Johnny Kling
Encyclopedia
John Kling was a catcher
in Major League Baseball
for the Chicago Cubs
(the Chicago Orphans until 1903) (1900–1908, 1910–1911), Boston Rustlers & Braves
(1911–1912), and Cincinnati Reds
(1913).
. He got three hits, and made a positive impression as a catcher and as a hitter. For the remainder of the season, he caught fifteen games, and had a batting average of .294 Kling also acquired the nickname "Noisy John," because he kept up a constant chatter while on the field; some baseball historians have noted this was part of his skill in using "psychological warfare" on his opponents (Bogen and Anderson, http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7608&bid=1214) By all accounts, Kling was an exceptional defensive catcher, praised for his skill in throwing out runners who tried to steal a base. He was also a reliable hitter, and a pivotal member of the team that became known as the Chicago Cubs
, an integral part of the dynasty which included infielders Joe Tinker
, Johnny Evers
, and Frank Chance
. Between 1906 and 1910, the Cubs won four National League
pennants and two World Series
titles, and Kling was said to be one of the reasons why. And unlike many ballplayers of his day, he did not smoke or drink, nor did he chew tobacco. Keeping in such good shape was said to contribute to his baseball success.
Over all, he played 1260 major league games; he batted
.271 with 20 home run
s and 513 RBI
s all-time. He had 1151 hits
in 4241 at bat
s. In August 1902, Kling put together a Major League Baseball
record streak of 12 consecutive hits, a feat that wasn't uncovered until 2009. Walt Dropo
later tied the mark in 1952.
But in 1907, he also told Cubs' management he was considering giving up baseball for pool; once again, he returned to play baseball. Then, in early 1909, after several more solid years with Chicago, Kling had another dispute with the management over salary, and he decided to spend some time away from the club. During that time, he won the world billiards championship; he also played semi-pro baseball with a Kansas City team, and he continued to compete in pool. He did not return to the Cubs during the 1909 season, and in early October, he competed against Charles "Cowboy" Weston and won the World's Pool Championship. When Kling decided to come back to baseball in early 1910, and asked to be reinstated, a debate ensued as to whether he should be permitted to return, since he had not honored his contract during the 1909 season. National League President Thomas J. Lynch wanted him fined or possibly traded; in the end, Kling was assessed a penalty of $700 and allowed to return to the game. His love for both pool and billiards led him to not only play competitively, but to organize a league which was called the National Amateur Three-Cushion League. It had teams from eight cities, Kansas City, Chicago and St. Louis among them. Kling said to reporters that when his baseball career was over, he would devote himself to pool and billiards full-time. And despite his often-divided loyalties, baseball writers agreed that Kling was among the best players of his era; in fact, his obituary described him as "one of the greatest catchers the Chicago Cubs ever had".
, where he spent the 1911 and 1912 seasons; at one point, he managed the Braves, but his managerial efforts were not successful, as the team had a losing record He was said to be unhappy with the way the Braves' owners made him run the team, and it led to his being traded in 1913. His final year in the majors was spent with the Cincinnati Reds
. He spent the remainder of his life in a number of pursuits. He owned the Dixon Hotel in Kansas City, where his billiard parlor won him national recognition; during his baseball career, he had begun mentoring his nephew, Bennie Allen, and as the years passed, Bennie went on to become a champion too. In 1933, he purchased the Kansas City Blues of the American Association
and was able to generate more interest in the team and increase their attendance within a year of taking over. One of his innovations was to desegregate the ballpark, allowing both black and white fans to attend the games. Kling sold the Blues in 1937.
In late January 1947, Kling was returning from Miami to Kansas City. He suffered a heart attack (some sources say a cerebral hemorrhage) and died in the hospital, at the age of 71. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.
magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Kling was the catcher on Stein's Jewish team. (A reader, however, wrote in and pointed out that Kling was not Jewish but his wife was; and suggested Harry Danning
instead.)
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...
for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(the Chicago Orphans until 1903) (1900–1908, 1910–1911), Boston Rustlers & 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....
(1911–1912), and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1913).
Early years
John Gransfield (Johnny) Kling was born and raised in Kansas City, the son of John (a baker) and Caroline Kling. It was expected that he would work in the bakery business, as his brother Charles seems to have done, but Johnny fell in love with baseball. By the age of fifteen, he was playing amateur ball. He also had an interest in pool, and began playing competitively even as he pursued a baseball career ("Match Game of Pool," 1897, 3). In late January 1904, Kling married Lillian May Gradwohl. While Kling was not born Jewish, his wife was, and they were married by a Kansas City Rabbi Harry H. Mayer, of Temple B'Nai Jehudah, a Reform congregation.In the major leagues
After playing amateur and semi-pro baseball, Kling finally made his major league debut on September 11, 1900, playing for the Chicago Orphans of the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He got three hits, and made a positive impression as a catcher and as a hitter. For the remainder of the season, he caught fifteen games, and had a batting average of .294 Kling also acquired the nickname "Noisy John," because he kept up a constant chatter while on the field; some baseball historians have noted this was part of his skill in using "psychological warfare" on his opponents (Bogen and Anderson, http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7608&bid=1214) By all accounts, Kling was an exceptional defensive catcher, praised for his skill in throwing out runners who tried to steal a base. He was also a reliable hitter, and a pivotal member of the team that became known as the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, an integral part of the dynasty which included infielders Joe Tinker
Joe Tinker
Joseph Bert Tinker was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He is best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in...
