Tommy Matchick
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1967-1972)
Tommy Matchick was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1967 to 1972 for 5 teams, including the Detroit Tigers, a span of 6 seasons. In 292 career games, he hit .215 with 178 hits, 4 home runs, and 64 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 173 lb
- Died
- 1/4/2022 in Sylvania, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1967-09-02
- Last Game
- 1972-10-03
Full name: John Thomas Matchick
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 292 | 826 | 63 | 178 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 64 | 6 | 39 | 148 | .215 | .254 | .270 | .524 | -2,677 |
Career AVG .215 vs. league average .246 across their career seasons — 12.4% below league average.
Career OBP .254 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 19.0% below league average.
Career SLG .270 vs. league average .363 across their career seasons — 25.6% below league average.
Career OPS .524 vs. league average .677 across their career seasons — 22.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | DET | AL | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 80 | 227 | 18 | 46 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 46 | .203 | .236 (-14%) | .298 (-17%) | .340 (-16%) | .638 (-16%) | -555.2 |
| 1969 | DET | AL | 94 | 298 | 25 | 72 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 15 | 51 | .242 | .248 (-3%) | .320 (-14%) | .369 (-21%) | .689 (-18%) | -846.7 |
| 1970 | BOS | AL | 10 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .071 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | KCA | AL | 55 | 158 | 11 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 23 | .196 | .253 (-23%) | .325 (-31%) | .385 (-38%) | .711 (-34%) | 0.0 |
| 1971 | ML4 | AL | 42 | 114 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 | .219 | .249 (-12%) | .316 (-17%) | .365 (-30%) | .682 (-24%) | -402.9 |
| 1972 | BAL | AL | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 292 | 826 | 63 | 178 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 64 | 6 | 39 | 148 | .215 | — | — | — | — | -1,805 | ||
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 (292 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 136 | 378 | 38 | 90 | 4 | 39 | .238 |
| Away | 156 | 448 | 25 | 88 | 0 | 25 | .196 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-10-03 | BAL | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-10-03 | BAL | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-20 | BAL | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-09-30 | MIL | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-28 | MIL | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-09-25 | MIL | OAK | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-09-24 | MIL | OAK | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-09-23 | MIL | OAK | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-21 | MIL | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-20 | MIL | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 8 | 1 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 2B | 72 | 61 | 136 | 179 | 7 | 46 |
| 3B | 74 | 58 | 49 | 113 | 4 | 8 |
| SS | 110 | 91 | 124 | 256 | 13 | 54 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | DET | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | DET | 1B | 6 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 1968 | DET | 2B | 13 | 10 | 25 | 34 | 1 | 7 |
| 1968 | DET | SS | 59 | 48 | 53 | 118 | 9 | 20 |
| 1969 | DET | 1B | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | DET | 2B | 47 | 45 | 89 | 122 | 6 | 32 |
| 1969 | DET | 3B | 27 | 24 | 15 | 45 | 1 | 2 |
| 1969 | DET | SS | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| 1970 | BOS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970 | BOS | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | BOS | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | KCA | 2B | 10 | 5 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 6 |
| 1970 | KCA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | KCA | SS | 43 | 37 | 64 | 130 | 3 | 32 |
| 1971 | ML4 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | ML4 | 3B | 41 | 32 | 31 | 62 | 2 | 6 |
| 1972 | BAL | 3B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 8 |
| Second Base | 72 |
| Third Base | 74 |
| Shortstop | 110 |
Tommy Matchick: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 2, 1967 and the final game on October 3, 1972, Tommy Matchick built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1967 through 1969), the Boston Red Sox (1970), the Kansas City Royals (1970), the Milwaukee Brewers (1971), and the Baltimore Orioles (1972). Matchick played primarily as a shortstop and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Born on September 7, 1943, in Hazleton, PA, USA, Matchick was listed at 6-foot-1 and 173 pounds. Matchick died on January 4, 2022, in Sylvania, OH, USA. Matchick's full given name, per the bio, is John Thomas Matchick.
Matchick collected 178 hits in 826 at bats across 292 games, good for a .215 batting average, along with 4 home runs and 64 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .254 and .270 give Matchick a career OPS of .524. Measured against the leagues Matchick played in, the .215 career average compares with a .246 league average over the same seasons, 12.4% below the league. The hits column peaks at 72, in 1969. Matchick drove in a season-high 32 runs in 1969.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tommy Matchick
- What years did Tommy Matchick play?
- Tommy Matchick played in Major League Baseball from 1967 to 1972.
- Was Tommy Matchick a pitcher?
- No. Tommy Matchick was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Tommy Matchick hit?
- Tommy Matchick hit 4 career home runs with 178 hits.
- What was Tommy Matchick's career batting average?
- Tommy Matchick batted .215 over his career, with 178 hits in 826 at bats.
- How many RBI did Tommy Matchick have?
- Tommy Matchick drove in 64 runs in his career.
- Is Tommy Matchick in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tommy Matchick has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.