John Thornton

John James Thornton

• Bats Unknown, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut August 14, 1889
• Final Game September 15, 1892
• Born May 22, 1869 in Washington, DC USA
• Died April 26, 1935 in Washington, DC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

John Thornton was the first of four managers of the 1906 Dayton Veterans in the Central League. He played only three seasons in the major leagues, as a pitcher and outfielder, but was in the minor leagues for years. In 1891, he went 15-16 for the Philadelphia Phillies with a 3.68 ERA in 269 innings. He walked 115 batters but struck out only 52.

Thornton's death was erroneously reported several times, a result of his relatively common name and the fact that his middle name had not been recorded, until researcher Peter Morris managed to track down a great niece, who provided the correct information.

Notable Achievements

• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1891)

Further reading

• "John Thornton", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, November/December 2011, p. 3.

Related Sites

• John Thornton at the SABR Bio Project