison had 1,757 hits, 226 home runs, 840 RBI, 926 runs, and 74 stolen bases, with a .264 batting average.
- What position did Johnny Callison play?
- Johnny Callison played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Callison and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Callison was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Johnny Callison hit each season?
- Johnny Callison's home runs by season: 1 in 1958, 3 in 1959, 9 in 1960, 9 in 1961, 23 in 1962, 26 in 1963, 31 in 1964, 32 in 1965, 11 in 1966, 14 in 1967, 14 in 1968, 16 in 1969, 19 in 1970, 8 in 1971, 9 in 1972, and 1 in 1973. His most in one season was 32, in 1965.
- What was Johnny Callison's career batting average?
- Johnny Callison batted .264 over his career, with 1,757 hits in 6,652 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Callison have?
- Johnny Callison drove in 840 runs in his career.
- Is Johnny Callison in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Callison has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Johnny Callison make?
- Johnny Callison was selected to 3 All-Star Games.