In The Major Leagues
After playing amateur and semi-pro baseball, Kling finally made his major league debut on September 11, 1900, playing for the Chicago Orphans of the National League. He got three hits, and made a positive impression both as a catcher and as a hitter. For what was left of the season, he caught fifteen games and had a batting average of .294 He also acquired the nickname "Noisy John," because he kept up a constant chatter on the field; some baseball historians have noted this was part of his skill in waging "psychological warfare" on his opponents (Bogen and Anderson, http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=7608&bid=1214) By all accounts he was an exceptional defensive catcher, praised for his skill in throwing out runners who were caught stealing. He was also a reliable hitter, and a pivotal member of the team that became known as the Chicago Cubs, an integral part of the dynasty which included Hall of Fame infielders Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance. Between 1906 and 1910, the Cubs won four National League pennants and two World Series titles, and Kling was said to be one of the reasons why. And unlike many ballplayers of his day, he didn't smoke, drink or chew tobacco. Staying in good shape as a result was said to contribute to his baseball success.
Overall, he played 1260 major league games, hit .271 with 20 home runs and 513 RBIs careerwise. He made 1151 hits in 4241 at bats. In August 1902, he amassed a Major League Baseball record streak of 12 consecutive hits, a feat that wasn't surpassed for 107 years (i.e., until 2009). Walt Dropo later tied the mark in 1952.
Read more about this topic: Johnny Kling
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