John William Bates (August 21, 1882 – February 10, 1949) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder.

[3] In July 1909, Bates was hitting .288, much higher than his previous season batting averages, when Boston traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in a multiplayer deal.

[2] In 1154 games, Bates recorded 1087 hits, 25 home runs and 417 RBI with a .278 batting average.

[1] Bates was a glassworker after retiring from baseball, and then he became a deputy sheriff for Jefferson County, Ohio.

[5] In 1949, Bates had a heart attack while he was shoveling snow, and he died ten days later in his native Steubenville.