Chief Meyers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chief Meyers |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: July 29, 1880 Riverside, California |
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| Died: July 25, 1971 (aged 90) San Bernardino, California |
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| debut | |||
| April 15, 1909, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 4, 1917, for the Boston Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .291 | ||
| Home runs | 14 | ||
| Runs batted in | 369 | ||
| Teams | |||
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John Tortes "Chief" Meyers (born July 29, 1880 – died July 25, 1971) was a famous Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the New York Giants, Boston Braves, and Brooklyn Robins. His career lasted from 1909 to 1917.
Chief Meyers was a key player for the Giants under manager John McGraw. He was the main catcher for the legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson. Meyers was a great hitter, batting over .300 for three years in a row. During this time, the Giants won three National League championships from 1911 to 1913. He played in four World Series in total. Meyers was a Native American from the Cahuilla culture in California. He also went to Dartmouth College.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Meyers was born in Riverside, California. His mother was a Cahuilla Indian. When he was seven, his father passed away. John continued to live in Riverside and went to Riverside High School.
In 1905, Meyers was playing baseball in a summer tournament. A former pitcher named Ralph Glaze saw how talented he was. Glaze helped Meyers get into Dartmouth College. He arranged for money, train tickets, and a special high school paper that wasn't real. Meyers had not actually finished high school.
While at Dartmouth, the college found out his diploma was not real. Meyers decided not to finish a special program to stay there. Instead, he signed a baseball contract with an independent league. This was the start of his professional baseball journey.
Joining the New York Giants
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After playing in different leagues for a few years, Meyers joined the New York Giants in 1908. He was 28 years old. That year, the Giants lost the championship due to a famous mistake known as "Merkle's Boner."
The next year, the Giants traded away their best catcher, Roger Bresnahan. This gave Meyers a chance to show his skills, and he did not disappoint. In 1910, Meyers was hitting .285 and becoming well-known. He was strong and a powerful hitter. He also had a good batting average.
Meyers led the Giants in batting for three years in a row. He was very smart about the game. He could often guess what pitches were coming and where they would go.
Key Games and Teammates
In the 1911 World Series, the Giants were playing against the Athletics. In Game 6, the Giants were losing badly. Meyers was catching during a tough inning where the Athletics scored many runs. The Giants' pitcher was replaced by Rube Marquard. Marquard's first pitches were very fast and wild. Meyers showed his frustration, but then he helped stop the other team's scoring. He threw out a runner trying to steal a base. Even though the Giants lost that game, Meyers showed his strong will.
Meyers had his best season in 1912. He hit an amazing .358. He finished third in the voting for the league's Most Valuable Player award. He also had the best on-base percentage in the league, which means he got on base often. Meyers was also a key player in the 1912 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. That series had famous moments, including a mistake called the "Snodgrass Muff."
Playing with Christy Mathewson
Chief Meyers was the main catcher for the legendary pitcher, Christy Mathewson. Mathewson is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Meyers and Mathewson were a great team on the field.
They also teamed up off the field. They performed in a short play called "Curves." It was written by their co-star, May Tully. In the play, Mathewson and Meyers explained how they played their positions. They even toured with another play for several weeks.
Later Career and Life After Baseball
By the age of 35, Meyers' performance started to slow down. He batted only .232. The Giants then let him go. In 1916, he played 80 games for the Brooklyn Robins. He batted .247. In 1917, he played for both the Robins and the Boston Braves. For that year, he batted .225.
After his Major League career ended in 1918, Meyers joined the Buffalo Bisons. This was a minor league team. He batted .328 in 65 games. In 1919, Meyers became a player-manager for the New Haven Weissmen. He batted .301 in 84 games.
His last time playing baseball was in 1920 for a semi-pro team in San Diego. After that, Meyers decided to leave baseball. He became a police chief for the Mission Indian Agency.
Personal Interests
People in the media liked Chief Meyers because he was interesting. On days when there were no games, or when it rained, Meyers had unique hobbies. He would visit historical places. He also liked to watch college teams practice. He often went to museums and exhibits.
In 1964, Meyers was interviewed by Lawrence Ritter for his book The Glory of Their Times. This interview brought him a lot of attention many years after he stopped playing baseball.
Chief Meyers passed away in 1971. He is buried in Green Acres Memorial Park in Bloomington, California. His grave marker shows that he served as a private in the United States Marine Corps during World War I.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
