Johnny Bassler

Who was Johnny Bassler?

John Landis Bassler was a Major League Baseball catcher. Bassler played professional baseball from 1913 to 1937, including nine seasons in the major leagues with the Cleveland Naps and Detroit Tigers. Bassler had a career on-base percentage of .416 in his nine major league seasons, the second highest all time among major league catchers. He was considered the best catcher in baseball from 1921 to 1925, finishing in the top seven in the American League's Most Valuable Player voting three straight years: sixth in 1922, seventh in 1923, and fifth in 1924. In addition to his major league career, Bassler played 15 years in the Pacific Coast League and has been inducted into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. After his playing career ended, Bassler lived in Southern California.