Rube Novotney
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1949)
Rube Novotney was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball in 1949 for the Chicago Cubs. In 22 career games, he hit .269 with 18 hits and 6 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
- 6'0" / 187 lb
- Died
- 7/16/1987 in Redondo Beach, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1949-04-29
- Last Game
- 1949-07-03
Full name: Ralph Joseph Novotney
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 67 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 11 | .269 | .300 | .328 | .628 | -163 |
Career AVG .269 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .300 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — 12.7% below league average.
Career SLG .328 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.
Career OPS .628 vs. league average .728 across their career seasons — 13.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | CHN | NL | 22 | 67 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 11 | .269 | .262 (+2%) | .343 (-13%) | .384 (-14%) | .727 (-14%) | -162.8 |
| Career · 1 season | 22 | 67 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 11 | .269 | — | — | — | — | -163 | ||
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 (22 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 13 | 39 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 3 | .308 |
| Away | 9 | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | .214 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-07-03 | CHC | PIT | L | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-06-30 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-29 | CHC | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-06-28 | CHC | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-06-26 | CHC | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-25 | CHC | NY1 | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-23 | CHC | BSN | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-06-19 | CHC | BRO | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-06-15 | CHC | PHI | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-06-14 | CHC | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 20 |
Rube Novotney: the record in brief
Rube Novotney played a first major league game on April 29, 1949 and a last one on July 3, 1949. The team column never changes: it is the Chicago Cubs in 1949. Novotney is listed as a catcher at 6 feet, 0 inches and 187 pounds. Novotney batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Novotney was born on August 5, 1924, in Streator, IL, USA. Novotney's death is recorded on July 16, 1987, in Redondo Beach, CA, USA. Rube Novotney was the playing name; the full given name is Ralph Joseph.
Novotney finished with 18 hits from 67 at bats in 22 games, which works out to .269, along with 6 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .300 and .328 give Novotney a career OPS of .628. Against a .263 league average for those years, Novotney's .269 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 13.6% below league average (.628 against .728). The season table holds a single row: 1949 with the Chicago Cubs, 22 games, 67 at bats and 18 hits. That year the league hit .262, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rube Novotney
- Was Rube Novotney a pitcher?
- No. Rube Novotney was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Rube Novotney hit?
- Rube Novotney hit 0 career home runs with 18 hits.
- What teams did Rube Novotney play for?
- Rube Novotney played for one team, the Chicago Cubs (1949).
- What were Rube Novotney's career stats?
- In 22 games, Rube Novotney had 18 hits, 6 RBI, and 4 runs, with a .269 batting average.
- What position did Rube Novotney play?
- Rube Novotney played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rube Novotney and how much did he weigh?
- Rube Novotney was listed at 6 feet and 187 pounds.
- What was Rube Novotney's career batting average?
- Rube Novotney batted .269 over his career, with 18 hits in 67 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rube Novotney have?
- Rube Novotney drove in 6 runs in his career.
- Is Rube Novotney in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rube Novotney has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.