John Rabb – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

John Rabb wrapped up his major league baseball days on July 31, 1988, playing his final game for the Seattle Mariners against the Oakland Athletics. At 28, Rabb had already spent six seasons bouncing between the majors and minor league systems, mostly with the San Francisco Giants as Bob Brenly’s backup behind the plate.

Rabb’s professional baseball journey lasted 14 seasons, from 1978 to 1991. He only appeared in five major league seasons, suiting up for the Giants, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners.

Born in Los Angeles on June 23, 1960, Rabb batted and threw right-handed. The San Francisco Giants drafted him in the 11th round of the 1978 MLB Draft, straight out of Washington Preparatory High School.

His major league stats were pretty modest. He finished with a .225 batting average, 4 home runs, and 27 RBIs in 108 games.

Still, Rabb’s story is a good example of the tough road a lot of players travel between the minors and the majors. He went from hot minor league streaks, like the one in 1983 that got him called up to San Francisco, to trades and demotions that eventually pushed him to retire three years after his last big league game.

Early Life and Amateur Background

John Andrew Rabb was born June 23, 1960, in Los Angeles, California. He found his love for baseball early on, growing up right in the middle of LA.

His journey from the city streets to professional baseball started at Washington Preparatory High School, where his athletic talent caught the eyes of major league scouts.

Birthplace and Family

Rabb arrived in Los Angeles, California, on June 23, 1960. Growing up in one of the country’s biggest cities gave him a lot of chances to work on his baseball skills.

LA’s buzzing baseball scene and great weather meant kids like Rabb could play year-round. That’s a real advantage, isn’t it?

His family always had his back when it came to sports. The support he got as a kid in Los Angeles really set him up for what came next in his baseball career.

High School Years at Washington

Rabb went to Washington Preparatory High School in LA, where he sharpened his game. The school gave him the chance to show off as a catcher and improve his skills all around.

During high school, Rabb showed the kind of ability that would get him noticed by pro scouts. His work both behind the plate and at bat started turning heads from Major League teams.

Key High School Details:

• School: Washington Preparatory High School
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Position: Catcher
• Batting/Throwing: Right-handed

The coaches at Washington Preparatory taught Rabb the basics and helped him develop. Those years really got him ready for the next step in baseball.

Path to Professional Baseball

The San Francisco Giants picked Rabb in the 11th round of the 1978 MLB Draft. At just 18, he jumped straight from high school to the pros.

He got drafted right out of Washington Preparatory High School. The Giants saw something in him as a catcher and decided to take a chance on his future.

That 1978 draft was the starting line for a 14-season pro career. Rabb’s rise from a Los Angeles high school kid to a pro ballplayer says a lot about his drive and natural talent.

Getting picked in the 11th round meant he had potential, but he wasn’t a can’t-miss prospect. He knew he’d have to grind his way up through the minors to reach the big leagues.

Minor League Career Development

John Rabb spent 11 seasons working his way through the minor leagues, hitting 173 home runs as he moved through different organizations. He started out in rookie ball in Great Falls, then made his way to Triple-A ballparks all over the country, showing consistent power and putting up solid numbers.

Draft and Early Professional Debut

The San Francisco Giants took John Rabb in the 11th round of the 1978 MLB June Amateur Draft. He was the 267th pick, chosen right out of George Washington Preparatory High School in LA.

He kicked off his pro career with the Great Falls Giants in the Pioneer League. At 18, Rabb played 54 games and hit .283 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI.

That rookie season gave a glimpse of what he could do. He picked up 52 hits in 184 at-bats and flashed some early power.

Progression Through Minor League Levels

Rabb moved up the Giants’ farm system over the next four years. In 1979, he played for Cedar Rapids in the MIDW league, getting into 125 games and hitting 19 home runs with 90 RBI.

In 1980, he played for Fresno in the California League. His average dropped to .243, but he still hit 19 home runs and drove in 80 runs.

He got promoted to AA Shreveport in the Texas League in 1981. Rabb played 102 games, hit 16 home runs, and had 58 RBI, showing he could handle tougher pitching.

By 1982, he was in AAA Phoenix in the PCL. He hit .278 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI, which got him his first shot at the majors.

