Johnny Riddle
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1930-1948)
Johnny Riddle was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1948 for 5 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 19 seasons. In 98 career games, he hit .238 with 51 hits and 11 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
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- Died
- 12/15/1998 in Indianapolis, IN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1930-04-17
- Last Game
- 1948-09-11
Full name: John Ludy Riddle
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 214 | 18 | 51 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 19 | .238 | .288 | .266 | .555 | -342 |
Career AVG .238 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — 11.9% below league average.
Career OBP .288 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 14.8% below league average.
Career SLG .266 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 30.7% below league average.
Career OPS .555 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — 23.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | CHA | AL | 25 | 58 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .241 | .293 (-18%) | .354 (-18%) | .429 (-24%) | .784 (-21%) | -216.0 |
| 1937 | WS1 | AL | 8 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .269 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | BSN | NL | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | BSN | NL | 19 | 57 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .281 | .272 (+3%) | .341 (-4%) | .392 (-24%) | .734 (-15%) | -126.0 |
| 1941 | CIN | NL | 10 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .300 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1944 | CIN | NL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CIN | NL | 23 | 45 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | .178 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1948 | PIT | NL | 10 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 98 | 214 | 18 | 51 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 19 | .238 | — | — | — | — | -342 | ||
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 (98 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 30 | 63 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 5 | .238 |
| Away | 68 | 151 | 12 | 36 | 0 | 7 | .238 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-09-11 | PIT | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-27 | PIT | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-22 | PIT | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-21 | PIT | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-20 | PIT | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-07-29 | PIT | BSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-06-29 | PIT | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-06-25 | PIT | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1948-06-24 | PIT | BRO | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-06-20 | PIT | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 98 |
Johnny Riddle: the record in brief
The profile opens with Johnny Riddle's first major league game on April 17, 1930; the last one listed came on September 11, 1948. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1930), the Washington Senators (1937), the Boston Bees (1937 to 1938), the Cincinnati Reds (1941 to 1945), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1948). Riddle, born on October 3, 1905, in Clinton, SC, USA, is listed as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Riddle's listed size is 5'11" and 190 pounds. The bio records the death on December 15, 1998, in Indianapolis, IN, USA. Johnny Riddle was the playing name; the full given name is John Ludy.
Riddle's career batting table shows 98 games, 214 at bats and 51 hits, a .238 average, plus 11 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .288 and .266 give Riddle a career OPS of .555. Set against a .271 league average for the same years, Riddle's .238 average sits 11.9% below it. By OPS the gap is 23.3% below league average (.555 against .723). The hits column peaks at 16, in 1938. In 1938, a season of regular play, Riddle hit .281 while the league hit .272.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Riddle
- What years did Johnny Riddle play?
- Johnny Riddle played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1948.
- Was Johnny Riddle a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Riddle was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Johnny Riddle hit?
- Johnny Riddle hit 0 career home runs with 51 hits.
- What was Johnny Riddle's career batting average?
- Johnny Riddle batted .238 over his career, with 51 hits in 214 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Riddle have?
- Johnny Riddle drove in 11 runs in his career.
- Is Johnny Riddle in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Riddle has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.