Books and articles about Johnny Kling

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The catcher of Frank Chance's great Cub teams of 1906-10, Kling was the NL's premier defensive catcher and a capable hitter. Batterymate Ed Reulbach called him "one of the greatest catchers who ever wore a mask." In the years 1902-08, Kling led the league in fielding four times, putouts six, assists twice, and double plays once. On June(e-h)h)h)21, 1907, he threw out all four Cardinal runners who attempted to steal second base. In the WS that fall, Kling nabbed seven Tigers in 14 tries, with Ty Cobb unable to steal a single base. In the winter of 1908-09, Kling won the world pocket billiard championship and decided to forsake the baseball diamond for the pool table. Defeated in his attempt to retain the title, he rejoined the Cubs in 1910 but was a part-timer thereafter. His brother Bill pitched briefly in the NL during the 1890s. (ARA)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 11, 1900: The Giants batter P Nixey Callahan for 23 hits in a 14-3 win over the Chicago Colts. In the 2nd game, a 3-3 tie called because of darkness after nine innings, Chicago rookie C Johnny Kling debuts with 3-for-4 at the plate. » September 12, 1900: Sammy Strang, a rookie 3B, breaks in with seven hits for the Chicago Colts in a doubleheader against the Giants. Chicago catcher Johnny Kling and Giants pitcher Win Mercer collide at the plate in the 7th inning of the 2nd game, and Mercer is carried off the field unconscious. Chicago coasts, 9-1 in the opener, with Mercer the loser to Jock Menefee. New York takes the nitecap, 7-6, when Dummy Taylor fashions a 7-inning win over Jack Taylor. » September 14, 1900: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants pull off the first triple play of the 20th century. With Chicago's Johnny Kling behind the plate, Jack Doyle, George Davis and Kid Gleason do the deed. It'll be another 10 years before a trifecta is pulled off in the NL. » June 10, 1904: In the opener of the battle for first place at the Polo Grounds, Christy Mathewson pitches a brilliant one-hitter to beat Chicago, 5-0. The lone hit is Johnny Kling's 4th-inning single. The other action is provided by ump Charlie Zimmer, who ejects Sam Mertes on a strike call. He also thumbs John McGraw, coaching at 3B, to the bench, and sends Dummy Taylor, the 1B coach, to the clubhouse. One wag said later that Taylor was making too much noise. » June 6, 1906: Jack Harper, making his first pitching appearance for the Cubs after being traded by the Reds for Chick Fraser, retires all three Giant batters he faces, but is hit on his pitching hand by a line drive off the bat of the 3rd hitter, Dan McGann. Harper is lifted for pinch hitter Johnny Kling in the 2nd inning and never pitches again. The Cubs, on their way to a record 116 wins, top the Giants 11-3: Harper also pitched for the losingest team, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. » June 21, 1907: The Cubs top the Cardinals 2-0 as C Johnny Kling throws out all four would-be St. Louis base stealers. Three Finger Brown wins his 10th straight game. » August 17, 1907: A matchup of Three Finger Brown and Christy Mathewson attracts a crowd of 20,000 at the Polo Grounds. Matty is unhittable for eight innings, with only a bunt single for the Cubs. But Chicago scores two in the 9th to tie as reliever Jack Pfiester matches Matty for the last three innings. Johnny Kling wins it, 3-2, for the Cubs in the 12th with a drive into the LF bleachers. » April 1, 1910: Johnny Kling, Cubs catcher on their 1906–08 pennant winners, is reinstated. Kling won the world pocket billiard title over the winter of 1908-09 and swapped a baseball bat for a pool cue. Kling, who played for a Chicago semipro team while holding out for the entire 1909 season, is fined $700, and required to play for the Cubs at his 1908 salary of $4,500. » October 2, 1910: The pennant-bound Cubs end the season with an 8–4 win over the Reds, pulling off a triple play in the process. The TP goes left fielder Jimmy Sheckard to C Johnny Kling to 1B Jimmy Archer. » June 10, 1911: The Cubs trade C Johnny Kling, P Orlie Weaver, P Hank Griffin, and OF Al Kaiser to the Braves for C Peaches Graham, P Cliff Curtis, Wilbur "Lefty" Good, and OF Bill Collins. Curtis (1–8), who began the year with five straight losses after ending last season with 18 straight defeats, will be swapped to the Phillies in August.