Jack Lapp
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1908-1916)
Jack Lapp was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1916 for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 9 seasons. In 567 career games, he hit .263 with 416 hits, 5 home runs, and 166 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,207.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 160 lb
- Died
- 2/6/1920 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1908-09-11
- Last Game
- 1916-10-01
Full name: John Walker Lapp
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 567 | 1,581 | 168 | 416 | 59 | 26 | 5 | 166 | 16 | 177 | 175 | .263 | .340 | .343 | .683 | 1,207 |
Career AVG .263 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .340 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.
Career SLG .343 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .683 vs. league average .654 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | PHA | AL | 13 | 35 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1909 | PHA | AL | 21 | 56 | 8 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 8 | .339 | .244 (+39%) | .306 (+22%) | .312 (+37%) | .618 (+29%) | 220.6 |
| 1910 | PHA | AL | 71 | 192 | 18 | 45 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 34 | .234 | .249 (-6%) | .317 (-2%) | .326 (-12%) | .644 (-7%) | -185.5 |
| 1911 | PHA | AL | 68 | 167 | 35 | 59 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 4 | 24 | 21 | .353 | .266 (+33%) | .336 (+29%) | .356 (+31%) | .693 (+30%) | 949.1 |
| 1912 | PHA | AL | 91 | 281 | 26 | 82 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 35 | 3 | 19 | 25 | .292 | .268 (+9%) | .335 (avg) | .358 (+11%) | .694 (+6%) | 217.9 |
| 1913 | PHA | AL | 82 | 238 | 23 | 54 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 37 | 26 | .227 | .259 (-13%) | .325 (+3%) | .345 (-16%) | .670 (-7%) | -133.4 |
| 1914 | PHA | AL | 69 | 199 | 22 | 46 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 31 | 14 | .231 | .255 (-9%) | .322 (+5%) | .339 (-16%) | .661 (-6%) | -76.3 |
| 1915 | PHA | AL | 112 | 312 | 26 | 85 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 31 | 5 | 30 | 29 | .272 | .250 (+9%) | .318 (+7%) | .332 (+13%) | .651 (+10%) | 537.4 |
| 1916 | CHA | AL | 40 | 101 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 10 | .208 | .248 (-16%) | .314 (-15%) | .326 (-30%) | .640 (-23%) | -323.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 567 | 1,581 | 168 | 416 | 59 | 26 | 5 | 166 | 16 | 177 | 175 | .263 | — | — | — | — | 1,207 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (570 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 295 | 810 | 78 | 228 | 0 | 102 | .281 |
| Away | 275 | 775 | 87 | 189 | 5 | 79 | .244 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-10-01 | CHW | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-30 | CHW | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-25 | CHW | NYY | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-23 | CHW | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-22 | CHW | NYY | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-21 | CHW | PHA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-17 | CHW | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-16 | CHW | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-15 | CHW | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-14 | CHW | MIN | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 17 | 0 | 122 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| C | 503 | 80 | 2285 | 636 | 93 | 58 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | PHA | C | 13 | 12 | 55 | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| 1909 | PHA | C | 19 | 14 | 95 | 26 | 8 | 2 |
| 1910 | PHA | C | 63 | 54 | 361 | 88 | 9 | 6 |
| 1911 | PHA | 1B | 4 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911 | PHA | C | 57 | 0 | 270 | 47 | 9 | 8 |
| 1912 | PHA | C | 83 | 0 | 354 | 105 | 20 | 10 |
| 1913 | PHA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1913 | PHA | C | 78 | 0 | 313 | 110 | 14 | 3 |
| 1914 | PHA | C | 67 | 0 | 330 | 88 | 10 | 4 |
| 1915 | PHA | 1B | 12 | 0 | 94 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1915 | PHA | C | 89 | 0 | 376 | 115 | 17 | 23 |
| 1916 | CHA | C | 34 | 0 | 131 | 41 | 2 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 503 |
| First Base | 15 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jack Lapp (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jack Lapp: the record in brief
Jack Lapp's major league career runs from a debut on September 11, 1908 to a final game on October 1, 1916. The season rows list, in order, the Philadelphia Athletics (1908 to 1915) and the Chicago White Sox (1916). Listed as a catcher, Lapp threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The recorded size is 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds. Lapp was born on September 10, 1884, in Frazer, PA, USA. Lapp's death is recorded on February 6, 1920, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Jack Lapp was the playing name; the full given name is John Walker.
The batting record for Lapp: 567 games, 416 hits in 1,581 at bats, and a .263 average, plus 5 homers and 166 RBI. Reaching base at a .340 clip and slugging .343, Lapp finished with a .683 OPS. Against a .254 league average for those years, Lapp's .263 average was near the norm. The hits column peaks at 85, in 1915. Lapp drove in a season-high 35 runs in 1912.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Lapp
- What years did Jack Lapp play?
- Jack Lapp played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1916.
- Was Jack Lapp a pitcher?
- No. Jack Lapp was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jack Lapp hit?
- Jack Lapp hit 5 career home runs with 416 hits.
- What was Jack Lapp's career batting average?
- Jack Lapp batted .263 over his career, with 416 hits in 1,581 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jack Lapp have?
- Jack Lapp drove in 166 runs in his career.
- Is Jack Lapp in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jack Lapp has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.