Johnny Blatnik

Who was Johnny Blatnik?

John Louis Blatnik was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1948 through 1950 for the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. Listed at 6 ft, 195 lb, Blatnik batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Bridgeport, Ohio.

Known as a line-drive hitter and a strong-armed outfielder, Blatnik was the regular left fielder for the 1948 Phillies. He appeared in a career-high 121 games while batting .260 with 41 extra-base hits that season, and he also led the National League outfielders with nine assists. However, injuries cut short his career, and Blatnik appeared in just 28 games over the next two years. He began the 1950 campaign with the eventual NL champion Phillies "Whiz Kids," but was traded to the Cardinals for left-handed pitcher Ken Johnson on April 27 after only four games played with Philadelphia. He was sent to the minor leagues by the Cardinals after only seven more games and 23 plate appearances.

In a three-season Major League career, Blatnik was .253 hitter, with 113 hits, six home runs and 46 RBI in 138 games, including 59 runs, 27 double, eight triples, three stolen bases, and a .317 on-base percentage.