Henry Levi "Johnny" Werts (April 20, 1898 in

Pomaria, South Carolina Pomaria is a town in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 179 at the 2010 census. History Pomaria was first settled in the mid 18th century by German, Swiss, and Dutch immigrants escaping the poverty and harsh condit ...

– September 24, 1990 in

Newberry, South Carolina Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States, in the Piedmont northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. The population was 10,277 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Newberry County; at one time it ...

) was a right-handed

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher who played for the

Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

from 1926 to 1929. His last name was also spelled Wertz. He made his major league debut on April 14, 1926 at the age of 27, approximately a week shy of his 28th birthday. He went 11–8 in his rookie season, posting a 3.28 ERA in 32 games (23 starts) and finishing second on the team in wins, trailing only

Larry Benton Lawrence James Benton (November 20, 1897 – April 3, 1953) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Braves, New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds over parts of thirteen seasons from 1923 to 1935. He ...

's 14. He finished second in the league in

hit batsmen In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...

, behind only

Don Songer Donald C. Songer (January 31, 1899 – October 3, 1962) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played four seasons in the major leagues, from until , for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional Am ...

. In 1927, he went 4–10 with a 4.55 ERA in 42 games (15 starts), walking 52 batters and striking out only 39. His six wild pitches were third most in the National League that season. In each of the next two seasons, he appeared in only 10 games and four games respectively, going 0–2 with a 10.31 ERA in 1928 and 0–0 with a 10.50 ERA in 1929. He appeared in his final game on May 22. On June 2, 1928, he was traded with Jimmy Cooney and

Luke Urban Louis John "Luke" Urban (March 22, 1898 – December 7, 1980) was an American multi-sport athlete and coach. He played four seasons of professional American football in the National Football League and two years of Major League Baseball with the ...

to the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

for

Bonnie Hollingsworth John Burnette Hollingsworth (December 26, 1895 in Jacksboro, Tennessee – January 4, 1990 in Knoxville, Tennessee) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest ma ...

. Overall, Werts went 15–21 with a 4.29 ERA in his four-year major league career. In 378 innings, he allowed 460 hits and 111 walks, while striking out 111 batters. He also spent seven years playing in the minor leagues, going 59–62 in 218 games. In 1924, he posted a 2.79 ERA despite going 16–17.BR Minors
/ref> Following his death, he was interred at St. Paul Lutheran Church Cemetery in Newberry, South Carolina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Werts, Johnny 1898 births 1990 deaths Boston Braves players Baseball players from South Carolina People from Newberry County, South Carolina Nashville Vols players