Notable Performances and Statistics

Rabb’s best minor league year came in 1983 at AAA Phoenix. He batted .343 with 10 home runs and 51 RBI in just 62 games before getting promoted to San Francisco.

After some trades and bouncing around, he kept playing at the AAA level. In 1986 with Richmond in the International League, he hit 19 home runs and drove in 78 runs over 123 games.

He had another strong year in 1988 with Calgary in the PCL. Rabb hit .309 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI in 48 games before Seattle called him up.

Throughout his time in the minors, Rabb kept showing power. He hit double-digit home runs in seven seasons while playing for several different teams.

Major League Baseball Journey

John Rabb played five seasons in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1988, getting into 108 games for three teams. He spent most of his time with the San Francisco Giants, with short stops at the Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners, and finished with a .225 career batting average.

San Francisco Giants Years

Rabb made his MLB debut on September 4, 1982, for the San Francisco Giants at 22 years old. He played just two games that year, picking up one hit in two at-bats for a .500 average.

In 1983, he saw his most action for the Giants, playing in 40 games, mostly as a catcher, and getting 114 plate appearances. That year, he hit .231 with 24 hits, including nine doubles and a home run.

His last season with San Francisco came in 1984. He played 54 games, which was the most he’d ever play in a single MLB season. His bat cooled off, though, and he managed just 16 hits in 82 at-bats for a .195 average.

Key Giants Statistics:

• Games: 96 total over three seasons
• Batting Average: .218
• Primary Position: Catcher
• Notable: Passed rookie limits in 1984

Atlanta Braves Experience

Rabb’s time with the Atlanta Braves in 1985 was about as brief as it gets. He played just three games, went 0-for-2, and didn’t pick up a hit.

That left him with a .000 batting average for his only year in Atlanta. He was there for part of the 1985 season before moving on.

His short stay with the Braves really shows how tough it can be for backup catchers to find steady playing time in the big leagues.

Seattle Mariners Stint

Rabb finished his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners in 1988. He played nine games for the American League club, mostly as a designated hitter.

He actually hit pretty well for Seattle, batting .357 with five hits in 14 at-bats, including two doubles and four RBIs. That was his highest single-season average in the majors.

His last MLB game was on July 31, 1988, against the Oakland Athletics. At 28, that was the end of his six-year run in the majors, although he kept playing in the minors until 1991.

With the Mariners, Rabb showed he could do more than catch. He took on designated hitter duties in the American League, adding a bit of versatility.

Notable Career Highlights and Achievements

John Rabb didn’t put up huge numbers in the majors—4 home runs and 27 RBIs in 108 games—but he did solid work behind the plate for the Giants. His best stretch at the plate came with Seattle in 1988, when he hit .357 in limited action.

Power Hitting and Home Run Records

Rabb wasn’t a big home run guy in the majors. He hit just 4 over five seasons from 1982 to 1988.

His best year for home runs was 1984 with the Giants, when he hit 3 in 54 games. As a backup, he drove in 27 runs during his major league career, with his best single-season RBI total being 14 in 1983.

He peaked with a .500 slugging percentage in 1988 for Seattle. In just 14 at-bats, he picked up 5 hits, including 2 doubles. Small sample size, sure, but it was his most productive run at the plate in the big leagues.

Defensive Contributions

Rabb played solid defense for the Giants. In 1983, he caught 31 games and handled 186 total chances with a .973 fielding percentage. He threw out 7 of 41 base stealers that year, which comes out to about 17%.

He could do more than just catch. Rabb played first base, outfield, and even served as a designated hitter during his MLB career. In 1984, he played first base in 13 games and posted a .988 fielding percentage.

The Giants put Rabb anywhere they needed him—left field, right field, center field, you name it. That kind of flexibility made him a valuable bench player.

Key Games and Performances

Rabb’s MLB debut happened on September 4, 1982, against the Giants. In his first game, he managed a triple, which isn’t a bad way to start.

His most active season was 1983, when he played 40 games for San Francisco. He batted .231 with 24 hits, including 9 doubles and a home run. He also drew 9 walks and scored 10 runs that year.

