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John Henry (catcher)
Encyclopedia
John Park Henry was a catcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for two different teams between the and seasons. Listed at 6' 0", 180 lb., Henry batted and threw right-handed. He attended Amherst College
.
, Henry was a classical light-hitting, good defensive catcher. He entered the majors in 1910 with the Washington Senators
, playing for them seven years before joining the Boston Braves
(1918).
Heading into the 1912 season, Senators owner Calvin Griffith
traded catcher Gabby Street
to the New York Highlanders
for third baseman
John Knight. Then Henry shared duties with Eddie Ainsmith
, serving as the personal catcher for pitcher
Walter Johnson
. His most productive season came in 1916, when he posted career-numbers in games
(117), batting average
(.249), runs
(28), extrabases (15) and runs batted in (46). Henry would manage to stick around in a part-time role until 1917, when he was sold to the Braves.
In a nine-season career, Henry was a .207 hitter (397-for-1920) with two home run
s and 171 RBI in 688 games, including 161 runs, 54 doubles
, 15 triples
, 55 stolen base
s, and a .303 on-base percentage.
Following his playing career, Henry coached
at Cornell University
and later became a Minor league
umpire
.
Henry died in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, at the age of 51.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for two different teams between the and seasons. Listed at 6' 0", 180 lb., Henry batted and threw right-handed. He attended Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
.
Career
A native of Amherst, MassachusettsAmherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, Henry was a classical light-hitting, good defensive catcher. He entered the majors in 1910 with the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, playing for them seven years before joining the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1918).
Heading into the 1912 season, Senators owner Calvin Griffith
Calvin Griffith
Calvin Robertson Griffith , born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was a Major League Baseball team owner...
traded catcher Gabby Street
Gabby Street
Charles Evard “Gabby” Street , also nicknamed "The Old Sarge", was an American catcher, manager, coach and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball during the first half of the 20th century. As a catcher, he participated in one of the most publicized baseball stunts of the century's first decade....
to the New York Highlanders
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
John Knight. Then Henry shared duties with Eddie Ainsmith
Eddie Ainsmith
Edward Wilbur Ainsmith , nicknamed "Dorf," was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played fifteen seasons with the Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Cardinals , Brooklyn Robins , and New York Giants . Born in Concord, MA, he batted and threw right-handed...
, serving as the personal catcher for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
. His most productive season came in 1916, when he posted career-numbers in games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(117), batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.249), runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(28), extrabases (15) and runs batted in (46). Henry would manage to stick around in a part-time role until 1917, when he was sold to the Braves.
In a nine-season career, Henry was a .207 hitter (397-for-1920) with two home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 171 RBI in 688 games, including 161 runs, 54 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 15 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 55 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, and a .303 on-base percentage.
Following his playing career, Henry coached
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and later became a Minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
.
Henry died in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, at the age of 51.