# John DeMerit

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{{short description|American baseball player (born 1936)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=John DeMerit
|position=[Outfielder](/source/Outfielder)
|image=
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1936|1|8}}
|birth_place=[West Bend, Wisconsin](/source/West_Bend%2C_Wisconsin), U.S.
|death_date=
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate= June 18 
|debutyear= 1957
|debutteam=Milwaukee Braves
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 20
|finalyear=1962
|finalteam=New York Mets
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
|stat1value=.174
|stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s
|stat2value=3
|stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in)
|stat3value=7
|teams=
* [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%E2%80%9369)) ({{mlby|1957}}–{{mlby|1959}}, {{mlby|1961}})
* [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) ({{mlby|1962}})
|highlights=
* [World Series champion](/source/World_Series_champion) ({{wsy|1957}})
}}

'''John Stephen DeMerit''' (born January 8, 1936) is an American former professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player from [Port Washington, Wisconsin](/source/Port_Washington%2C_Wisconsin).<ref>[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/0e3ab4a2 John DeMerit | Society for American Baseball Research] Retrieved 2018-10-13.</ref> He was an [outfielder](/source/outfielder) over parts or all of five seasons (1957–1959; 1961–1962) with the [Milwaukee Braves](/source/Milwaukee_Braves) and [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets). Nicknamed "Thumper", DeMerit threw and batted [right-handed](/source/right-handed) and was listed as {{convert|6|ft|1|in}} tall and {{convert|195|lb}}.

An alumnus of the [University of Wisconsin–Madison](/source/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison), he signed a $100,000 [bonus](/source/bonus_baby) contract with his hometown Braves in {{mlby|1957}}. Under the bonus rule then in force, the Braves were required to keep DeMerit on their big-league roster for all of 1957. DeMerit got into 33 games, six as a starting outfielder, but collected only five [singles](/source/single_(baseball)) in 34 [at bats](/source/at_bats). Still, Milwaukee won the [National League](/source/National_League_(baseball)) [pennant](/source/pennant_(sports)) and drew the [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees) as their opponents in the [1957 World Series](/source/1957_World_Series). DeMerit appeared in one contest, as a pinch runner for veteran [catcher](/source/catcher) [Del Rice](/source/Del_Rice) in the [eighth inning](/source/inning_(baseball)) of Game 3. He failed to score a [run](/source/run_(baseball)) and the Braves fell, 12–3.<ref>[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet) [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1957/B10050MLN1957.htm box score: 1957 World Series Game 3, 1957-10-5]</ref>  But they outlasted the Yankees in seven games to become world champions.

A change in the bonus rule allowed the Braves to send DeMerit to the [minor leagues](/source/minor_league_baseball) in {{mlby|1958}}, and DeMerit spent most of 1958 and 1959 and all of 1960 in the higher reaches of the Milwaukee [farm system](/source/farm_system). Then in {{mlby|1961}}, he spent his only full year in the major leagues. He appeared in only 34 [games](/source/games_played) and hit a poor .162 with 12 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)), but those dozen included his first two MLB [home runs](/source/home_runs), hit off five-time [All-Star](/source/Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game) [Larry Jackson](/source/Larry_Jackson_(baseball)) April 26 and future [Baseball Hall of Fame](/source/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame)r [Sandy Koufax](/source/Sandy_Koufax) September 15.
 
The Braves left him unprotected in the [1961 National League expansion draft](/source/1961_Major_League_Baseball_expansion_draft), where he was selected by the Mets with their tenth pick, 20th overall, in the lottery's regular phase. He made the [1962 Mets](/source/1962_New_York_Mets_season) early-season roster and appeared in 14 games during the [season's](/source/1962_in_baseball) first month. On May 15, he singled, walked and hit his third big-league home run (off [Dick Ellsworth](/source/Dick_Ellsworth)), scoring the winning run in a 6–5 New York triumph.<ref>[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet) [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1962/B05160NYN1962.htm box score: 1962-5-15]</ref> Such victories were rare, as the Mets won only 40 games all season. The two hits were the last of DeMerit's career: he retired at age 26, rather than report to [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)) when the Mets attempted to farm him out a few days later.

For his career, DeMerit [hit](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) .174 with 23 hits, three [doubles](/source/double_(baseball)), three home runs and seven [runs batted in](/source/runs_batted_in) in 93 games played.

Following the death of [Felix Mantilla](/source/Felix_Mantilla_(baseball)), DeMerit is the last surviving member of the 1957 Milwaukee Braves who appeared in that World Series ([Taylor Phillips](/source/Taylor_Phillips) did not make an appearance in any of the seven games). DeMerit is also the last living MLB player to make an appearance in the World Series for the winning team in any year prior to 1958.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=d/demerjo01|brm=demeri001joh}}

{{1957 Milwaukee Braves}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demerit, John}}
Category:1936 births
Category:Living people
Category:Atlanta Crackers players
Category:Baseball players from Wisconsin
Category:Jacksonville Braves players
Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players
Category:Major League Baseball outfielders
Category:Milwaukee Braves players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:New York Mets players
Category:People from West Bend, Wisconsin
Category:Sportspeople from Washington County, Wisconsin
Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Category:Wisconsin Badgers baseball players
Category:Sportspeople from Port Washington, Wisconsin

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John DeMerit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeMerit) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DeMerit?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.