John Charles Rowe (December 8, 1856 – April 25, 1911) was an American professional baseball player, manager and team owner from 1877 to 1898.

[2] At age 19, Rowe began his career in organized baseball in 1876 with a club in Jacksonville, Illinois.

[5] He made his major league debut on September 6, 1879, at age 22, and played in eight games for Buffalo that season, batting .353 in 38 plate appearances.

[1] Rowe was one of four Buffalo players (with Dan Brouthers, Hardy Richardson, and Deacon White) who became known as the "Big Four."

"[6] During the 1884 season, the "Big Four" led Buffalo to a third place finish and a 64–47 (.577) record – the highest winning percentage in the club's history.

As a batter, he hit for .303 average and ranked among the league leaders with a 4.0 Offensive WAR rating (10th), 97 runs scored (10th) and 199 total bases (10th).

The team won the National League pennant with a 79-45 record and then defeated the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series.

[10] Rowe was the starting shortstop for the 1887 team, appearing in 124 games at the position, and continuing to rank among the best players in the National League.

Rowe hit for a .318 average, and his 4.1 WAR rating ranked as the 10th highest among the league's position players.

However, he committed a career high 72 errors, the second highest total in the National League by any player at any position.

In 1891, The Sporting Life wrote that, having sold for a profit before the league's collapse, "Rowe and White are pretty slick, you bet.

[4] In November 1895, after two years out of the sport, Rowe was hired to manage the Buffalo Bisons (Eastern League) for the 1896 season.

At the time, The Sporting Life wrote: "Rowe is a resident of Buffalo and has lived in this city with his family for many years.

He is well known in local base ball circles, and, for that matter, his is a familiar name in connection with the history of the game all over the country.

[4] As the Bisons' manager, he developed several major league players, including Claude Ritchey, Chick Stahl, Harry Smith and Jack Barry.

"[3][19] In January 1899, The Sporting Life described him as "one of the most contented men in Buffalo these days", attending to his cigar business, and "ever ready to talk base ball.