Johnny Hetki

John Edward Hetki

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 205 lb.
• High School Leavenworth (KS) High School
• Debut September 14, 1945
• Final Game September 22, 1954
• Born May 12, 1922 in Leavenworth, KS USA
• Died January 10, 2019 in Parma, OH USA

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Biographical Information

Nineteen-year-old Johnny Hetki had a good opening year in pro baseball going 16-10 with a 4.41 ERA for the Albuquerque Cardinals of the Arizona-Texas League in 1941. This was incentive enough for the Cincinnati Reds to acquire him before the 1942 season. The Reds used Johnny with two different teams in 1942. He appeared with the Birmingham Barons (4-1, 2.16) and the Ogden Reds (13-8, 2.24) in the split season, building a 17-9 record with a 2.22 ERA. His 2.24 ERA for Ogden was the leader in the Pioneer League.

Johnny entered the military and missed the next two seasons of pro baseball (1943 and 1944), serving in the United States Army during World War II. Johnny was back in action in the 1945 season, suiting up again for the Birmingham Barons, winning 16 and losing 10 with a 2.97 ERA. He also made his first appearance in the major leagues, going 1-2 with a 3.58 ERA in five outings for the Cincinnati Reds that same season.

Johnny was with the Reds from 1945 through the 1950 season, spending part of this time in the minor leagues but winning 11 and losing 15 in the major leagues during those years. Johnny had his best year for the Reds in 1946 going 6-6 with an ERA of 2.99 while even swinging a good bat with a .333 average. On October 11, 1950 he was purchased by the St. Louis Browns from the Cincinnati club.

Johnny spent the 1951 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and led the International League with 19 victories. The Browns brought Hetki back up in 1952 and he appeared in only three outings for St. Louis, going 0-1. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Browns in the 1952 Rule V Draft. Johnny, working mostly out of the bullpen, won 3 and lost 6 for the Pirates in 1953 and went 4-4 in 1954. This closed out his major league run at 18-26 with a 4.39 ERA.

Hetki finished out his pro baseball career back with the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs in 1955-1956. At age 34, he decided to end his time in the game. John finished up his nine-year minor league run with a 117-81 record and a 3.43 ERA. After baseball Hetki worked for several years as a traffic foreman for Simpkins Industries in Cleveland, OH and is now retired in Parma, OH.

See also: Baseball Players of the 1950s