| Johnny Bassler | |
|---|---|
 Bassler in 1924 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: June 3, 1895 Mechanics Grove, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: June 29, 1979 (aged 84) Santa Monica, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 11, 1913, for the Cleveland Naps | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1927, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .304 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 319 |
| Teams | |
John Landis Bassler (June 3, 1895 – June 29, 1979) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in professional baseball for 26 seasons between 1911 and 1937, including nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Naps in 1913 and 1914 and the Detroit Tigers from 1921 to 1927. Bassler was one of the 1920s Tigers who benefited from the hitting instruction of Ty Cobb.
Bassler had a career batting average of .304 and an on-base percentage of .416 in his nine major league seasons. His on-base percentage ranks as the second highest in major league history for a catcher. His .346 batting average in 1924 was the highest by a catcher to that point in American League history and one of the highest by any major league catcher since 1912 (Joe Mauer in 2009 hit .365) He finished in the top seven in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player award three straight years: sixth in 1922, seventh in 1923, and fifth in 1924. Baseball historian, Bill James, ranked Bassler 47th all-time among major league catchers in his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.[1]
Bassler also played 15 seasons in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) with the Los Angeles Angels (1915–1917, 1919), Seattle Rainiers (1920), Hollywood Stars (1928–1935), and Seattle Indians (1936–1937). He appeared in 1,525 games in the PCL, compiling a .321 batting average in those games. In 1943, he was one of the inaugural inductees into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. After his playing career ended, Bassler lived in Southern California.
- ^ James, Bill (2001). The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York: Free Press. p. 395. ISBN 0-684-80697-5.