John Ritchey
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
John Ritchey was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago American Giants. In 21 career games, he hit .319 with 23 hits and 12 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 275.
- 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
- 5'10" / 180 lb
- Died
- 1/14/2003 in Chula Vista, CA, USA
Full name: John Franklin Ritchey
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 72 | 18 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 0 | .319 | .437 | .403 | .840 | 275 |
Career AVG .319 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +21.8% above league average.
Career OBP .437 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +29.7% above league average.
Career SLG .403 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +7.1% above league average.
Career OPS .840 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — +17.8% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | CAG | NAL | 21 | 72 | 18 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 0 | .319 | .262 (+22%) | .336 (+30%) | .376 (+7%) | .712 (+18%) | 275.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 21 | 72 | 18 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 0 | .319 | — | — | — | — | 275 | ||
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 (41 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 17 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3 | .636 |
| Away | 24 | 44 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 8 | .295 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-09-14 | CAG | BIR | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-05 | CAG | IN9 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-09-01 | CAG | IN9 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-31 | CAG | IN9 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-08-31 | CAG | IN9 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-11 | CAG | CVB | W | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947-08-10 | CAG | CVB | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-10 | CAG | CVB | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-07-31 | CAG | KCM | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-07-20 | CAG | KCM | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 17 |
| Third Base | 4 |
John Ritchey: the record in brief
John Ritchey's record on this page is drawn from the season tables. The team column never changes: it is the Chicago American Giants in 1947. Ritchey, a catcher by primary position, batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 5 feet, 10 inches and 180 pounds. The birth record reads January 5, 1923, in San Diego, CA, USA. The bio records the death on January 14, 2003, in Chula Vista, CA, USA. The given name on file is John Franklin Ritchey.
Ritchey collected 23 hits in 72 at bats across 21 games, good for a .319 batting average, adding 12 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .437 and .403 give Ritchey a career OPS of .840. Ritchey's .319 average ran 21.8% above the .262 that the league posted over the same seasons. The season table holds a single row: 1947 with the Chicago American Giants, 21 games, 72 at bats and 23 hits. That year the league hit .262, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Ritchey
- Was John Ritchey a pitcher?
- No. John Ritchey was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Ritchey hit?
- John Ritchey hit 0 career home runs with 23 hits.
- What teams did John Ritchey play for?
- John Ritchey played for one team, the Chicago American Giants (1947).
- What were John Ritchey's career stats?
- In 21 games, John Ritchey had 23 hits, 12 RBI, 18 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .319 batting average.
- What position did John Ritchey play?
- John Ritchey played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John Ritchey and how much did he weigh?
- John Ritchey was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was John Ritchey's career batting average?
- John Ritchey batted .319 over his career, with 23 hits in 72 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Ritchey have?
- John Ritchey drove in 12 runs in his career.
- Is John Ritchey in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Ritchey has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.