John Meister

John F. Meister

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 8", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut August 24, 1886
• Final Game June 29, 1887
• Born May 10, 1863 in Allentown, PA USA
• Died January 17, 1923 in Philadelphia, PA USA

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Biographical Information

John Meister played for the New York Metropolitans in their last two years.

At age 23, Meister broke in with the team in 1886. He hit .237 while the team hit .224. His .339 slugging percentage was 2nd highest on the team. He played second base in almost as many games as Tom Forster, who hit .195 in what was his last season. Meister's fielding percentage at second was a bit higher than Forster's. He became the regular in September, and was put third in the batting order.

The next year Meister played more games in the outfield (all in centerfield) than he did at second base, as Joe Gerhardt became the regular second baseman. Meister hit .223, while Gerhardt hit 221. Meister's slugging percentage was also a bit higher than Gerhardt's, although both were below the team average. Meister's fielding percentage was a also a bit higher than Gerhardt's, although Jimmy Knowles had the highest fielding percentage at the position of the ten players who appeared there in 1887. Gerhardt was released before the end of the season.

The team was losing money, and the owner sold it off. The franchise then moved to Kansas City, and Meister never played in another major league game. He did, however, continue to play in the minors through 1893.

Related Sites

• The New York Metropolitans
• 1886 Metropolitans
• 1887 Metropolitans