George Sisler

Baseball Player

• Born: March 24, 1893
• Birthplace: Manchester (now New Franklin), Ohio
• Died: March 26, 1973
• Place of death: Richmond Heights, Missouri

Sport: Baseball

Early Life

George Harold Sisler was born March 24, 1893, in Manchester (now New Franklin), Ohio. His family was relatively well-to-do for the time: Both of his parents were graduates of Hiram College, a small school in Ohio, and his father was manager of a coal mine. George’s uncle was the mayor of Akron.

George was athletic, and his baseball talents developed quickly. The town of Nimisila was too small to have a high school baseball team, so when George was fourteen, he moved to Akron to attend school. His pitching so impressed the professional scouts that he was asked to sign a contract with the Akron team of the Ohio-Pennsylvania league.

The contract with Akron was to go into effect when George graduated from high school, but his father persuaded him to enroll at the University of Michigan instead. While at Michigan, George became known as an outstanding player, perhaps the best college player in the country. The Pittsburgh Pirates purchased his contract from Akron and officially listed him as a member of the team.

At Michigan, George met his future wife, Kathleen Holznagel. They eventually had one daughter and three sons; all the boys went on to play professional baseball like their father.

The Road to Excellence

At Michigan, George was coached by Branch Rickey, who later became a dominant figure in modern baseball. Rickey helped George escape from the Pittsburgh contract, arguing that it had been signed while George was still a minor. The case caused considerable dispute and bitterness. After it was resolved in George’s favor, he signed a contract with the St. Louis Browns, the team with which Rickey was associated. George and Rickey remained close for the rest of their lives.

In 1915, George started his major-league career as a pitcher with the Browns, then managed by Rickey. When Rickey recognized George’s outstanding abilities as a left-handed batter, he switched him to first base. George became an excellent fielder, leading the American League (AL) in assists six times during his career. He became known as one of the best first basemen ever to play the game.

George batted .305 in 1916, his first full season with the Browns. He performed even better the following year, with 190 hits and a .353 average. His record was nearly as good in 1918, when he ended the season with a .341 average. His efforts, however, were obscured by the fact that he played for a weak team, the Browns, who finished far down in the standings.

During this time, George steadily developed his batting ability and perfected his fielding skills as well. In the course of the 1919 season, he compiled a .352 batting average and won his first award for assists. George was establishing himself as one of the premier hitters in professional baseball.

The Emerging Champion

In 1920, George was the best player on the Browns’ roster, and, although the team finished fourth that year, George put together the first of three consecutive outstanding seasons. He set a major-league record by leading the American League in batting average (.407), games played (154), at bats (631), hits (257), and assists (140).

George, like many great hitters in baseball, had exceptional control. During his fifteen seasons in the major leagues, he struck out only 327 times. In 1920, he hit safely in almost every game he played, failing to do so in only twenty-three games. Although a relatively small man at 5 feet, 10 inches and 170 pounds, George was an outstanding ballplayer.

George demonstrated his abilities again in 1921, when he had a batting average of .371 with 216 hits. Even with this performance, the Browns ended in third place. In 1922, the St. Louis team came the closest it would to winning a pennant while George played with them. The Browns battled the powerful New York Yankees throughout the season but finished behind by a single game.

During this intense battle, George was at his best. He set an AL record by hitting safely in forty-one consecutive games. This record stood until 1941, when it was broken by Joe DiMaggio’s fifty-six-game streak. George also batted .420 and led the league with 18 triples, 134 runs, 246 hits, and 125 assists. He struck out only fourteen times. Not surprisingly, he won the league’s most valuable player award.

Continuing the Story

George missed the entire 1923 season because he was sick with sinusitis, an inflammation of the nasal membranes. The infection caused double vision, a disaster for a major-league batter. Although the condition cleared up, doubts remained about George’s batting ability.

In 1924, George returned to the St. Louis Browns as a player and manager. He continued to hit more than or near .300, but the Browns never finished higher than third place. In 1927, he gave up the manager’s position and remained as a player.

In 1928, the Browns traded George to the Washington Senators. After only twenty games, he was traded again to the Boston Braves. He was with the Braves until 1930 and hit for an average of .300 each year.

George left Major League Baseball as a player in 1931, when he was sent to the minor leagues for the first time. He played and managed in Rochester, New York, and Shreveport, Louisiana, before he went into private business.

George’s record in the major leagues was excellent: a .344 batting average in the American League, and a .326 average in the National League. Only a few players have done better than George’s combined .340 lifetime average.

Working with his old mentor Rickey, George was a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1943 through 1950. When Rickey moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1951, George went with him and worked for Rickey and the Pirates until his death on March 26, 1973. In recognition of his achievements, George was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Summary

George Sisler was an outstanding batter and excellent fielder who perfected his skills by practice and dedication. Although he never played on a team that reached the World Series or even won a pennant, George always performed the best he could. In doing so, he compiled one of baseball’s most impressive records—set in 1920, his major-league record of 257 hits stood until 2004, when it was broken by Ichiro Suzuki.

Bibliography

Huhn, Rick. The Sizzler: George Sisler, Baseball’s Forgotten Great. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2004.

Roberts, Russell. One Hundred Baseball Legends Who Shaped Sports History. San Mateo, Calif.: Bluewood Books, 2003.

Sisler, George. How to Raise Your Batting Average. St. Louis: Horton, 1988.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Sisler on Baseball: A Manual for Players and Coaches. New York: D. McKay, 1954.