John Barry "Johnny" Stearns (born December 23, 1873, in Cleveland, Ohio – died September 14, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio) was an American professional baseball catcher who played five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for three different teams between 1898 and 1902.
Early Life and Career
Stearns was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues, honing his skills as a catcher before making his major league debut.Major League Career
Stearns' MLB career spanned from 1898 to 1902.- 1898-1899: He first played for the [[Philadelphia Athletics (1890s)]] of the [[National League]] (NL). In his rookie season of 1898, he appeared in 86 games, establishing himself as a regular catcher for the team.
- 1900: Stearns joined the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (then occasionally referred to as the St. Louis Perfectos) for the 1900 season, playing in 51 games.
- 1901-1902: He concluded his major league career with the [[Cincinnati Reds]], playing in 75 games in 1901 and 10 games in 1902 before his final MLB appearance. After his time with the Reds, Stearns continued to play in the minor leagues for several more seasons before retiring from professional baseball.
Throughout his major league career, Stearns was primarily known for his defensive abilities as a catcher. Over 275 career games, he accumulated a batting average of .232 with 3 home runs and 82 runs batted in (RBI). He recorded 191 hits in 823 at-bats.