John Kane (kanejo01)

John Francis Kane

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 6", Weight 138 lb.

• Debut April 11, 1907
• Final Game October 15, 1910
• Born September 24, 1882 in Chicago, IL USA
• Died January 28, 1934 in St. Anthony, ID USA

BR page

Biographical Information

In 1903, 21-year-old John Kane, a 5'-6" young man weighing in at 138 pounds started his professional baseball career, which was to carry over 14 seasons. His first at bat came with the class D Missouri Valley League Pittsburg Coal Diggers. His first year was a good one as he had 153 base hits in 498 at bats for a .307 average. John was with the same club again in 1904, this time hitting at a .320 pace.

These credentials raised him up to the Pacific Coast League Seattle Siwashes; in 1905 he batted .249 and in 1906 he upped it to .279.

This was his ticket to the big leagues and Kane spent 1907 and 1908 with the Cincinnati Reds who traded him to the Chicago Cubs on January 18, 1909 for Tom Downey and Kid Durbin. He spent two seasons with the Cubs and his four-year major league batting average was only .220, getting 81 hits in 824 at bats. John decided there had to be a better world.

Remembering his two years in the Pacific Coast League, John headed west. It didn't hurt that, in 1911 he was offered a contract worth $1,000.00 a month by manager W.L. "Happy" Hogan to stay with the California-based Vernon Tigers of the PCL. Kane turned out to be one of the best outfielders in the league and with a batting average that hovered around .300, he was runner-up for the MVP award in 1912.

John's performance and attitude, always reliable, kept him on the coast through 1916. After baseball he took up residence in St. Anthony, Idaho and became a successful businessman, operating a pool hall and cigar store until his death in 1934 when he was killed in an automobile accident.

Source

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Third Edition
SABR Minor League Database
baseball-reference.com
Frank Russo and Gene Racz Book