, Johnny Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
, and Frank Chance
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. Performing the roles of first baseman and manager, Chance led the Chicago Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and earned the nickname "The Peerless Leader".Chance was elected to...
. Between 1906 and 1910, the Cubs won four National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennants and two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
titles, and Kling was said to be one of the reasons why. And unlike many ballplayers of his day, he did not smoke or drink, nor did he chew tobacco. Keeping in such good shape was said to contribute to his baseball success.
Over all, he played 1260 major league games; he batted
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 :...
.271 with 20 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 513 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
s all-time. He had 1151 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 4241 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. In August 1902, Kling put together a 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...
record streak of 12 consecutive hits, a feat that wasn't uncovered until 2009. Walt Dropo
Walt Dropo
Walter Dropo , nicknamed "Moose", was an American college basketball standout and a professional baseball first baseman...
later tied the mark in 1952.
Pool vs. Baseball
But while he loved baseball, Kling never lost his devotion to the game of pool. In 1902, for example, one reporter remarked that he was the best pool player of any current baseball player. He often played for purses as high as $300, a sizable amount in that era. During this time, Kling also ran his own billiard room in Kansas City. During the early 1900s, Kling's pool-playing career was regarded positively by sports reporters—in one article, he was praised as a baseball player who was not idle during the off-season; he was said to have "double[d] his diamond income" by being an accomplished pool player. Kling's skill at pool also served him well when it came time to negotiate his baseball salary. In 1906, he announced that he would not sign a new contract unless Chicago offered him a raise in pay, and if the raise was not forthcoming, he would stay home and play pool. This angered his manager, Frank Chance, who said that everyone else but Kling had come to terms with the club. Subsequently, Kling did decide to play, raise or not. He had another impressive season, catching ninety-six games and hitting over .300.But in 1907, he also told Cubs' management he was considering giving up baseball for pool; once again, he returned to play baseball. Then, in early 1909, after several more solid years with Chicago, Kling had another dispute with the management over salary, and he decided to spend some time away from the club. During that time, he won the world billiards championship; he also played semi-pro baseball with a Kansas City team, and he continued to compete in pool. He did not return to the Cubs during the 1909 season, and in early October, he competed against Charles "Cowboy" Weston and won the World's Pool Championship. When Kling decided to come back to baseball in early 1910, and asked to be reinstated, a debate ensued as to whether he should be permitted to return, since he had not honored his contract during the 1909 season. National League President Thomas J. Lynch wanted him fined or possibly traded; in the end, Kling was assessed a penalty of $700 and allowed to return to the game. His love for both pool and billiards led him to not only play competitively, but to organize a league which was called the National Amateur Three-Cushion League. It had teams from eight cities, Kansas City, Chicago and St. Louis among them. Kling said to reporters that when his baseball career was over, he would devote himself to pool and billiards full-time. And despite his often-divided loyalties, baseball writers agreed that Kling was among the best players of his era; in fact, his obituary described him as "one of the greatest catchers the Chicago Cubs ever had".
Final years
After a decade of success with the Cubs, Kling was traded to the Boston BravesAtlanta 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....
, where he spent the 1911 and 1912 seasons; at one point, he managed the Braves, but his managerial efforts were not successful, as the team had a losing record He was said to be unhappy with the way the Braves' owners made him run the team, and it led to his being traded in 1913. His final year in the majors was spent with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. He spent the remainder of his life in a number of pursuits. He owned the Dixon Hotel in Kansas City, where his billiard parlor won him national recognition; during his baseball career, he had begun mentoring his nephew, Bennie Allen, and as the years passed, Bennie went on to become a champion too. In 1933, he purchased the Kansas City Blues of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
and was able to generate more interest in the team and increase their attendance within a year of taking over. One of his innovations was to desegregate the ballpark, allowing both black and white fans to attend the games. Kling sold the Blues in 1937.
In late January 1947, Kling was returning from Miami to Kansas City. He suffered a heart attack (some sources say a cerebral hemorrhage) and died in the hospital, at the age of 71. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.
Was Kling Jewish?
Speculation about whether Kling was Jewish has persisted over the years. One source says he used the name "Kline" early in his career, a surname that is sometimes (but not always) Jewish. And although he was married to a Jewish woman in a ceremony conducted by a Reform Jewish rabbi, there are questions that have never been fully resolved. Among those who believe he was Jewish is Dr. Gil Bogen, who wrote a book about Kling's life. But some researchers dispute this, and years after his death, his widow Lillian seemed to deny that her husband was ever Jewish. In a 1976 EsquireEsquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Kling was the catcher on Stein's Jewish team. (A reader, however, wrote in and pointed out that Kling was not Jewish but his wife was; and suggested Harry Danning
Harry Danning
Harry Danning, nicknamed Harry the Horse was a professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Giants, and was considered one of the top defensive catchers of his era. He batted and threw right-handed...
instead.)
External links
- http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7608&bid=1214 Baseball Biography Project
- http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2006/12/16/55453/749 Top 100 Cubs
- http://www.kcjc.com/200604073383/news/book-seeks-to-restore-cub-great-s-jewish-heritage.html Kansas City Jewish Chronicle