John V. "Studs" Bancker (c. 1853 - October 7, 1888) was an American professional baseball player. He played in 19 games in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, for New Haven Elm Citys between April 19 and June 5, 1875.
| Studs Bancker | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: c. 1853 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
| Died: October 7, 1888 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | |
Batted: Unknown Threw: Unknown | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1875, for the New Haven Elm Citys | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 5, 1875, for the New Haven Elm Citys | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .153 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 2 |
| Teams | |
| |
Early years
editBancker was born in Philadelphia in about 1853.[1] He was the son of a Civil War veteran.[2]
Professional baseball
editBancker played in 19 games in Major League Baseball, 14 as catcher and nine at various infield positions, for 1875 New Haven Elm Citys of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. His first major league game was on April 19, 1875, and his last was on June 5, 1875. He compiled a .153 batting average in 72 at bats.[1]
In addition to his six weeks in the major leagues, Bancker played for the Easton, Pennsylvania, semipro baseball team that won the Pennsylvania state championship in 1874. The Easton club's roster in 1874 also included Jim Devlin, George Bradley, John Abadie, Joe Battin and Bill Hague.[2][3] He also played for amateur and semipro ball clubs in the Philadelphia area both before and after playing for New Haven.[4]
Later years
editAfter retiring from baseball, he worked as a "segarmaker" and later as a roofer in Philadelphia.[2] He also served multiple sentences in the Philadelphia House of Correction for "drinking-related offenses."[4] He died in Philadelphia in 1888 at approximately age 35.[1] The cause of death was listed as uremia.[5] He was buried at the Old Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Studs Bancker Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ^ a b c Paul Batesel (2012). Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875. McFarland. p. 19. ISBN 978-0786470129.
- ^ "Notes and Comments" (PDF). The Sporting Life. November 4, 1885. p. 3.
- ^ a b David Nemec (2012). The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball: Biographies of 1,084 Players, Owners, Managers and Umpires. McFarland. p. 88. ISBN 978-0786490448.
- ^ "Too Young To Die - Notables Who Died Young Resulting From Natural Causes". The DeadballEra.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014.