John Matias

MLB player, Chicago White Sox

What is John Matias known for?

John Matias was a well-known major league baseball player, born on August 15, 1944, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is remembered as a significant alumnus of Farrington High School, Honolulu, Hawaii. During his professional baseball career, he was an accomplished outfielder and first baseman, bringing a respectable name to his home state of Hawaii.

Matias made his major league baseball (MLB) debut on April 7, 1970, playing for the Chicago White Sox. His last MLB appearance was also with the Chicago White Sox, on October 1, 1970. Throughout his career in the MLB, he played a total of 58 games, and famously achieved a batting average of .188 with 2 home runs and 6 runs batted in. He began his professional baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles organization, making his journey to the MLB a proud achievement.

On November 29, 1967, he was traded alongside Luis Aparicio and Russ Snyder to the White Sox in exchange for Don Buford, Bruce Howard, and Roger Nelson. Matias's stint with the White Sox ended when he was traded with Gail Hopkins to the Kansas City Royals for Pat Kelly and Don O'Riley on October 13, 1970. However, post this transaction, he did not play in the majors again.

John Matias's life took a peaceful turn, and he passed away on April 7, 2020, at his residence in Aiea, Hawaii, marking the end of an accomplished career in baseball. You can learn more about Matias's career statistics and player information on the official MLB website, and on Baseball Reference.