WHY I THINK JOHNNY KLING SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JOHNNY KLING SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Johnny Kling’s main claim to fame was his excellent defense behind the plate. His career spanned 13 seasons (1900-1913), and he was baseball’s premier defensive catcher during that time, dominating almost all defensive leaderboards. He was also renowned for his skill in handling the Cubs’ pitching staff, his high baseball IQ, and his pitch framing. Kling was also a good hitter, compiling a .272 career batting average in the dead ball era - a great mark for a backstopper. He also had a huge impact on pennant races, as his Cubs won three straight pennants in 1906-1908, missed out in 1909 when he took a season off, and won again in 1910 when he returned. Johnny Kling started his career with the Cubs in 1900, batting .294 in 15 games. He played in 74 games the following season and was a regular by 1902, his age 26 season. Kling soon established himself as the best catcher in the game, batting .289 with 25 stolen bases in 1902 and .297 with 23 swipes in 1903. Kling got married in 1904, and as they say, women weaken legs, and his performance dropped off for a couple seasons. He got his head on straight in 1906 and batted .312, leading the team to a record 116 wins. The Cubs won their last World Series for 108 years in 1908, as the Cubs failed to win again until 2016, the record for the longest championship drought in American sports history. The Cubs might have won again in 1909 if Kling had been with the team, as they rotated two catchers, neither of whom could hit, in his absence and finished second to the Pirates. Kling, one of the most famous billiards players of his day, couldn’t agree on a contract that year and took a whole season off to win the “world’s championship of pool.” This angered Cubs management, probably hurting his Hall of Fame chances, and he was fined $700 before he was allowed to play again. He had a solid season upon his return, showing more patience at the plate, and he helped the Cubs to another pennant. Kling had an off season in 1911, playing most of the season with the Boston Braves, and he managed the club in 1912. The Braves were quite lousy in those days, so 36 year old Kling played himself in 81 games and wound up hitting a robust .317. He played 80 games with the Reds in 1913, proving himself still a competent player with a .273 mark, but decided to retire. He went on to establish a billiards hall, own his own minor league team, and sell it to the Yankees for a huge profit. Anyway, Johnny Kling was an outstanding defensive catcher, a tough hitter, and an interesting character. I would certainly vote for Kling for the Hall of Fame if I had the chance. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,261 season high: 132 in 1903 

At Bats career: 4,246 season high: 491 in 1903 

Hits career: 1,154 season high: 146 in 1903 

Doubles career: 181 season high: 29 in 1903 

Triples career: 61 season high: 13 in 1903 

Home Runs career: 20 season high: 4 in 1908 

Runs career: 475 season high: 67 in 1903 

Runs Batted In career: 514 season high: 68 in 1903 

Stolen Bases career: 124 season high: 25 in 1902 

Walks career: 281 season high: 38 in 1911 

Strikeouts career: 327 season high: 43 in 1911 

Batting Average career: .272 season high: .312 in 1906 

On Base Percentage career: .319 season high: .357 in 1906 

Slugging Percentage career: .357 season high: .428 in 1903 

Total Bases career: 1,517 season high: 210 in 1903 

Sacrifice Hits career: 106 season high: 17 in 1905 

Fielding Percentage career: .971 season high: .987 in 1907 led NL C: .982 in 1906, .987 in 1907 

Double Plays career: 132 season high: 20 in 1912 led NL C: 17 in 1902, 20 in 1912 

Putouts career: 5,577 season high: 609 in 1908 led NL C: 477 in 1902, 565 in 1903, 499 in 1904, 538 in 1905, 520 in 1906, 499 in 1907 

Assists career: 1,564 season high: 189 in 1903 led NL C: 160 in 1902, 140 in 1911 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .480 season high: .575 in 1906 led NL C: .575 in 1906 

Pickoffs career: N/A 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Noisy” for his constant chatter with batters and umpires 

-played part of his career in the days before shin guards 

-set the MLB record in 1902 with a hit in 12 straight plate appearances 

-finished 27th in the NL MVP Award in 1911 

-set three World Series fielding records for catchers: the most chances accepted in a six game Series (56), the most caught stealing in a five game Series (six), and the most assists in a nine inning game (four) 

-hit four home runs off of Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson and one off of Kid Nichols 

-led NL catchers in caught stealing and games caught three times apiece 

-among MLB catchers, ranks 29th in career double plays, sixth in assists, fifth in caught stealing, and 42nd in caught stealing percentage 

-his 189 assists in 1903 are the 16th most in history among catchers 

-his 20 double plays in 1911 are the 12th most of all time, and his 17 in 1902 rank 38th 

-also played 12 games at first base, one at shortstop, one at third base, 26 in the outfield, and 54 as a pinch hitter 

-umpired one NL game in 1901