Johnnie Dawson

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Johnnie Dawson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Kansas City Monarchs. In 31 career games, he hit .209 with 14 hits and 6 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

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

AVG .209
HR 0
RBI 6
H 14
OPS .501
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
— / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 176 lb
Born
11/8/1914 in Shreveport, LA, USA
Died
8/6/1984 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Johnnie Dawson — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
67.0 66.0 3.0 16.0 5.0 0 0 4.0 1.0 0 2.0 .242 .254 .318 .572

Career Batting Statistics

Johnnie Dawson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
31 67 4 14 4 0 0 6 1 2 0 .209 .232 .269 .501 0

Career AVG .209 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 20.8% below league average.

Career OBP .232 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 30.4% below league average.

Career SLG .269 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 28.5% below league average.

Career OPS .501 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — 29.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Johnnie Dawson — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1938 KCM NAL 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 — — — — 0.0
1940 CAG NAL 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1940 MRS NAL 8 17 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 .118 — — — — 0.0
1940 KCM NAL 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
1941 BBB NAL 3 5 1 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .800 — — — — 0.0
1942 KCM NAL 13 32 1 6 2 0 0 3 1 1 0 .188 — — — — 0.0
1942 BBB NAL 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 7 seasons 31 67 4 14 4 0 0 6 1 2 0 .209 — — — — 0

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 (27 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Johnnie Dawson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home16282601.214
Away11130100.077

Last 10 Games — Batting

Johnnie Dawson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1942-09-01 BIRMEML 000000000
1942-07-26 KCMMEML 200000000
1942-07-19 KCMCAGW 000000000
1942-07-16 KCMMEMW 301000000
1942-07-12 KCMMEMW 000000000
1942-07-09 KCMMEML 000000000
1942-06-26 KCMBIRL 400000000
1942-06-22 KCMMEMW 001100100
1942-06-16 KCMCCBW 400000000
1942-06-14 KCMCCBW 301000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Johnnie Dawson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 24 16 93 20 4 3
OF 2 1 2 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Johnnie Dawson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1938 KCM C 3 0 9 2 0 0
1940 CAG C 1 1 5 1 0 0
1940 MRS C 6 6 21 8 1 2
1940 KCM C 1 0 0 0 0 0
1941 BBB OF 2 1 2 0 0 0
1942 KCM C 12 9 55 8 3 1
1942 BBB C 1 0 3 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Johnnie Dawson — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 24
Left Field 2

Johnnie Dawson: the record in brief

Johnnie Dawson's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1938 to 1942. The season rows list, in order, the Kansas City Monarchs (1938 to 1942), the Chicago American Giants (1940), the Memphis Red Sox (1940), and the Birmingham Black Barons (1941 through 1942). Dawson played primarily as a catcher. Born on November 8, 1914, in Shreveport, LA, USA, Dawson was listed at 6-foot-1 and 176 pounds. The bio records the death on August 6, 1984, in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Dawson finished with 14 hits from 67 at bats in 31 games, which works out to .209; the totals also include 6 runs batted in. Dawson got on base at a .232 rate and slugged .269 (.501 OPS). Set against a .264 league average for the same years, Dawson's .209 average sits 20.8% below it. The OPS comparison is .501 to a league .709, 29.4% below average. 1942 produced Dawson's most hits, 6 of them for the Kansas City Monarchs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Johnnie Dawson

Was Johnnie Dawson a pitcher?
No. Johnnie Dawson was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Johnnie Dawson hit?
Johnnie Dawson hit 0 career home runs with 14 hits.
What teams did Johnnie Dawson play for?
Johnnie Dawson played for 4 teams: the Kansas City Monarchs (1938, 1940, 1942), the Chicago American Giants (1940), the Memphis Red Sox (1940), and the Birmingham Black Barons (1941–1942).
What were Johnnie Dawson's career stats?
In 31 games, Johnnie Dawson had 14 hits, 6 RBI, 4 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .209 batting average.
What position did Johnnie Dawson play?
Johnnie Dawson played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Johnnie Dawson and how much did he weigh?
Johnnie Dawson was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 176 pounds.
What was Johnnie Dawson's career batting average?
Johnnie Dawson batted .209 over his career, with 14 hits in 67 at bats.
How many RBI did Johnnie Dawson have?
Johnnie Dawson drove in 6 runs in his career.
Is Johnnie Dawson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Johnnie Dawson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.