John Dodge (baseball)
John Lewis Dodge (April 27, 1893 – June 19, 1916) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1912 until 1913. He made his debut on August 29, 1912, for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on June 3, 1913, and played his last game for the Reds on October 5 of that year.[1] He died in Mobile, Alabama[1] after being hit in the head by a pitch in a minor league baseball game.[2]
| John Lewis Dodge | |
|---|---|
 John Dodge playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1913. | |
| Third base | |
| Born: April 27, 1893 Bolivar, Mississippi | |
| Died: June 19, 1916 (aged 23) Mobile, Alabama | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| debut | |
| August 29, 1912, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last appearance | |
| October 5, 1913, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .215 |
| Hits | 90 |
| Runs | 38 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 48 |
| Teams | |
Fielding and Defense
Dodge was a third baseman, but also played short stop and second base early in his career as a Philadelphia Phillie. After he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Beals Becker, Dodge played all of his games at third base.[1] In 1913, Dodge was third in errors committed by a third baseman in the National League.[3]
Death
In early 1914, Dodge was released from the Reds, and by 1916 was playing with the Mobile Sea Gulls of the Southern League. On June 18, 1916, Dodge was hit square in the face by an inside pitch from Nashville's Tom Rogers. According to The Sporting News, "at the time it was not thought Dodge was seriously injured. Examination by physicians, however, showed that his face was crushed in such a manner that complications might result and he was taken to a hospital, but nothing medical aid could do would save his life." Dodge died the following night, at the age of 23.
References
- "John Dodge". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- Gorman, Robert M.; Weeks, David (2015). Death at the Ballpark: More Than 2,000 Game-Related Fatalities of Players, Other Personnel and Spectators in Amateur and Professional Baseball, 1862–2014 (2 ed.). pp. 12–13. ISBN 9780786479320.
- "1913 NL Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 24, 2020.