Johnny Grabowski
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1924-1931)
Johnny Grabowski was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1924 to 1931 for the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 8 seasons. In 296 career games, he hit .252 with 206 hits, 3 home runs, and 86 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
- 5'10" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/23/1946 in Albany, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1924-07-11
- Last Game
- 1931-09-21
Full name: John Patrick Grabowski
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 296 | 816 | 84 | 206 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 86 | 1 | 47 | 84 | .252 | .295 | .314 | .609 | -2,367 |
Career AVG .252 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 10.8% below league average.
Career OBP .295 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 14.7% below league average.
Career SLG .314 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — 21.0% below league average.
Career OPS .609 vs. league average .743 across their career seasons — 18.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | CHA | AL | 20 | 56 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .250 | .283 (-12%) | .345 (-20%) | .389 (-22%) | .734 (-21%) | -198.4 |
| 1925 | CHA | AL | 21 | 46 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .304 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1926 | CHA | AL | 48 | 122 | 6 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 15 | .262 | .279 (-6%) | .345 (-17%) | .390 (-20%) | .735 (-19%) | -382.4 |
| 1927 | NYA | AL | 70 | 195 | 29 | 54 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 20 | 15 | .277 | .282 (-2%) | .344 (+2%) | .392 (-16%) | .736 (-8%) | -204.2 |
| 1928 | NYA | AL | 75 | 202 | 21 | 48 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 21 | .238 | .280 (-15%) | .342 (-20%) | .395 (-25%) | .737 (-23%) | -756.2 |
| 1929 | NYA | AL | 22 | 59 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | .203 | .289 (-30%) | .353 (-32%) | .415 (-47%) | .769 (-40%) | -394.1 |
| 1931 | DET | AL | 40 | 136 | 9 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 19 | .235 | .276 (-15%) | .338 (-21%) | .388 (-17%) | .726 (-19%) | -431.7 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 296 | 816 | 84 | 206 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 86 | 1 | 47 | 84 | .252 | — | — | — | — | -2,367 | ||
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 (296 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 136 | 365 | 39 | 101 | 3 | 50 | .277 |
| Away | 160 | 450 | 46 | 105 | 0 | 37 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-09-21 | DET | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-13 | DET | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-09-02 | DET | SLA | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-08-31 | DET | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931-08-30 | DET | CHW | L | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931-08-26 | DET | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931-08-23 | DET | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-08-18 | DET | NYY | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1931-08-15 | DET | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931-08-13 | DET | PHA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 282 |
| First Base | 1 |
Johnny Grabowski: the record in brief
According to the bio, Johnny Grabowski debuted on July 11, 1924 and played a final game on September 21, 1931. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1924 through 1926), the New York Yankees (1927 through 1929), and the Detroit Tigers (1931). Grabowski, a catcher by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 185 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. Grabowski was born on January 7, 1900, in Ware, MA, USA. Grabowski died on May 23, 1946, in Albany, NY, USA. Johnny Grabowski was the playing name; the full given name is John Patrick.
Grabowski collected 206 hits in 816 at bats across 296 games, good for a .252 batting average, plus 3 home runs and 86 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .295 and .314 give Grabowski a career OPS of .609. Grabowski's .252 average ran 10.8% below the .283 that the league posted over the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 18.1% below league average (.609 against .743). 1927 produced Grabowski's most hits, 54 of them for the New York Yankees.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Grabowski
- What years did Johnny Grabowski play?
- Johnny Grabowski played in Major League Baseball from 1924 to 1931.
- Was Johnny Grabowski a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Grabowski was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Johnny Grabowski hit?
- Johnny Grabowski hit 3 career home runs with 206 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Grabowski play for?
- Johnny Grabowski played for 3 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1924–1926), the New York Yankees (1927–1929), and the Detroit Tigers (1931).
- What were Johnny Grabowski's career stats?
- In 296 games, Johnny Grabowski had 206 hits, 3 home runs, 86 RBI, 84 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .252 batting average.
- What position did Johnny Grabowski play?
- Johnny Grabowski played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Grabowski and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Grabowski was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Johnny Grabowski hit each season?
- Johnny Grabowski's home runs by season: 0 in 1924, 0 in 1925, 1 in 1926, 0 in 1927, 1 in 1928, 0 in 1929, and 1 in 1931. His most in one season was 1, in 1926, 1928, and 1931.
- What was Johnny Grabowski's career batting average?
- Johnny Grabowski batted .252 over his career, with 206 hits in 816 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Grabowski have?
- Johnny Grabowski drove in 86 runs in his career.
- Is Johnny Grabowski in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Grabowski has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.