John James "Fats" Dantonio (December 31, 1918 – May 28, 1993) was a Major League Baseball catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944 and 1945. "Fats" was 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall and weighed only 165 pounds.
| Fats Dantonio | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: December 31, 1918 New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| Died: May 28, 1993 (aged 74) New Orleans, Louisiana | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 18, 1944, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 20, 1945, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .244 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs scored | 12 |
| Teams | |
| |
Dantonio is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during World War II. He made his major league debut on September 18, 1944, in a road game against the Boston Braves at Braves Field.
He played in just 3 games in '44, then batted .250 in 47 games the next season. His career totals for 50 games include a .244 batting average (33-for-135), 12 runs batted in, 12 runs scored, a .301 on-base percentage, and a .304 slugging percentage. As a receiver he was well below average, making 14 errors in 182 total chances for a low fielding percentage of .923.
Dantonio died in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, at the age of 74.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
- Retrosheet