In 1988 with Seattle, Rabb had his last shot in the majors. He played 9 games, hit .357, and picked up 5 hits in 14 at-bats. That late-career burst showed he could still help a team when given the chance.

The Events Leading Up to Retirement in 1988

John Rabb’s last year in pro baseball saw him get limited time with the Seattle Mariners and then face a suspension that put an end to his major league days. He played his final game on July 31, 1988, and then Commissioner Peter Ueberroth handed down disciplinary action.

1988 Season Overview

Rabb joined the Seattle Mariners organization for what turned out to be his last season in professional baseball. He spent most of that year with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Calgary.

He barely got any time in the majors during this stretch. Rabb played only a handful of games with the Mariners, and those appearances were brief.

On July 31, 1988, Rabb played his final major league game against the Oakland Athletics. He stepped up to the plate once but didn’t get a hit, closing out a career that started six years before with the San Francisco Giants.

At 28, Rabb struggled to hold onto his spot at the major league level. Seattle mostly saw him as organizational depth, not as someone vital to the lineup.

Circumstances Surrounding Suspension

Commissioner Peter Ueberroth handed Rabb an indefinite suspension for not following baseball’s drug testing rules. The Mariners made the disciplinary move public, and honestly, it ended Rabb’s career for good.

Baseball had just set up the drug testing program earlier in 1988, while Rabb played for Calgary, the Mariners’ Triple-A squad. The league hoped this program would help tackle substance abuse in the sport.

A Mariners spokesperson said the suspension would stay in place while the commissioner’s office reviewed things. They didn’t give any clear timeline for whether Rabb might get another shot.

The league took things up a notch with this suspension. Rabb broke the rules the league office had set for testing.

Final Professional Appearances

Rabb’s stats show his last big league game happened on July 31, 1988, against Oakland. He was still just 28 during that final appearance.

His last at-bat came up empty, finishing a major league run that covered parts of five seasons. Rabb played in 108 major league games, mostly with the San Francisco Giants.

The suspension blocked any chance at a comeback. Without the commissioner’s office letting him back in, Rabb couldn’t play in organized pro baseball again.

His career, which stretched from 1978 to 1991 in different roles, ended suddenly because of disciplinary action, not injury or just fading out.

Life and Activities After Baseball

John Rabb left Major League Baseball in 1988, wrapping up a 14-season pro career that started back in 1978. After that, he kept a pretty low profile, and there’s not much public info about what he’s been up to since.

Transition Away from Professional Sports

After his last MLB game on July 31, 1988, John Rabb walked away from pro baseball, having spent most of his years in the minors. He made that transition at just 28, which feels young for a baseball retirement.

He spent 11 seasons in the minors and racked up 173 home runs there. His major league time lasted five seasons, with most of his appearances coming between 1982 and 1984 for the San Francisco Giants.

No one’s really documented what Rabb did after baseball. Players from his era often went into coaching, tried their hand at business, or just switched careers entirely.

Legacy in Minor and Major Leagues

John Rabb built his legacy on versatility as a player and sticking with it at every level of pro baseball. In the majors, he caught in 37 games, played first base in 14, and spent another 14 in the outfield.

Down in the minors, he even played third base 24 times, showing he could handle just about any spot. That kind of flexibility made him a useful utility player throughout his career.

With the 1982 Giants, Rabb landed on a roster with some big names. Guys like Reggie Smith and Joe Morgan were veterans, and Rabb was much younger, almost from a different baseball era.

His career ran from the late ’70s through the late ’80s, covering a pretty interesting stretch in baseball history.

Current Status and Public Appearances

There’s not much out there about what John Rabb’s been up to since he retired from professional baseball.

He was born on June 23, 1960, in Los Angeles, California, so in 2024, he’d be 64.

Some former players jump into the spotlight with media gigs or coaching jobs, but Rabb’s kept things pretty quiet.

Honestly, that’s not unusual for a lot of minor league guys or utility players from back in his day.

Baseball media hasn’t covered any recent interviews, appearances, or business moves for him.

Nobody really knows where he’s living or what he’s doing for work these days—at least nothing public.

It seems like Rabb just prefers to keep his life private after baseball.