John Bateman (baseball)
| John Bateman | ||
|---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 375 | |
| Teams | ||
John Alvin Bateman (July 21, 1940 – December 3, 1996) was an American professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Montreal Expos, and Philadelphia Phillies. Bateman batted and threw right-handed. During his playing days, he stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall, weighing 210 pounds (95 kg).
Born in
Houston Colt .45s
Bateman clubbed 22
Houston Astros
In
In 1966, Bateman won back his starting job behind the plate, and set a franchise record with sixteen home runs by a catcher; the record was tied by Jason Castro in 2013, who hit two more as a designated hitter.
Montreal Expos
Bateman and Brand shared catching duties for the Astros through the 1968 season. On October 14, 1968, Bateman was drafted by the Montreal Expos as the sixth overall pick in the 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft; 52 picks later, the Expos selected Brand, and the two resumed their platoon in Montreal. Bateman batted sixth in the inaugural game versus the New York Mets on April 8, 1969, going 1-for-5 in the 11-10 win. [3]
As he had with Houston, Bateman also caught the Expos' first no-hitter: the first of Bill Stoneman's two, on April 17, 1969 against the Philadelphia Phillies, in only the ninth game in the franchise's history.
In 1970 for Montreal, Bateman was second on the team in hits and triples, third on the team in home runs, runs batted in, doubles, extra-base hits, and stolen bases. That season Bateman also led all MLB catchers in stolen bases with eight, and finished 25th in the National League in power/speed.[clarification needed]
Bateman was a member of the Expos in October 1970, during the October Crisis gripping Canada. Bateman was friendly with the Montreal police, and on November 6, the hiding place of one of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) terrorist cells was discovered. Expos manager Gene Mauch was watching coverage of the events with his staff, and was not amused to see Bateman's bulky frame coming out of the hiding place on national television.[citation needed]
Philadelphia Phillies
On June 14, 1972, Bateman was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Tim McCarver. He was released at the end of the season to make room for rookie prospect Bob Boone behind the plate. Steve Carlton was 7-6 with a 2.86 ERA before Bateman was traded to the Phillies. With Bateman catching the rest of Carlton's starts that season, Carlton was 20-4 with a 1.60 ERA. Carlton called Bateman the best signal caller he ever played with, and unsuccessfully lobbied the Phillies' front office to re-sign Bateman in 1973.
The King and His Court
Bateman toured with the Fast Pitch softball team The King and His Court from 1977 to 1980. He acquired his softball skills while playing for the Texas State Amateur Softball Champion Houston Bombers.
References
- ^ "Astros Daily - Astros In The Sky - Deceased Players". www.astrosdaily.com.
- ^ "Astros History". Houston Astros.
- ^ "Montreal Expos at New York Mets Box Score, April 8, 1969". Baseball-Reference.com.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- John Bateman at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
- John Bateman at Baseball Almanac
- John Bateman - Baseballbiography.com
- John Bateman at Astros Daily
- John Bateman at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)
- John Bateman at The King and His Court]